Dark wild brown in a Brookie stream

[Flyinglion]

Caught this aggressive little wild fish while looking for brookies yesterday. He came darting out from under a rock to check out my fly, then quickly ran back under his rock. Next cast, he darted out again and grabbed it. Pretty cool. This has to be the darkest colored wild brown that I have ever caught. Almost looks like he is taking on the same gunmetal color that the brookies have.

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[dc410]

Wow, that is a dark one. Doesn't see much daylight living under that rock. Kinda makes sense.

 

[Dave_W]

Interesting!

Obviously, dark colored BTs are common, especially on freestone streams. This guy, however, really takes the cake - definitely unusual. Perhaps a pigmentation disorder - or maybe just a really dark fish that got darker living under a rock?

 

[Skeet6]

He's cool looking!
Mike B

 

[JackM]

I think it is a brook trout.

 

[Dave_W]

JackM wrote:
I think it is a brook trout.

You really need to get out fishing more Jack.

 

[moon1284]

At first glance I thought brook trout as well. After a closer look it's a brown. The red spots with blue circles are similar to brook trout, but Brown trout also sometimes have those spots, especially towards the posterior of the fish. My guess is it has a pigment disorder as Dave w said above.

 

[Swattie87]

Cool fish. I think Jack was joking, but in case he wasn't, it's clearly a Brown.

Browns vary in coloration a lot. Some, especially those living in dark rock crevices can get very dark. I've caught some that are close to that guy. My guess is he's perfectly fine, just doesn't see much daylight. Did the stream have tannic, tea colored water by chance? I note a higher propensity for dark fish (both Browns and Brookies) in tannic streams.

 

[afishinado]

Dave_W wrote:

JackM wrote:
I think it is a brook trout.

You really need to get out fishing more Jack.

Here's a pic of the steelhead Jack caught last week during his trip to Erie...

 

[Flyinglion]

I believe the dark spots make it a brown trout. He must spend most of his time under that rock hiding from sasquatches...

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Thanks A fish, that made me laugh! GG

 

[wgmiller]

Interesting fish!

 

[albud1962]

HAHAHA

 

[steveo27]

neat

 

[TJones]

Wow... really cool fish. Never seen one that dark.

To add to what Dave W posted... and I'm sure a lot of you guys have seen the black spotches on river smallies, I wonder if this could be something similar... or maybe this is one of those bottom borrowing fish from the other thread lol.

 

[Mike]

They can also get dark when blind or have cataracts.

 

[phiendWMD]

afishinado wrote:

Dave_W wrote:

JackM wrote:
I think it is a brook trout.

You really need to get out fishing more Jack.

Here's a pic of the steelhead Jack caught last week during his trip to Erie...

I'd like to nominate this for post of the week!
BTW, Jack I don't agree with your rough handling of that steelhead.

 

[Flyinglion]

I second the nomination. The steelhead comment was cracking me up.

 

[ryansheehan]

I never thought I would defend Jack but....I thought it was a brook trout at first too. I read all the comments poking fun so I had to turn my screen brightness way up to realize it was a brown. Jack, that's a heck of an erie steely, stocked or wild?

 

[McSneek]

I believe the fish in the OP is a very rare browgemmie. Seldom seen, this strain of fish fell off the evolutionary chain and took up residence in our mountain streams with their little cousin, the brook trout aka gemmie. Similar in size, appearance and taste to a brook trout the browgemmie can stir up debate on an Internet forum as well as any other salmonoid.