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Trout Like It Woody

Research in progress by an Otago University graduate suggests that brown trout prefer a woody water environment.

Traditionally, coarse woody debris -- trees, roots and lumps of wood -- has been regarded as detrimental to the `fishability' of a stream. Brent Evans's research at Silverstream, near Dunedin, indicates that in fact there are more and heavier brown trout in pools where debris is present. This supports recent US studies and has important implications for the management of fishing streams and rivers.

Evans suspects that a woody environment provides cover for juvenile trout, and that insects living in the debris supplement the trout's other food sources.

Linda Gray, Otago University