Quote:
Originally posted by Bender:
 Quote:
Originally posted by Cecil Baird1:
Even if you do get a successful hatch in your spawning stream, where will you put them to keep the larger trout from eating them?
I hadn’t thought about that. I could try to keep the young in the stream and the larger out (after spawning) or maybe I could keep enough minnows/shiners in the pond that they won’t eat all of the trout.

Even if I don’t have any reproduction, I think by giving the trout a habitat where they could spawn would be beneficial. I read somewhere that part of the reason trout have a shorter life span when stocked in a pond, is due to the stress of having to reabsorb their eggs.
My personal believe is you are wasting your time trying to reproduce your trout naturally for several reasons including cannabilism and adding minnnows won't help. In fact the minnows will compete with your fry and fingerlings and could introduce disease.

On the other hand, you do have a point in that females that don't have optimum conditions, or aren't spawned manually may attempt to reabsorb their eggs, become stressed, and die. Brook trout are the most susceptable to this. Some will make it though as some of mine have.

If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.