Trout reside in a variety of environments, such as rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds. Trout are coldwater fish and live in well-oxygenated water. Here is a brief overview of each of the major trout.

 

Rainbow trout like cool and clear water. Their preferable water temperature ranges between 50 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Early season fishing a good bet. Rainbow trout take a wide variety of fly patterns imitating insects, worms, crustaceans, eggs and smaller fish. Larger rainbows also like fly patterns that imitate minnows crayfish and other larger food items. Rainbows like to be near or in fast water. You can also find rainbows at the bottom of pools and boils or underneath waterfalls. Rainbows receive huge popularity in fly fisherman because of their fighting ability.

 

 

 

Cutthroat trout are naive to the West. They are found in  Rocky Mountains area. Their ideal temperature ranges between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Cutthroat and rainbow trout share the similar menu. Fly patterns imitating minnows, worms, insects and crustaceans works well on cutthroat. Besides those fly patterns, nymphs or a dry fly dropper rig work as well.

 

 

 

Brook trout are also known as brookies. They are native to the eastern United States. Brookies are one of the most colorful trout and covered in red spots surrounded by bluish halos. Brook trout are called trout because they show the basic habit and habitat characteristics of trout, even though technically they are really char. Brookies like still water or any place where they do not have to fight the current. Deep holes, beneath undercut banks, under logjams, near brush, rocks or tree roots are the common places to find them. Brook trout are easy to catch. They eat almost anything. They readily hit dry flies and nymphs. Bright flies such as Royal Humpy or any attractor pattern can draw instant attention from brook trout.

 

 

 

Brown trout were imported from Europe. They are known as wily and wary. Because Browns are hard to fool and require accurate casting and perfect presentation, they become popular among experienced fly fisherman. Brown trout have the typical trout menu, insects, worms, crawfish and minnows. But as they grow, browns become more prone to eat large items. You can find brown trout under rocks, ledges, backwaters, eddies, or anywhere the stream breaks its back. One distinction brown trout have is they rarely feed in bright sunlight. They often feed low-light conditions. Dawn and dusk, rainy days and nights are the best time to catch them.

 

 

 

Besides the trout members introduced already, there are a few other members in the trout family: lake trout, gold trout, apache trout and other trouts.

 

Lake trout weigh from 5 to 15 pounds. Technically lake trout are char like brook trout. Lake trout prefer very cold water, 45 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The diet of a lake trout consists smelt, minnows, shiners and other smaller fish. As the temperature rises, they dive into the deep water.

 

 

 

Gold trout reside in Rocky Mountains area. They are considered the most lovely of all trout. Their typical menu include terrestrial insects, small aquatic insects, eggs, worms, and small crustaceans.

 

 

 

Apache trout are found in the White Mountains in Arizona. They eat insects, worms, and crustaceans.

 

 

 

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