Which is more attractive: Rainbow or Brown trout?

[taxi1]

As some of you know I raise trout among other species of fish. Last year I produced several hundred pounds of rainbows for a wholesaler for pond stocking. However rainbows don't seem to sell that well to my taxidermy customers, as they are typically easily acquired at any trout hatchery. So I thought this year I would I would kill two birds with one stone, and hatch brown trout for the both the live market and the taxidermy market. Wholesaler didn't think it would make much difference. Turns out the biggest customer of the wholesaler isn't sure he wants browns as rainbows are "prettier."

Of course it's all subjective, but which species do you think is "prettier?








(Pictures googled off the Internet.)

[AQUAASSASSIN]

Rainbows all day

[taxi1]

Rainbows all day

    

[meandcuznalfy]

Gotta love those big brown males when they start spawning.

[RapShack]

Browns.  Most rainbows are pretty plain unless you get one with real strong coloration.  Brookies beat them both by a mile in the looks department though.

[Splattypus]

Browns.  Most rainbows are pretty plain unless you get one with real strong coloration.  Brookies beat them both by a mile in the looks department though.

Definitely brookies first. And I agree about Bows typically looking very plain, especially hatchery ones. Seen some gorgeous ones, for sure, but generally find the average brown is more attractive than the average bow

[IceDog88]

Browns very colorful and especially when the males jaw starts to hook

[gola yona]

I can't choose one. Browns, brookies, or bows. They are all great! Trout trifecta!

[crappeye]

Wild browns

[eyeflyer]

Some of the first open water trout in April 2021. Looks like a bow/brookie cross?, there all stocked trout so a hatchery cross. Caught a lot of different colored rainbows in this lake but only two like this. 

[missoulaicebeerdog]

Browns.  I think cursing bows while targeting perch on the ice, combined with the feeling of jublience on the fly when I land a brown thinking it's probably a bow brings me to this conclusion.  Also, having seen so many gross, mutant stocked rainbows has turned me off.  Neither are native.....i'd prefer seeing a brown on the wall. 

[fish/hunt4ever]

Always a conversation between me and my coworker, who is a taxidermist in his spare time, and while the bows are pretty the browns seem to always win between us. Just love a big ol brown trout.

[albo]

I think all trout are beautiful. In Montana most of the fisheries local to me are catch and release for brown trout so the opportunity to put a brown on the wall is limited. for that reason alone I would consider raising browns. Check out a Columbia River Redband trout or a Westslope cutthroat for beautiful trout.

[POk3s]

Some of the first open water trout in April 2021. Looks like a bow/brookie cross?, there all stocked trout so a hatchery cross. Caught a lot of different colored rainbows in this lake but only two like this. 

You can’t physically have a rainbow/brookie cross. Technically rainbows are “trout” and brookies are “char”. Brown trout are char, lake trout are char, and so are brookies. This is how you can make splake and tiger trout. No idea what a lake trout, brown trout cross is, but I bet it’s quite carnivorous! Your pics are all gorgeous colored, full bred, rainbow trout!

I think whichever ones are more “rare” are the more attractive. I love the look of big hook jawed male browns compared to rainbows, but I see a lot more rainbows. That could all change if the script was flipped probably. And let’s face it, some hooked jawed male browns, are ugly as hell…but so so awesome hahaha!

[eyeflyer]

You can’t physically have a rainbow/brookie cross. Technically rainbows are “trout” and brookies are “char”. Brown trout are char, lake trout are char, and so are brookies. This is how you can make splake and tiger trout. No idea what a lake trout, brown trout cross is, but I bet it’s quite carnivorous! Your pics are all gorgeous colored, full bred, rainbow trout!

I think whichever ones are more “rare” are the more attractive. I love the look of big hook jawed male browns compared to rainbows, but I see a lot more rainbows. That could all change if the script was flipped probably. And let’s face it, some hooked jawed male browns, are ugly as hell…but so so awesome hahaha!

Thanks for the clarification, I was just looking at the colors on the stomach.

[jigmaster5]

However rainbows don't seem to sell that well to my taxidermy customers, as they are typically easily acquired at any trout hatchery. So I thought this year I would I would kill two birds with one stone, and hatch brown trout for the both the live market and the taxidermy market. Wholesaler didn't think it would make much difference. Turns out the biggest customer of the wholesaler isn't sure he wants browns as rainbows are "prettier."

