Trout are an amazing species of fish. They vary greatly in size, color, habitat, behavior, diet, etc., but what remains consistent within the trout family are their beauty and reputation as highly prized game fish. Closely related to salmon and char, trout have been the focus of human attention for thousands of years. They can be found virtually all over the world and are elusive, effective predators. Take a look at this historical account of the relationship between man and trout:
C. 50 MILLION BC
The first known salmonid ancestor of trout, Eosalmo driftwoodensis, appears in the
fossil record in Eocene lake sediments in
British Columbia, Canada.
C. 12 MILLION BC
The saber-tooth
salmon (Oncorhynchus rastrosus), a giant fossilrelative of the rainbow trout, swims in
prehistoric seas.
AD 54-68
Emperor Nero orders the construction of the tallest dams known in the Roman world in the Apennine Mountains to create "pleasure lakes" where he can go trout fishing.
C. 200
Roman author Aelian writes about the fishing of trout in Macedonia using artificial flies made of wool and feather.
1420
A French monk named Dom Pinchon discovers how to propagate trout artificially.
1496
A Treatyse of Fysshynge Wyth an Angle is published. Packed with trout fishing tips, it is the earliest text on angling in printed English.
1541
Spanish conquistadors searching for the fabled Seven Cities of Gold provide the earliest written account of American trout.
1758
Carl Linnaeus pins the European brown trout with a scientific label, Salmo trutta.
1805
The historic Lewis and Clark Expedition to the American West introduces white Americans to the cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii).
1852
The trout breeding methods of two French peasants lead to the establishment of the world’s first industrial fish farm at Huningue in France.
1864
The clipper Norfolk launches the trout on the wider world with a three-month voyage from England to Australia.
1876
Soldiers serving under General Crook during the US Army’s western campaign against Native American forces catch and eat an estimated 15,000 trout in just three weeks.
1883
The brown trout makes landfall in North America as a consignment of eggs shipped to New York from Germany.
1896
Death of the last miracle performing trout at the Holy Well of St. Peris in Wales.
1920's
Austrian inventor Viktor Schauberger’s quest to harness Earth’s natural energies for new technologies is inspired by his observations of trout while working as a forest warden.
1950's
Aircraft dump millions of fingerling trout on US mountain lakes during a massive aerial stocking program.
1959
Trout Unlimited, a conservation group dedicated to protecting and restoring trout and salmon and their cold water habitats, is founded in the US.
1967
Richard Brautigan’s cult novel Trout Fishing in America is published.
1980's
Salmon farming becomes established in coastal waters around northwest Scotland, leading to an explosion in numbers of parasitic sea lice that infect sea trout populations with devastating results.
2000
The brown and rainbow trout make the top "100 of the World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species", a list compiled by the World Conservation Union.
2007
Scientists in Japan announce they have successfully bred trout using lab-altered salmon as parents.
2010
A transgenic trout created using cattle-type DNA is unveiled which grows fifteen to twenty percent more meat than normal trout.
2010
A wild-born trout fry is detected in London’s River Wandle after an absence of more than 80 years.
Considering all the above, it's no surprise that trout are iconic in the eyes of many modern anglers. The environments they inhabit are usually scenic, the climates and atmospheric conditions they occupy are diverse (appealing to different fishing preferences), they're (legally) protected worldwide, and the word "trout" has more direct translations between languages than "internet". Knowing about their history promotes further appreciation for their presence, and concern for their future.
AD 54-68
Emperor Nero orders the construction of the tallest dams known in the Roman world in the Apennine Mountains to create "pleasure lakes" where he can go trout fishing.
C. 200
Roman author Aelian writes about the fishing of trout in Macedonia using artificial flies made of wool and feather.
A French monk named Dom Pinchon discovers how to propagate trout artificially.
1496
A Treatyse of Fysshynge Wyth an Angle is published. Packed with trout fishing tips, it is the earliest text on angling in printed English.
1541
Spanish conquistadors searching for the fabled Seven Cities of Gold provide the earliest written account of American trout.
1758
Carl Linnaeus pins the European brown trout with a scientific label, Salmo trutta.
1805
The historic Lewis and Clark Expedition to the American West introduces white Americans to the cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii).
1852
The trout breeding methods of two French peasants lead to the establishment of the world’s first industrial fish farm at Huningue in France.
1864
The clipper Norfolk launches the trout on the wider world with a three-month voyage from England to Australia.
1876
Soldiers serving under General Crook during the US Army’s western campaign against Native American forces catch and eat an estimated 15,000 trout in just three weeks.
1883
The brown trout makes landfall in North America as a consignment of eggs shipped to New York from Germany.
1896
Death of the last miracle performing trout at the Holy Well of St. Peris in Wales.
1920's
Austrian inventor Viktor Schauberger’s quest to harness Earth’s natural energies for new technologies is inspired by his observations of trout while working as a forest warden.
1950's
Aircraft dump millions of fingerling trout on US mountain lakes during a massive aerial stocking program.
1959
Trout Unlimited, a conservation group dedicated to protecting and restoring trout and salmon and their cold water habitats, is founded in the US.
1967
Richard Brautigan’s cult novel Trout Fishing in America is published.
1980's
Salmon farming becomes established in coastal waters around northwest Scotland, leading to an explosion in numbers of parasitic sea lice that infect sea trout populations with devastating results.
2000
The brown and rainbow trout make the top "100 of the World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species", a list compiled by the World Conservation Union.
2007
Scientists in Japan announce they have successfully bred trout using lab-altered salmon as parents.
2010
A transgenic trout created using cattle-type DNA is unveiled which grows fifteen to twenty percent more meat than normal trout.
2010
A wild-born trout fry is detected in London’s River Wandle after an absence of more than 80 years.
Considering all the above, it's no surprise that trout are iconic in the eyes of many modern anglers. The environments they inhabit are usually scenic, the climates and atmospheric conditions they occupy are diverse (appealing to different fishing preferences), they're (legally) protected worldwide, and the word "trout" has more direct translations between languages than "internet". Knowing about their history promotes further appreciation for their presence, and concern for their future.
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