Q.
I have been fishing for trout for 30 years;
maybe you will help with a campground question
that has many different answers. Why does the
meat of some trout turn pink? The quick answer
is it’s a native trout or born in the stream.
If this is true, why do small native brook trout
have white meat? My fishing buddies and I have
spent many a camp fire trying to answer this question.
A.
Well, there are not many different answers,
and the quick answer is wrong. Meat color is
dependent on the trout’s diet; trout feeding on
crustaceans (scuds, zooplankton, etc.) will have
pink meat, while those feeding on insects will
produce white meat. Thus, the small native brook
trout with white meat are feeding predominantly
on insects. Contact me at cecushing@aol.com
If you have a question, please feel free to contact me.
~ C. E. (Bert) Cushing, aka Streamdoctor
105 W. Cherokee Dr.
Estes Park, CO 80517
Phone: 970-577-1584
Email: streamdoctor@aol.com
The ‘Stream Doctor’ is a retired professional stream ecologist and
author, now living in the West and spending way too much time
fly-fishing. You are invited to submit questions relating to
anything stream related directly to him for use in this Q & A Feature
at streamdoctor@aol.com.
Originally published May 23rd, 2004 on Fly Anglers Online by Robert Younghanz.