Wait, so people buy a trout from a wholesaler, then pay to have it mounted (and skip over the catching it themselves part???).  This makes no sense to me, but then again, I don't understand alot of things that happen in 2023.

I'm not sure "prettier" is what sells....it might be "coolest looking"....but I don't know what the wholesaler is looking for....or rather what his/her customers are looking for...

As long as you're raising fish....I think the coolest looking ones are the tiger trout.  Either brookie (M) x brown (F) or brown (M) x brookie (F).

If that's not an option, I think the big hook jawed gnarly looking browns are the coolest....probably not the prettiest, tho.....

Palomino rainbows are also kind of pretty looking, not my taste, but I could see other ppl describing them as pretty.

[bootstrap]

anything native and not farmed.

[fish/hunt4ever]

Usually taxidermists buy the trout for them to make replicates or mount the skin for the taxidermy shows that they put on all over the world. Really cool to see some of the mounts that are at the shows. Some are customer mounts that are done like deer and such. But that customer usually knows it will be awhile before they get there mount since the shows can be all year long.

[Prairie Bear]

Rainbows 🌈

[rmoody79]

Once you close your eyes they are all slippery, brown or rainbow, fat or skinny

[Akhardwater]

I think if you really want to impress your clients start raising Arctic char.  Hands down without any question the most beautiful fish swimming in North American fresh waters.

[jiignut]

As some of you know I raise trout among other species of fish. Last year I produced several hundred pounds of rainbows for a wholesaler for pond stocking. However rainbows don't seem to sell that well to my taxidermy customers, as they are typically easily acquired at any trout hatchery. So I thought this year I would I would kill two birds with one stone, and hatch brown trout for the both the live market and the taxidermy market. Wholesaler didn't think it would make much difference. Turns out the biggest customer of the wholesaler isn't sure he wants browns as rainbows are "prettier."

Of course it's all subjective, but which species do you think is "prettier?








(Pictures googled off the Internet.)

I think your representation of the Brown is very poor. Like if you were MSNBC and preferred the Rainbows.

[RuralMT]

Check out a Columbia River Redband trout

^^^This. Redband's are gorgeous...basically a land-locked steelhead.

[missoulafish]

Not too many fish prettier than a big  spawning condition male Brown Trout.

[Hatandboots]

Browns for sure, especially in the fall. Just look at these colors, its like i'm in mexico.

[mcandee21]

Rainbows can has some really vibrant colors but personally I’d have to go with browns as well. Tough to beat a sea-run brown that still has that goldish underbelly

[taxi1]

You can’t physically have a rainbow/brookie cross. Technically rainbows are “trout” and brookies are “char”. Brown trout are char, lake trout are char, and so are brookies. This is how you can make splake and tiger trout. No idea what a lake trout, brown trout cross is, but I bet it’s quite carnivorous! Your pics are all gorgeous colored, full bred, rainbow trout!

I think whichever ones are more “rare” are the more attractive. I love the look of big hook jawed male browns compared to rainbows, but I see a lot more rainbows. That could all change if the script was flipped probably. And let’s face it, some hooked jawed male browns, are ugly as hell…but so so awesome hahaha!

Sorry a brown trout is NOT a char.  It's in the Salmo genus (Salmo trutta) while the brook trout and lake trout that are char, are in the Salvelinus genera. And Rainbows were moved to the Oncorhynchus genus from the Salmo genus decades ago, so are technically of the Pacific Salmon group, and are no longer considered officially "true trout." Hence the genus species name was changed from Salmo gairdneri to Oncorhynchus mykiss.

A female brown trout crossed with male brook trout is a rare inter-generic hybrid like crossing a donkey stallion with a female horse to get a mule. (Salmo X Salvelinus) Both sterile btw and typically a high mortality rate of the fry with the tiger trout.

[taxi1]

On a funny note I got chastised for posting a picture of these brown trout fry on Facebook page because according to this lone poster, browns are an invasive species and in no uncertain terms labeled me a villain.  Yes they are not native, and they can be an invasive species that are detrimental to a native species, but he posted it on a BROWN TROUT page devoted solely to the love of Brown trout! You can't make this stuff up!

And btw there are no native trout in my state and my fish end up on the wall or in private waters. And I have to jump through hoops to hatch and raise them at quite an expense. It cost me over $800.00 last year to test one lot of rainbows.

[iceman260]

I think the brook trout beats them all.

[taxi1]

I think the brook trout beats them all.

I do too! This is one I raised. About 3 pounds IIRR.