Bull trout pair on a redd in Lolo National Forest in Montana. Note the clean gravel, which the fish have scrubbed of algae, a telltale sign of a spawning redd. Photo: Aubree Benson, used via CC2.0
‘Tis the season for brown and brook trout to spawn, and it’s vital that anglers know how to spot spawning fish and their redds (spawning beds). Not only should you avoid targeting fish on redds, but wading anglers must be especially careful not to tramp through the gravel where the trout eggs are deposited. An article by Ben Kryzinski in Hatch Magazine offers some good advice:
If you’re walking and wading, take care to keep an eye open for active redds — they’ll be freshly swept of algae and the smaller rocks will likely have been rolled over by pre-spawn fish as they prepare to make a nest for the eggs. An average trout or char redd might be about the size of your bathtub, and, during the peak of the spawn, it’s not uncommon to see fish on the redds either engaged in spawning or protecting their eggs. Brown trout, for instance, are fierce guardians of their redds, particularly after the spawn (and they can be easily coaxed to chase a streamer as a result). As a rule, if you see fish on a redd, it’s best to leave them be.
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