Strange things which trout eat, and does it harm them?

Is it safe for trout to eat bread?

Trout seem to be quite fond of it eating bread. I have caught trout on bread and seen plenty of trout, including wild fish eating bread off the surface in parks. While trout eat bread, it is not exactly good for them. Trout predominately eat a protein rich diet mostly from plankton, insects, smaller fish and even the occasional mammal. Bread, is basically carbohydrates with very low protein and fat so it is not really an essential part of a trout’s diet.

Now, fish pellets. Which trout and salmon eat in farms do contain a lot of grind seeds for bulk. Which is often grind Soy, Wheat, Sunflowers or rape seeds. So a little bread in a trouts diet is unlikely to cause it much harm.

Is it safe for trout to eat plastic bait?

Trout and other predatory fish do swallow plastic baits at times. We all know that eating plastic is not a good idea, and the same apply for trout. While a small amount of plastic is probably not going to be toxic, it is also unlikely to do the trout any good because it has zero nutrient value.

I have caught trout with plastic baits in their stomach, and have caught other fish attempting to poo out plastic worms.

Nowadays I personally rarely fish plastic baits. I do a bit of freediving, and plastic baits end up littering the floor of popular lakes and even the sea. I much prefer the gum based baits, like gulp which do eventually decompose.

Do trout eat plants, algae, moss?

Trout do not feed on plants, if you see them nibbling away at a weed bed. They are probably searching through snails and other aquatic insects rather than grazing the salad.

Now, trout are opportunistic feeders. If a piece of algae, moss, or leaf vaguely resembles food floats by chances are they will grab and try it. Sometimes they even swallow. I have found twigs, and small leaves in a trouts stomach before especially after a flood.

Why do trout sometime eats plant material?

Trout eat twigs, leaves and other plant remains by mistake, or to consume aquatic insect life hitching a ride. Trout are carnivores and require a protein rich diet to put on condition.

It is not just stock trout that sometimes eat twigs and leaves, but also adult wild fish that really should know better. I have even seen reports of trout eating crabapples and berries.

Do trout eat bees, wasps or hornets?

Trout do eat bees, wasps and hornets. I have read reports that in late summer, Stillwater trout living in the western Sierra mountains are so full of yellow jackets that they are difficult to catch.

I have personally always struggled to catch a trout on a bee or hornet pattern. My local wild brown trout simply show no interest in them, both my flies and any naturals floating downstream get ignored. Even when feeding on other terrestrials, I personally never seen a trout raise to eat a drowning bee or wasp.

I also notice new anglers often have a few bee patterns in their fly box. That is because the cheap bulk fly boxes seem to love including them. I purchased a few bee patterns when I first started out, I have fished them a few times over the year without success.

If I have to give a reason. I believe some trout really zone in on the taste and profile of wasp, and feed on them aggressively While other trout populations just ignore them. It might come down to the availability of other food.

Do trout eat crabs?

Trout living in estuaries often eat crabs. They provide a rich source of food for them.

Where I grew up in New Zealand, after spawning many of the large brown trout will head to the estuaries where they gorge themselves on the mud crabs. I have not done so myself, but I know of some fly fishermen who target them at that time of year with a crab imitation fly.

When you think about it, a crab is basically just a crayfish in a different body, and trout love feeding upon them.

Do trout eat crayfish, Crawfish?

Trout eat crayfish and all forms of crustaceans. In some rivers and lakes trout predominately feed upon them.

Do trout eat shrimp?

Trout eat Shrimps because they provide a rich source of protein. Trout eat all types of shrimp both in the river and in the sea.

Do trout eat dragonflies?

Trout eat both dragonflies and damsel flies across all stages of their lifecycle. They predate upon the nymph beneath the surface, and will try and grab the adults as they hover above the surface.

I have even seen trout jumping out of the water to grab dragonflies.

Do trout egg frogs?

Trout eat frogs and tadpoles. Although, I can not say frog lures are that effective at catching them.

Do trout eat eels?

Large trout will happily eat a small eel. But this goes both ways, large eels will happily predate on juvenile trout. This is a case of a big fish eating small fish.

Do trout eat snakes?

Trout can eat juvenile snakes. While I have not seen it myself, some snakes even hunt trout and other fish

Do trout eat shellfish?

Trout are known to eat freshwater clams and mussels. Trout usually only go after the juvenile shellfish that they can swallow whole.

Trout lack the crunching power to break open the shells their d. This makes mature shellfish difficult for trout to eat. But I have heard examples of trout feeding upon freshwater mussels. I can only assume they feed upon the smaller ones which they can consume whole. Bit like how they eat snails.

Do trout eat worms?

Trout love eating worms and make up a large part of a wild trouts diet when the water levels are high. Just keep in mind that when fishing worms, trout are likely to swallow the bait whole making catch and release difficult.

Do trout eat fireflies?

Trout eat most terrestrial beetles including fireflies. While trout will eat fireflies, fishermen do not commonly attempt to fish with firefly imitations. Trout and fireflies both require clean healthy, so they quite commonly coexist.

Do trout eat butterflies and moths?

Trout do eat butterflies and moths but it is not common, and they do not seem to make up a major part of a trout’s diet. The powdery coating on a moth’s body might also act as a deterrent

Do trout eat caterpillars?

Trout love eating caterpillars and can gorge themselves on them at times. I have fished them for trout feeding on willow grabs (A type of tiny caterpillar) and they become so fixated on them that they refuse to take anything else.

Do trout eat gypsy moth and gypsy caterpillars.

There can be large hatches of gypsy moths, so many fishermen wonder do trout eat them. Trout do eat the moths and the caterpillars. They can even gorge themselves at times.

There are some reports that trout do not eat gypsy moths because they are toxic. I checked the literature, but there does not seem to be any studies backing the claim of toxicity.

Do trout eat mosquitos?

Trout eat mosquitos. Trout eat both adult mosquitos and larvae.

Do trout eat bloodworms?

Bloodworms have a reputation of living in the mud at the bottom of stagnant pools. However, trout do love to eat them. Bloodworm imitation flies are a good option on slow days, when no other bait seems to be working.

Do trout eat leeches?

Trout happily eat leeches. Many fly fishing streamers do resemble leeches and they are proven trout catches.

Do trout eat birds?

I once witness a large brown trout swallowing ducklings off the surface. But in general, birds are not commonly eaten by trout. But, as opportunistic feeders large trout will eat small birds if they are stricken on the water surface.

Are trout scavengers, will they eat dead animals?

This is a good question, if you throw a dead rat or pigeon into a river will the trout feed upon it? Will trout feed upon the body of another dead fish?

Will, not normally. They might gobble down a small dead baitfish, but I have never heard of trout feeding on larger dead animals. I have seen dead trout and rodents in rivers before, and the trout basically ignore them. They prefer to feed upon live prey rather than scavenge the dead.