THE FISH

Eastern brook trout are easier to identify than brown trout or rainbow trout. An angler may have trouble differentiating a brookie from a splake (the brook trout-lake trout hybrid which has been planted in some lakes) or from an Arctic char, but both these fish have very limited range.

Local names given to this member of the char family of Salmonids reinforces identification problems. The fish is the square tail in Maine, the speckled trout in the Maritimes, the brookie in Ontario, the native trout where browns have been introduced, and silver trout where they are anadromous and run to the sea as "coasters".

Shape, Size, and Color

Scientists can make an exact identification of the species based on the number of gill-rakers and teeth on the tongue and jaw, but the square tail (there is no V cut in the tail) and the white-edged pectoral fin should be adequate identification for most anglers. The scales are so small they're practically unnoticeable. If you do catch a world record, an expert can assist in the identification, especially by counting the ten rays of the dorsal fin and the nine of the anal fin. But since most brook trout are immediately released or end up in the frying pan, this exactness is redundant.

Brook trout may vary considerably in size and shape, depending on habitat. One of the largest individuals was taken from the Nipigon River in Ontario. It was almost three feet long and weighed over 14 pounds. However, the average fish seldom exceeds ten inches and a few pounds. Heavy fishing pressure prevents most trout from reaching old age and therefore the increased size that comes with it.

The brookie has red spots over the sides of its body. The background color can vary greatly even in the same river. If the fish is taken from a black bottom beaver pond, it takes on a dark green body sheen. This might change to a much lighter color if the fish is caught over a shallow gravel bar with rocks of a lighter hue. The lower sides of the body are usually pinkish and the belly whitish. The dorsal fin is set off with a black streak and a white leading edge. Especially characteristic are the wavy or worm-like markings on the back of the body.

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