Why Trout??
 

Time for another battle on the forum, I personally can't see any reason at all to catch trout (not saying there isn't, I just don't see it) but I'd love for someone to try and convince me why they are fun for so many people to catch. They are so damn small! They are ok to eat but sure as hell no walleye! Can't imagine they fight a whole lot either.........is the only reason people like catching trout because they can be more colorful than other sport species in Alberta?? I'm talking about TARGETING trout.......

To make this more clear..........

Pike are fun to catch because they fight the hardest........
Walleye are great eating.......
Sturgeon are very rare..........
Trout are...........???

No offense, but I see many pics and stories of catching these tiny guys, how can it be so fun to catch something that is so damn small?? Even a HUGE trout is like 13-15 inches, not big by any means compared to the other sport fish in Alberta

When a trout outsmarts you one day and you catch him the next, then you will understand. it's the thrill of them biting your hook or fly and keeping them on. it's not in how hard something pulls.

The most incredible catch I have seen was this guy on BBC that made a quest and predicted that when the continents were connected that brown trout would be in the deapest jungles of this certain river in India. almost one year it took him with gov permission, and seeking guides to trek out and fish this river that possibly has never been seen by man. After checking out the local hatch and creating a fly, on his second cast he caught this 8'' brown trout. I have more respect for that catch than any lunker we pull out of our lakes here.

Pound for pound trout are by far the strongest fighting fish (in my opinion). If you have only caught them 12-13 inches perhaps you need to try more than just fishing "put and take" ponds. I have caught plenty of trought in Alberta over 20 inches. If you were to try the Ram River or Hummingbird Creek like in a recent thread you will experience the beautiful scenery and crystal clear water.

A few thoughts come to mind;

1) Try out a fly rod or ultra light spin casting outfit. Size your gear down and a 14" trout becomes a monster. Awesome fight.

2) Hike into a high mountain lake or high stream surrounded by awesome scenery.

3) Clear water is a nice change late summer - as opposed to Walleye and Pike holes that a green and stinky this time of year.

I am primarily a pike and walleye fisherman, but trout are more of a challenge. They are way more finicky and depending which species of trout there can be quite a steep learning curve. As for trout being small, ask fishinggeeks if a 13-15" trout is huge.

ya, they fight hard for 1 pull then they give up.

A 20"+ Rainbow or Brown trout from the Bow River fights harder than any Walleye of similar size / weight. The Rainbows tend to make huge leaps into the air, which is VERY exciting. I have never seen a Walleye do that. A Pike probably fights a little harder, but I still find the trout more exciting to catch.

Let The bashing begin....lol

Pike have to be the stupid fish there is you could probably catch them on a piece of string.

Walleye arent much smarter as usually if you find the school you sit there until there is none left and perch are the same.

Ok lets look at trout ....ok rainbows arent the smartest trout either that is why alot of people like to fish them.....i fish them but they arent my favorite fish.

brook trout and brown trout in a lake are alot smarter even a cutthroat is smarter..............big browns and big browns are around but very hard to catch.

Ok let see size was next statement saying 15 inch trout is big **** i catch way bigger fish then that in streams mind lakes....last trip was out for rainbows biggest fish was 22 inch but it was in the heat so septemeber always catch bigger fish.

Ok next one they taste like **** hummmmmmmmmm i really think pike and there bones suck the big one sure perch and walleye are good eating.........ok were do you catch big enough perch to have a meal and walleye were do you catch them that you csasn keep them.............ok trout in most pothole lakes taste like mud but lets go to some clean cold water and trout is yummmmmmmmy ................summing up why i fish trout......i grew up fishing jacks,perch and walleye and i found no challenge to them............trout is way more challenging and flyfishing for them is ups the challenge.............i would rather catch a #5 trout on a flyrod then any #20 jack on a spinning reel.........................bring it on..............................lol

first walleye i caught on my flyrod i thought i snagged a old boot as there was that much fight......lol.............and jacks arent much better

Walley pike and perch = meat fishing.

trout = sport fishing.

there is no sport in pike imo, as you get a few head shakes, then they barrel roll up in your line and you just drag them in.

pound for pound you will never get as good of a fight as you get from a trout. Unless it's a Steelhead, which can be argued as being a trout over a salmon, but really they're all salmonids.

to be perfectly honest, the funnest fish I have ever caught would have to be a pink salmon, sea lice fresh from the ocean in the kitimat river. I quickly learned why they're sometimes called circle fish. You know how hard it is to keep a fish on your line when it's swimming in tight circles very fast.

Many different types of trout, and ways of catching them. Trout lb for lb will compare with any sport fish when talking about power, they torpedoo out of the water and will scream your drag once you get into 1lb+ fish. Then all the different tactics and water types lakes streams rivers ponds you are talking about a huge class of fishing here.

haha say what?

I fish both, but I prefer pike/walleye fishing, mainly walleye cause the hunt is always on for a bigger better walleye. My record to date is 12 lbs
Trout are just fun i find cause they're finicky

As somebody else said pound for pound trout fight harder and are more sporting to catch. Walley and Pike are fun but it kinda takes the fun out of it when there is far less of a challenge. I could take a can of minnows to Sylvan Lake and catch walleye till I got bored but unfortunately that happens fairly quickly.

