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Sea Trout?

4K views 24 replies 15 participants last post by  emc 
#1 ·
Those who know me understand my love/hate relationship with this species. For 60 years i've been surrounded by them leaping about Finning their noses at me as I've desperately tried to catch them. The only ones i've ever had were in the Glaslyn and it's tributaries in Snowdonia and one in a Scottish river (hm .. you don't need a licence for Brownies and well Mr. Baliff I thought it was a silver Brownie!)

So despite spinning with a variety of lures from spinners to plugs and fly fishing with the popular river patterns and livebaiting with live sand eels and other small species caught nearby under the seaweed, i've still to catch when fishing DELIBERATELY for them. I once talked to Mike Thrussell and he recommended the smallest Meps spoon for the job (yes you've guessed it .. no good for me!) I remember one caught at Cymyran at a joint WSF/Fishing4U day there.)

Interestingly i havn't caught one by accident either!! Once took someone out fishing to catch Mackies at Penmon to show him the ropes, and the following week he took his kids out under the Brittania and pulled in a 5lb Bass followed by a 2lb Sea Trout (his girls forced him to return it as it was smaller than the Bass!!) He used a 3" German pattern spinner!!!!

What i'd like to know is:
  • have you ever caught a Sea Trout in the sea, deliberately or otherwise
  • what did you use - bait or lure
  • type of situation (river estuary or standard shore/rock mark)
  • did you return it as you did not have a Salmon licence or ...... !!!
No need to divulge venue - I know so many in the Swellies as it is and they don't help me!!
 
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#2 ·
I catch them on the estuary as the tide starts to run hard. Spinning a silver and black condom.
Iv seen them caught in Ireland in the mouth of the estury with live sand eel as the start to run the river "again, as the tides starts to run hard".
Big fish early in the year and they get smaller as the year goes on.
 
#4 ·
Years and years ago, I had one of about 4lb on a bleak February day at Aberleri boatyard near Ynyslas.

It took a small strip of herring, which I was trying to tempt a winter flounder with. Had a stonking bite, missed it, rebaited and cast to the same spot and hit it OK on the next take.

Never seen one since!

Cheers - John
 
#5 ·
My 12yr old catches them in Talaysarn,,,, village near me, and at Porthmadog. he uses maggots. you pay £15 for the day and you can keep 8 Trout, providing they are in good size.
 
#6 ·
Hiya,

I've had great success using a very thin strip of mackerel belly (or sandeel) about 4" x 1/8", nicked on to a size 8 single hook. fish this on as long a hook length as you can cast with and use a controller float. I normally use about 5' to 6' between the hook & the float.
Cast out as far as you can and wind back in very slowly, you want the mackerel strip to wobble not spin. When a fish hit's it stop winding and let out slack line. count to 20 slowly then tighten up to the fish.

Any mark that you see them jumping will produce fish to this method.

On the legal side I cant help as it's totally different up here in Scotland.
 
#7 ·
I catch a few by accident, you understand and returned immediately, in the mouth of the Ogwen in September to small live sandeel freelined or tiny mepps spinners fished on 6lb line when I am actually targetting bass as anyone who knows me will tell you.

Your honour.
 
#8 ·
Good responses, cheers! I am of course green with envy already but wonder if Davy is the only genuine sea trout fisher ( thanks for the comprehensive method also!) as the others sound a bit like accidents (that is IF talk of being caught whilst targeting 'Bass' is to be believed ... yer honour!! (" ... Oh what a nuisance yet another of those pesky sea trout, they're just like Doggies!") Mind you i'm sure that the Flounder 'substitute' is a great and genuine story. I wondered about esturine fishing with earth worms, that bait catches lots of sea fish, including flounders, as I understand it. I even heard of a Ray being caught 4 miles up a Suffolk river!

Now .. are we saying that there is a 'fishery' near Porthmadog which allows bait and is stocked with SEA TROUT? If so please, please where exactly is it as I have a caravan in the area and would relish catching sea trout at any (resonable cost) to blanking in the sea!
 
#9 ·
Hiya,
Good responses, cheers! I am of course green with envy already but wonder if Davy is the only genuine sea trout fisher ( thanks for the comprehensive method also!) as the others sound a bit like accidents (that is IF talk of being caught whilst targeting 'Bass' is to be believed ... yer honour!! (" ... Oh what a nuisance yet another of those pesky sea trout, they're just like Doggies!") Mind you i'm sure that the Flounder 'substitute' is a great and genuine story. I wondered about esturine fishing with earth worms, that bait catches lots of sea fish, including flounders, as I understand it.
I spent a few years targeting Sea Trout (legally) up here in Salt water, though it was mostly from a boat with a slightly different set-up. However using the method I described above, it's just as common to catch bass & flounders as it is to catch a Sea trout.. so you could have your get out clause ;)
 
