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Brown trout and sea trout (Salmo trutta)

Trout spawn in small streams that flow into Loch Maree in October or November. During their first two or three years after hatching, all trout look much the same. However, after 3 or 4 years in freshwater, some trout turn silver and go to sea, leaving their siblings to remain as brown trout within the loch. 'Finnock' (small sea trout) return to freshwater after a few months of feeding in coastal waters. Larger sea trout may return to spawn several times during their lives – formerly reaching 80 cm or more in length. The Loch Maree sea trout population collapsed at the end of the 1980s and has yet to recover. Sea trout were affected by sea lice epizootics in Loch Ewe, most recently in 2001, 2003 and 2007. Sea trout populations elsewhere in the WRFT area have also been affected by sea lice and other factors.

There are several forms of brown trout in Loch Maree including ferox. Ferox are large brown trout that eat other fish especially charr. Ferox are much like other trout when they are small, feeding mainly on insects around the shores of the loch. However, when they reach about 30 cm in length and 5 years old, their diet is almost entirely of charr and small trout. By age 10 years, ferox may be over 60cm long. There are also numerous isolated wild brown trout populations in Wester Ross in streams and hill lochs above waterfalls that are inaccessible to sea trout and salmon.

A Fionn Loch trout         [Close]
Finnock and sea lice         [Close]
Gairloch hill loch trout         [Close]
Gairloch hill loch separated from Loch Maree (behind) by waterfalls         [Close]
Garbhaig falls trout (Steve Kett)         [Close]

Trout Gallery

Click a photograph to see it enlarged.

  • A Fionn Loch trout [click to enlarge]
  • Finnock and sea lice [click to enlarge]
  • Gairloch hill loch trout [click to enlarge]
  • Gairloch hill loch separated from Loch Maree (behind) by waterfalls [click to enlarge]
  • Garbhaig falls trout (Steve Kett) [click to enlarge]

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