As for size there are larger trout but if all your catching is little guys and you want a better fight, then downsize your equipment, I have super light fast action rod about 5'6" that I use for trout fishing with a real light reel or I fly fish (poorly).

The greatest fun I have had fishing I think its going to lac la plonge SK on may long weekend growing up and hammering big lakers, try and reel in a 27 pound laker and there is nothing that compares that I have fished for anywhere in any lake. (Never been sturgeon fishing). I have caught big 25lb pike and let me tell you they are not even in the same league.

Can you fool a pike/walleye or even a sturgeon in eating a size 20 fly? I dont think so...
Can a walleye or sturgeon grow to large sizes in a creek you can jump across.
Dont think so...
Iv yet to see a walleye jump higher then me while wading out...while rainbows and the odd brown out of the bow or oldman do it on a regular basis.
You can use 7x tippet on any of those species because they will break you off.
And to finish it off...
http://www.fishinggeeks.net/
I rest my case.

it's too bad you haven't caught a trout larger than 13". hook a 2 or 3 lbs. and you'll have a real fight on your hands with lots of aerial acrobatics. can't think of another species of fish in alberta that gives you a better fight pound for pound. plus there very tasty.

trout? Well...
 

Trout hang out in the areas where I like to hang out. Pike, walleye, and perch don't. When Walleye start hammering a perfectly matched fly, perfectly drifted over the surface of a perfect feeding lie on a perfect mountain stream nine hours into the backcountry, then I'll fish for them too.

I'm not so sure if I'd characterize a 20+ inch rainbow making several three foot out of the water on the end of your leader as a poor fighter, but I'm probably not the best poised to make that distinction.

If you think trout taste like chit, you should stop fishing in dugouts or maybe you should work on your cooking skills. ;)

You fish for Walleye, and I'll fish for trout. Good times for all, and all for perfectly good reasons!

hk

Pike Jumping coal lake
 

Love catching any type of rainbow's, beautiful fish. Here's a pick of a jack jumping and fighting for it's life! Took the pic with my i-phone while reeling him in!

Tis true.

They gotta be genetically modified to get any attention.

I'm not in love with trout. I'm in love with WHERE THEY LIVE.

In the past week I've been on beautiful little isolated rivers 3 times, no one else around, working riffles, pools, etc. with my fly rod, waist deep in water. Deer crossing the river 50 yards downstream... beautiful.

Go back and forth trolling on a lake in a power boat with your rod sitting in a rod holder? No thanks. If you enjoy that, more power to you.

You can't say all of any fish are stupid or not fun. You have to find the sport in them. When fish are very active and biting like crazy anyone can catch them for the most part. The days when they are not biting is when a good fisherman is seperated from a fisherman. A good fisherman will figure the bite out and catch fish while a fisherman says its slow and leaves the lake to be called STUPID by the fish lol.. :sHa_sarcasticlol:

All I have to say is to each their own. I will take an 8 - 10 in athabasca rainbow over a pike , walleye or sturgeon anyday.

WOW a 8 inch trout would be worth it. Do you have more info on this story? Sounds very interesting!



The NUMBER 1 thing for me (I target trout exclusivley, I dont go after anything else) is the scenery and places you fish in. Fishing flowing water is 5 times better than a lake or pond.

The other thing is the colors of the trout. I absolutely love catching the little jewels in small creeks.

And I just find fishing with a fly rod so much more fun.

Lol@ 13-15 inch trout is huge....oh tha lord!

well your post is not convincing me to target trout, which means It is a useless post, as far as ur post about pike giving up after one tug, I really have no idea what you are talking about, even a 4lb Pike has lots of fight in him, when you get into bigger pike, its getting them from the bottom of the lake to the boat is when they fight the hardest!!!

You are right please don't go after trout. More for me.

"A trout is a moment of beauty known only to those who seek it." --Arnold Gingrich

"He told us about Christ's disciples being fisherman, and we were left to assume...that all great fishermen on the Sea of Galilee were fly fisherman and that John, the favorite, was a dry-fly fisherman." Norman Maclean - A River Runs Through It

Lol. wow, try battling a 30+ inch brown trout freight train, that will change your mind real f*&%^ing quick.

ok I'm glad people did not take this as a bash at trout fishers, it was an actual question, which i seem to get the jest of...........

I was not really including lakers which i guess is not fair, but i think you guys knew what i meant by trout.

I was saying a 15inch trout is HUGE cuz by most postings on this site people seem to post pics of their HUGE 15INCH trout.......not because that i personally have tried lots and only caught a 15inch........

I dont see the lb for lb comparison being useful, a goldeye fights very hard for its size, but still nothing like a 15lb pike from wab, and thats because you will never catch a 15lb goldeye!!! and yes i realize some smaller pike barrel roll when reeling them in. And I never said walleye fight lots, I think they give up pretty easy lol

So from the 20 something posts here is what I can conclude........

I should fish for trout because they are more difficult to catch than eyes or pike....

Trout are "nicer" looking as well as the environment you can usually find them in (no arguments there, maligne lake is much nicer then wab lol)

P.S. if i traveled so far and worked so hard for years to catch a 8inch trout, i would be extremely disappointed!

ok, where do you recommend I do this??? this thread was an actual question, not a rhetorical one.

You'd be surprised what the Bow River produces. Now a 30" brown or rainbow from the Bow would be the exception, but a 25" fish isn't all that uncommon. They put up a great fight on a fly rod in the river.