They like to live in cool, clear streams and rivers rich in oxygen, where they eat mainly insects and other invertebrates.  You may see Trout rise to the surface to grab insects struggling to escape from the surface of the water.  In Kate Brook, Trout sometimes eat bread thrown in for them!  Anglers try to catch Trout by ‘fly-fishing’, where they tie a lure resembling a fly to the end of their line.

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Trout often swim in deep, calm stretches of the Brook, although they are shy and will dart away to hide among tree roots when disturbed.  In winter they spawn (lay eggs) into gravel beds in shallower water, so they need a mix of slow-flowing and fast-flowing water.  The young fish, called 'parr', hatch and eat their nutritious yolk sac before moving on to feed on invertebrates.

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The Brown Trout is golden-brown with lots of dark spots. It is much smaller than the Salmon, another type of ‘game fish’ that has become rare.