Reliable Trout Aging Method

Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie

When researching trout to determine the best methods for managing trophy populations, biologists often face numerous hurdles. One of the largest is the ability to accurately measure how old a trout is, and how quickly it grew to a given size.

A recent story from Craig Springer over in Fishing Tackle Retailer gives an update on what is considered the best method for correctly aging trout – examining stones from their inner ear. These stones provide growth rings similar to what you’d see in tree rings, and allow biologists the most complete picture to accurately asses trout growth rates.

You can read more about this process here.