The state of West Virginia is well-known as a trout fisherman's paradise.  Hundreds of streams scattered throughout the state offer native and stocked trout.  For the Rooster, trout fishing is a way to get out in the spring and fill the freezer.  While occasionally throwin in for some natives or in a put & take, the real goal is to provide some fare for the summer grill and the fall camp fire.  The state of WV stocks streams with Brown, Rainbow, Brooke, and Golden Trout in the fall and spring and these make up the bulk of the fish taken by the Rooster during the season.  However, the state also offers native trout and fingerlings stocked by Trout Unlimited.  When one these swims into a hook, they are generally put back gently.  The King sits the trout season out.

A shot of a typical WV trout stream.  This is one of the Rooster's favorites, and it has provided many pounds of damn tasty fish over the years.

The Rooster with a mess of big trout taken on a cool, late-winter day.  

The Rooster in a typical self-portrait showing the day's take.  The shirt under the hat is necessary protection from the spring mosquitoes. 

A shot of the Rooster with a nice 14" brown trout.  This was a Trout Unlimited (TU) stocked-trout and was carefully placed back in the stream.

Trout is absolutely a great tasting fish.  Even non fish eaters enjoy a mess of well-seasoned trout from the grill.

Another shot of a beautiful WV trout stream.  A good trout stream has lots of features and a lot of contrasting water speeds.   

Another self-portrait showing another day's take of trout.  The predominant stocked species taken is the brown trout, followed closely by the rainbow.  Brooke trout are far behind but not rare.  The genetically engineered golden trout is rare, and not seen very often.
 

Taking the limit of trout is special experience, and the Rooster has been lucky to do it a number of times. 

A mouth-watering shot of buttered trout fillets (along with a couple of steaks) frying up on the portable grill. 

The Rooster with a nice brown taken in a catch and release area.  This trout was carefully put back into the stream.  Notice the beautiful trout water in the background. 

The Rooster in a blurry shot of a limit of trout taken in the middle of summer.  Conventional wisdom is that trout won't bite in the summer, but WV offers high mountain streams that are cool enough to keep trout biting all year round. 

The Rooster with a nice 12" brown taken on a hot, buggy June day.

12.15.06

The Rooster taking a break from a winter trout fishing trip.  A stretch of warm December weather gave hope for more active fish than normally are found at that time of year.  The low and crystal clear water, however, limited action.  

12.15.06

A good shot of one of the TU-stocked browns that make up a large percentage of the trout in WV streams.  Notice the well-formed fins and vibrant colors. 

4.28.07

The Rooster with the spoils of a hard days work.  Five trout - 2 browns and 3 rainbows - heading to the freezer.  

4.28.07

A 14 inch stocked rainbow.  Notice the duller colors in comparison to the vibrant TU-stocked brown above.