Something else I learned recently is fish that are feed trained in ponds may not be as voracious pellet feeders as those that are concentrated in tanks due to some natural feed in the ponds. At least this is true with yellow perch.
Maybe the natural feeding instinct is stronger in trout, both of the hatcheries that I've gotten Rainbow and Tiger trout have raised them in tanks on pellets. After stocking in a few days their intake of pellets is reduced quite a bit and they stay largely on natural forage.
Four years ago which was the first year I stocked trout they stayed mostly on pellets, each year since as my forage base grew they consumed less pellets.
