MyFishFinder Forum

MFF US Northeast => Massachusetts => Topic started by: taxid on Oct 08, 2019, 03:46 PM

Title: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: taxid on Oct 08, 2019, 03:46 PM
https://www.facebook.com/MassWildlife/?__tn__=kC-R&eid=ARAml7oAJC7lX2OQCI2BU8a6MpaXC-YBypJF32sGItXIVM15kvWz84uVUFIVjvRPSPDoTzKqK_Dyuwth&hc_ref=ARRd-Eohns1HGvWAuKsXHrEh4wOU6miL7lk4MHbhwmqEegEQhzM1et48cYl2Nxa8UAY&fref=nf


(https://i.imgur.com/gZd8Zn3l.jpg)
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: maxma on Oct 08, 2019, 03:52 PM
Must be some well trained fish that succeed avoid all bait & hid in the catch & release area for the entire life...
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: taxid on Oct 08, 2019, 04:08 PM
Must be some well trained fish that succeed avoid all bait & hid in the catch & release area for the entire life...

As you know brown trout are notorious for avoiding capture by anglers and long life spans. I learned something else about brown trout recently I didn't know from research done in Austrailia of all places: Female rainbow trout are notorious for getting egg bound and stressed and even dying in situations where they are planted and spawning substrata and conditions are not correct. I.e. lakes and ponds and muddy streams and rivers. They reabsorb their eggs which is really hard on them. OTOH brown trout females don't seem to have as much a problem with it. Researchers did not know why. This could be another reason why brown trout holdover better than other species of trout along with some large specimens becoming only nocturnal (which makes angling tougher), and they can handle marginal water quality better.


Looks like a female full of eggs to me...
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: elevatorman on Oct 08, 2019, 04:30 PM
Nice fish
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: zwiggles on Oct 08, 2019, 04:42 PM
As you know brown trout are notorious for avoiding capture by anglers and long life spans. I learned something else about brown trout recently I didn't know from research done in Austrailia of all places: Female rainbow trout are notorious for getting egg bound and stressed and even dying in situations where they are planted and spawning substrata and conditions are not correct. I.e. lakes and ponds and muddy streams and rivers. They reabsorb their eggs which is really hard on them. OTOH brown trout females don't seem to have as much a problem with it. Researchers did not know why. This could be another reason why brown trout holdover better than other species of trout along with some large specimens becoming only nocturnal (which makes angling tougher), and they can handle marginal water quality better.


Looks like a female full of eggs to me...

That’s interesting about the eggs. Our big lake in NH had virtually zero spawning area. I have seen rainbows and landlocked salmon just busting at the seems with eggs before. I knew it was terrible for the salmon, but didn’t know how’s had the same issue.

It is curious that browns and LLS don’t have the same issue with reabsorbing the eggs as they are very very similar genetically I believe?
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: lowaccord66 on Oct 08, 2019, 05:34 PM
Now imagine 30-50 of those that size and larger in a stream smaller than the swift....can not wait! 
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: taxid on Oct 08, 2019, 05:55 PM
That’s interesting about the eggs. Our big lake in NH had virtually zero spawning area. I have seen rainbows and landlocked salmon just busting at the seems with eggs before. I knew it was terrible for the salmon, but didn’t know how’s had the same issue.

It is curious that browns and LLS don’t have the same issue with reabsorbing the eggs as they are very very similar genetically I believe?

So the salmon have issues with egg absorption too?  I was not aware of that. I don't have much experience with Atlantics out here although a big fishery is developing in northern Lake Huron. Would love to hatch and raise them but my state strictly forbids it citing disease worries. (ISA)

Yeah both are in the same genus but of course different species. I have seen big differences though in fish in the same genus as in sunfish. Bluegill are extremely easy to feed train on pellets while red ears are almost impossible.
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: taxid on Oct 08, 2019, 05:57 PM
Now imagine 30-50 of those that size and larger in a stream smaller than the swift....can not wait!

Lake Ontario tributary I assume?

Here farther west, states on Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior, DNR's are cutting way back on the planting of brown trout. Really disappointing to say the least.
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: lowaccord66 on Oct 08, 2019, 06:46 PM
Lake Ontario tributary I assume?

Here farther west, states on Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior, DNR's are cutting way back on the planting of brown trout. Really disappointing to say the least.

