On another forum, a topic came up that has sparked some debate. Someone asked how you tell a native trout from a stockie. The state in question is NJ, although I can see this applying all over. Obviously, in the start of the season it's pretty easy, but once the fish acclimate and begin feeding naturally, I was always under the impression that the fish change. By this I mean a pale hatchery fish in April could have brilliant coloring by June if it was put in a decent stream with proper forage--therefore making it easily mistaken for a native. One poster suggested that the only way to tell a native from a stocker is meat color. Stock=white/yellow. Native=orange/pink. I don't keep very many trout, but does anyone know if that's a surefire way? I was alwasy taught that meat color was also determined by diet, so again a hatchery fish could change over time.

Anyone else that lives in an area with an abundance of stockies and naturals/holdovers have any thoughts?

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Joe C.
"Drift: If you saw a
piece of steak moving
unnaturally on your
plate, would you eat it?"
- Nick Lyons