Trout can hone in on the scent of salmon eggs from far away.

Trout sense food and danger in a variety of ways. A trout’s sense of smell is one of its primary means of survival. This is the second installment in the post series: Trout Senses. The first post describes trout vision, discussing subjects such as sight outside of the water and the trout’s night vision.

Using Scent to Catch Trout

Trout do have a keen sense of smell and track food accurately from quite a distance. One of the most commonly used baits that emits scent is salmon eggs. There are also other baits that naturally emit scent or sprays can be used on lures to create a simulated scent. Both methods have provden to work to attract trout.

Covering Your Scent to Catch Trout

Trout also use their sense of smell to detect danger. Trout are fond of clean, clear water and often feed on the surface, but this makes them an easier target causing trout to be very leary of any signs of danger. Trout can detect oils emitted from other animals, including humans, that triggers their instinctual alarms. This can cause them to dart for cover and stop feeding. In order to avoid spooking trout with your scent you should usually fish upstream. You should also be careful to avoid contact with unnatural chemicals in items such as bugspray and sunblock. While these are often vital items you should be careful to rinse your hands completely before touching your lure.

I hope these tips on trout smell provide better fishing.  Good luck!

A trout's vision does extend beyond the surface of the water and they can see in color.

Trout can see, to some extent, above the surface of the water. There is a circular window from which trout view the terrestrial world. The width of this window depends on the depth of the trout. The Freshwater Angler’s Complete Guide to Catching Trout states that the diameter of the window is a little more than twice the depth of the trout. Thus, a trout located three feet below the surface of the water will have a window about six to seven feet wide to view the world above the surface.

In addition, items located at the edge of the window or lower on the trout’s horizon, such as a fisherman standing on the bank, will appear more distorted. Therefore, it is very important to keep a low profile when fishing for trout to avoid being seen.  Fishing upstream will also help reduce the chances of the trout spotting you as they generally feed facing upstream.

Another aspect of trout sight that a fisherman should be aware of is the trout’s ability to see color. Trout do have color vision. This means a trout may be more or less likely to strike a lure depending on its color. The common thought on lure color selection is to use bright colors when the water is murky and to use duller shades when the water is clear. Its also probably better to use colors that resemble trout prey more during high visibility conditions. Whatever the expected conditions the best option is to bring an assortment of colors and experiment to determine what colors the trout are responding to.

Trout also have some night vision allowing them to detect prey at night but are more likely to depend on their lateral line to detect vibrations at night.

The basic fishing tactics concerning trout vision are to experiment with different colors and to keep a low profile and blend in with the surroundings, perhaps even wearing camoflage, when fishing shallow water.