Yes sir. 
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: taxid on Oct 08, 2019, 07:02 PM
lowaaccord66,

Which do you prefer? A king salmon or a brown trout? For me I'll take big browns hands down over a king. For some reason kings don't do much for me although they are much easier to paint than a brown trout as a taxidermist.
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: Baitbucket on Oct 08, 2019, 07:03 PM
Im going to wager she avoided capture as long as she did based on size alone.. Most trout fisherman are fishing light line. She would make short work of pretty much anything a trout fisherman threw at her. I wonder how many she has snapped off, and how many "the big one that got away" stories she is responsible for.
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: lowaccord66 on Oct 08, 2019, 07:24 PM
You'd be surprised Will.  A lot of that is more dependent on the rods used.  My pb is 15lbs and was on 8# test...long centerpin rod....

Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: taxid on Oct 08, 2019, 07:47 PM
Im going to wager she avoided capture as long as she did based on size alone.. Most trout fisherman are fishing light line. She would make short work of pretty much anything a trout fisherman threw at her. I wonder how many she has snapped off, and how many "the big one that got away" stories she is responsible for.

Makes sense to me.
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: bogtrotter on Oct 08, 2019, 08:58 PM
I don't do Facebook, so I cannot check the original Mass Wildlife post.

Does it say how big the fish was in inches?

Sorry, but fishing smaller streams, I cannot even imagine how big a 13.5 pound trout runs.

I need the length in inches to translate it into terms that are "real" to me.

Funny story along those lines - - Years ago, I was fishing the Deerfield with my Dad and a couple other friends.  An older guy and a college age kid (an exchange student from Wales) put into the stream where we were fishing in a canoe.  As they did so, they asked us what we were fishing for, and my Dad said "trout."  The college age kid asked how big the trout typically ran, and my Dad said "about 14" - - meaning inches, but the kid asked "pounds?"  Needless to say, we all got a good chuckle out of that exchange.
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: SalmonAndStriper Stalker on Oct 08, 2019, 09:45 PM
There was one 18lbs in there that died a month or so ago. A fisherman found her and gave the carcass to masswildlife to analyze.
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: taxid on Oct 08, 2019, 10:28 PM
I don't do Facebook, so I cannot check the original Mass Wildlife post.

Does it say how big the fish was in inches?

Sorry, but fishing smaller streams, I cannot even imagine how big a 13.5 pound trout runs.

I need the length in inches to translate it into terms that are "real" to me.

Funny story along those lines - - Years ago, I was fishing the Deerfield with my Dad and a couple other friends.  An older guy and a college age kid (an exchange student from Wales) put into the stream where we were fishing in a canoe.  As they did so, they asked us what we were fishing for, and my Dad said "trout."  The college age kid asked how big the trout typically ran, and my Dad said "about 14" - - meaning inches, but the kid asked "pounds?"  Needless to say, we all got a good chuckle out of that exchange.

Didn't say but but judging by the browns I have raised to 12 pounds --that were more rotund than this fish-- I would guess around 32 inches?
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: bogtrotter on Oct 09, 2019, 07:15 AM
Didn't say but but judging by the browns I have raised to 12 pounds, that were more rotund than this fish, I would guess around 32 inches?

Wow, now that's a big fish!
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: lowaccord66 on Oct 09, 2019, 07:31 AM
lowaaccord66,

Which do you prefer? A king salmon or a brown trout? For me I'll take big browns hands down over a king. For some reason kings don't do much for me although they are much easier to paint than a brown trout as a taxidermist.

Browns for sure.  Ive caught Kings, they are cool but I prefer the browns.
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: taxid on Oct 09, 2019, 08:20 AM
As an artist the great variation in spotting patterns and colors in browns intrigue me and they are a challenge to reproduce. For me salmon simply range from bright chrome in the summer to gradually changing to very dark before expiring in the fall. Just seem drab compared to browns. Size is mainly what salmon have going for them to me.
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: taxid on Oct 09, 2019, 08:20 AM
Browns for sure.  Ive caught Kings, they are cool but I prefer the browns.

 :thumbup_smilie:
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: westernmas on Oct 09, 2019, 08:35 AM
There was one 18lbs in there that died a month or so ago. A fisherman found her and gave the carcass to masswildlife to analyze.

