Dispatch Method:

The eating qualities of  brown trout can be greatly improved if they are killed humanely by iki jime or a firm knock to the head before being placed in an ice slurry after bleeding.

Fish Description:

• In freshwater the body is usually brown/black dorsally with bronze flanks with numerous dark (occasionally red) spots scattered over the dorsal surfaces and flanks.
  
• In salt water this species tends to become silvery with fewer black spots and no red spots.

Fish Distribution:

• The native range of brown trout extends from the rivers entering the Arctic ocean from Norway and Russia to the Atlas Mountains in North Africa. The limit of their native range is Iceland to the west and the Aral Sea in the east.
  
• Brown trout have been introduced into suitable environments throughout the world including North and South America, New Zealand, Australia, Asia, and Africa.
  
• They occur in freshwater streams, ponds, rivers and lakes while adult fish can also migrate long distances in seawater.
  
• Spawning occurs in freshwater streams and tributaries over gravel beds. They prefer cold, well-oxygenated upland waters and favor streams with adequate cover in the form of submerged rocks, undercut banks, and overhanging vegetation.

Fish Size Common Length:

20-50 cm (8-20 inches), maximum size around 140 cm (56 inches) and 25 kg (55 lb). World record 19.1 kg (42 pounds) from Ohau Canal, New Zealand.