Earl Grey of Fallodon ‘Once savoured there is no other kind of fishing which will satisfy the longing to return to the big sea trout which run up the little waters winding through the unspoilt places of the land’.

Sea-trout is a sea –run brown trout also referred to as peel, finnock and sewin.

They vary in size from harling 8-9 inches, summer peel, to the massive sizes found in Argentina and Norway. Allegedly a 41lb sea trout was caught on the River Lakselv in arctic Norway. Sea trout were once considered scientifically separate from brown trout and referred to as Salmo trutta fario but it is now known they are the same species. Silver sea trout prevented from returning to the sea will revert to a brown trout and it is only the large arcs of the scales which if closely studied under the microscope will hint and it’s former sea trout status.

Brown trout often migrate along the course of a river, some to the mouth of the river where they have been referred to as slob or bull trout. Those that migrate to the sea have the potential to grow larger than the non migratory fish as there is a richer source of sand eels, shrimps and small fish. They share many on the characteristics of salmon, in respect of their silver colour, migration to the sea and return to their native rivers where they rarely feed to spawn.

A sea trout clearly liced was caught kayak fishing for bass

Most river caught sea trout are hen fish, this is because they are more avaricious to satisfy their spawning needs, and hence migrate to sea. Their eggs can be fertilised by a male trout or even male parr. Female sea trout can therefore mate with male parr producing females which are more likely to be sea-trout, whereas males that are less likely to be sea-trout.

Sea-trout probably migrate for extra nutrition and this is especially so from the acidic moorland rivers, with little food, and where the indigenous trout can be only ½ lb.

Sea trout return from March through to October, but the timing is unique to individual rivers. The main run starts in late May / June when they arrive at the estuary and migrate with the floods. Most sea-trout migrate at night often in minimal water, and both day and night when rivers are in spate. They tend to migrate in shoals and remain so more than solitary brown trout. Fresh sea trout rarely feed , but as they remain in the river and become more trout like in appearance they will also rise to hatching flies.

Fishing location

All river containing trout, are likely to have sea-trout, both in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Non indigenous, imported trout to New Zealand, Australia, South America and the Falklands have resulted in some of the best sea-trout fishing in the world.

A 10lb sea trout

Fishing for Sea trout

Sea trout can be caught in the sea, estuaries, rivers and Lochs. In UK river fishing for sea-trout is usually at night but fresh fish can be caught in the day after a spate. In Norway they are caught in the day as they are in the lochs.

May and June is perhaps the optimum time to start sea trout fishing, when the fox gloves are opening, and the colour green in the grass is lost to the gloaming of the ensuing night. At this ‘witching hour’ the sea-trout will often first show as they leap from the water. This is often silent from the water, before crashing back into the river. The sound of the rapidly vibrating tail has a bird like in resonance and is often heard a split second before it crashes back into the water.

Like salmon certain sea trout will be located in specific lies. This is normally in 3-6 feet of water, especially under over-grown banks and tree’s or at the edge of the current and at the junction of a feeder stream. Often the holding water is in deep slow moving pools where their presence is only determined by careful patience of fishing or observation.

Fishing Techniques

As sea trout will often lye right under the bank it is worth starting with short casts often just the fly and leader, before extending the line progressively . In a fast current the natural swing of the current is enough to animate the fly, however in slow moving water the fly needs to me drawn with short strips or a figure of eight.

Flies vary perhaps more so than any form of fishing. Fresh run sea trout in cold fast turbid water will favour a lure of 3 inches sunk lure or more, whereas a resident of some month, and loch fish will take a small sized fly of size 12 fished on the surface. The essential patterns should have silver in some form, with black and often red. Sea trout like salmon should not be struck like a trout but the hook only tightened when the fish is felt. They will however over repeatedly retake a fly even after being pricked.

Surface lures are idealy in warm dark nights and often for detecting lies, when they are referred to as 'fish-finders'. Sea-trout appear to rise to the wake of the fly and often miss the fly repeatedly. Patterns vary from lumps of cork, deer hair to styro-foam as in this Chernobyl ant.