I took some casts at that thing like 3 years ago.  It was prob in the 12lb range at that point but I had it chase a few streamers but it always turned away at the last moment.  I was there last Friday night tossing mice for these beasts but didn't have any luck.  I lost both my mouse flies in trees in short order.  It isn't very easy to fish there at night, especially where these big browns tend to hang out.  Guy caught a 4.3lb smallie under the route 9 bridge the other day too.  Hopefully there aren't too many of them that came over the dam otherwise the brookie spawn might be in trouble.  Perch would prob be even worse.
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: james1981 on Oct 09, 2019, 09:34 AM
 I've caught some big ones out of comet pond through the ice,  one 5lb fish had 3 hooks with two leaders attached.  If you ever fish the swift river in the catch and release zone its like going to cabelas and looking at  the fish tank. Monsters but been caught so many times that they are just weary of anything from what I gather. Its been a while since I fished it. But Flaggs in Orange sells no 18- like 22 nymphs to fish it.. Its open all year long...
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: westernmas on Oct 09, 2019, 09:38 AM
I've caught some big ones out of comet pond through the ice,  one 5lb fish had 3 hooks with two leaders attached.  If you ever fish the swift river in the catch and release zone its like going to cabelas and looking at  the fish tank. Monsters but been caught so many times that they are just weary of anything from what I gather. Its been a while since I fished it. But Flaggs in Orange sells no 18- like 22 nymphs to fish it.. Its open all year long...

Yup to fool those fish, especially this time of year, it is long leaders, light tippets and tiny flies.  Some old timers tie on size like 28s.  It also takes them about 2 hours to tie them on but they tend to work.
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: lowaccord66 on Oct 09, 2019, 10:35 AM
Yup to fool those fish, especially this time of year, it is long leaders, light tippets and tiny flies.  Some old timers tie on size like 28s.  It also takes them about 2 hours to tie them on but they tend to work.

Yawwwnnn.  Right about now you should be able to get them to eat a streamer.
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: james1981 on Oct 09, 2019, 01:12 PM
 again its like fishing the cabelas or BPS aquarium...  they just sit there and eat and eat... Been caught dozens of times. You can try Ive heard the guys that catch the most in that stretch are the guys going super super small.....
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: westernmas on Oct 09, 2019, 03:43 PM
Yawwwnnn.  Right about now you should be able to get them to eat a streamer.

Trust me I've tried.  Perhaps under the cover of dark they would but with the gin clear water coming out of quabbin it's pretty hard to trick them.  I saw a guy using pieces of garden worms on spinning gear and 2lb line hook one but broke him off almost instantly.  Below the C&R section for those worried.

A local guide landed a 17.10lb brown in the swift on 3x this February.  Used a T&T Contact rod...figured you'd like that tidbit Jon.
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: lowaccord66 on Oct 09, 2019, 04:13 PM
Trust me I've tried.  Perhaps under the cover of dark they would but with the gin clear water coming out of quabbin it's pretty hard to trick them.  I saw a guy using pieces of garden worms on spinning gear and 2lb line hook one but broke him off almost instantly.  Below the C&R section for those worried.

A local guide landed a 17.10lb brown in the swift on 3x this February.  Used a T&T Contact rod...figured you'd like that tidbit Jon.

I do love my T&T and I agree with your decision to fish at night there Pat.  Keep mousing you'll get a big brown. 
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: taxid on Oct 09, 2019, 06:55 PM
What do the browns eat in the river? They can't get this big on insects. Of course once they get that big they can feed on stockers.
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: CMD1987 on Oct 09, 2019, 08:19 PM
What do the browns eat in the river? They can't get this big on insects. Of course once they get that big they can feed on stockers.

They’ll eat almost anything. Major predators. Frogs, crawfish, juvenile brooke trout - no shortage of forage for a decent brown in that river
Title: Re: Mass Division of Fish & Wildlife captures 13 1/2 pound brown from Swift River
Post by: taxid on Oct 10, 2019, 08:04 AM
They’ll eat almost anything. Major predators. Frogs, crawfish, juvenile brooke trout - no shortage of forage for a decent brown in that river

Makes sense. Would be interesting to know what the age of a fish like that is. I used to know a prof that could age fish for me if I sent him the otolith bone. Unfortunately he has passed away due to cancer and heart attack due to the chemo.