The Brook Trout Personality Test

“The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope.”
— John Buchan
As fly fishers, we’re always looking for a reason to hope, and here’s some solid science to suggest we shouldn’t give up until we’ve tried every fish in the pool. Researchers in Canada are exploring the varieties of behavior demonstrated by brook trout in an attempt to unlock another piece of the evolution puzzle. It turns out that not only do individual brook trout perceive their environment differently; they also develop personality traits that show up in feeding behavior. “University of Guelph scientists noticed the different personalities as they sat by the Credit River, west of Toronto, watching trout feed. Then they scooped out the fish and ran them through six days of personality tests in the lab, and even some swimming tests.” Tom Spears of the CanWest News Service.