#11 ·
What i'd like to know is:
  • have you ever caught a Sea Trout in the sea, deliberately or otherwise
  • what did you use - bait or lure
  • type of situation (river estuary or standard shore/rock mark)
  • did you return it as you did not have a Salmon licence or ...... !!!
No need to divulge venue - I know so many in the Swellies as it is and they don't help me!!
Swellyman, posted report from my holiday last year, caught one at port madoc in the estuary, fishing at dawn with frozen sand eel for bass. As you can see fresh out of the water and returned to fight another day. you may be able to work out the position from the background.
http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26149&highlight=wallmark.
mark
 
#13 ·
Sea trout seem to behave differently in different areas. In ireland they are relatively easy to catch and are taken regularly on sandeel, mackerel strip and spinner. I've also had them fishing from Trovose head in Cornwall on bait and spinner.

My understanding after talking with Mike T. is they are not very obliging in Wales when in the sea.
 
#14 ·
Hello Swelly Bach,
here is a link for the freshwater bylaws, and the Saltwater are Here.

Always found the Mepps longue a great spinner in faster currents, about size 3-4, red for cold days, blues, green dotted in warm weather. If the current is fast, shallow a Wye lead is useful as you can use it to bump bottom which cuts down on lure loss. mepps aglia in small sizes is also great, flying 'c' and jumping jack with a worm bait.

I stopped all that game angling business ( a very polite way of saying ex poacher ! LOL ) a long time ago.
 
#18 ·
abu krills ;) silver and red...

my father is an avid sea-trout fisherman and swears by them! where he used to fish (river clyde) you had to get fairly well out. he used to fish a place called rhu narrows, where a large shingle peninsular would jut out into the river and spin from the end, most of the time in waders.

the town we grew up in also had flat, concrete topped sewage pipes that went out about 150 yrds to sea... he would put his waders on and allow the tide up a few feet around his legs, they must feed on the small shrimp or large rag ect that congregate around the outlet, as he was always pretty sucsessful.

some real trophys now and then, but he would probably take a 6-10lb'er every second/third outing.

h.t.h, al

p.s you can find the krills on a poular bidding site for low money....
 
#19 ·
Hiya,

The problem with spinning for Sea trout, is the way the take a bait. Rather than engulf the bait in one go they hit it hard to stun it then spin round and take the stunned bait as it sinks. when spinning this results in a lot of lost fish, missed takes or fish following in. where as if you use the mackerel belly method it suits the sea trout's method of attack perfectly resulting in well hooked fish every time.
 
#20 ·
ill give the makkie a go if im ever up that way.... cheers Davy :)

it was helensburgh and the sewage pipes at the start and end of the town that my dad used to fish from, just down the road from you.

think the whole stretch is owned by loch lomond AC now though :schmoll:

cheers, al
 
#21 ·
Hiya,
ill give the makkie a go if im ever up that way.... cheers Davy :)
It works anywhere there are Sea trout and can be deadly effective too :)

it was helensburgh and the sewage pipes at the start and end of the town that my dad used to fish from, just down the road from you.

think the whole stretch is owned by loch lomond AC now though :schmoll:

cheers, al
Yup LLAC own that whole area, I used to be a member of it many moons ago and done most of my Sea trout fishing off the tail o the bank from the boat or Cardross from the shore. I aint been down there in years though as most of my fishing is done up at Mull now. that been said .. I've bee threatening to get my mates boat out and show him the ropes down there as he has the LLAC ticket :)
 
#22 ·
well good luck if you do! drop me a p.m with a report if you dont mind :)

just looked on local.live.com and the rhu narrows are still there (told they had gone for the navy base access).

would deffo recomment a spin or drift off the end, my pa's best mark ;)

appol's for any thread hijacking...

cheers and atb, al
 
#23 ·
Great responses and info. Never thought about how a sea trout attacks. Knew that Bass do it when attacking at speed - told that that's why they have the spine on the gill cover as a means of inflicting initial damage before snaffling up the slow down food. They were always easier to hook when 'fishing' for crabs under weed close to shore.

Nevertheless I think that fishing deliberately for sea trout and catching them (as described) is great and real 'angling'. Catching them by accident smacks of 'fishing' !!!!!! Not that I can do either!
 
#24 ·
About ten years ago me & the kids were fishing a south cornwall rock mark with bar spoon krill lures. As usual, dad wasn't catching, but son & daughter were.

We'd had a few makkies, then son had a stonking pull & after about five minutes started to haul a sea trout up the cliff. ( about 2/3 lbs.)

First time I heard him swear like a man when it fell off!

Never seen any other caught from salt water.
 
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