Saturday, September 14, 2013

Finding trout in unexpected places

Trout can be found in some unusual places. Texas. Israel. Puerto Rico. And apparently a small drainage ditch in Switzerland. 

There's a small animal park and playground near my home, and today I stopped by with my young daughter, figuring I'd let her get some energy out before we braved the Swiss Saturday shopping crowds. There's also a duck pond full of geese, carp, and you guessed it, ducks, and while it's entirely fenced in and obviously closed to fishing, I can't help but fantasize about those dark, two foot long shadows cruising through the weeds. Today I found something that only increased my desire to fish there, namely a dozen or so brown trout in a drainage ditch the size of a large car. The biggest was 8 inches or so, and the smaller ones were 3 or 4 inches long. How they got there, how long they've been there, how they survive and apparently reproduce, are there any sizeable ones lurking out of sight underneath the undercut sides...so many intriguing questions, so few answers. They looked healthy and vibrant, but I can't help feeling bad for them in a way. They belong in a crystal clear stream, not an oversized puddle in a playground parking lot.

The ditch.

The trout.
The trout.

The spotter.


I'll be back regularly to check on them. It certainly makes a playground full of yelling kids a bit more bearable. What's the strangest place you've come across trout?

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