have you ever heard of....

[trouthungry]

have you ever heard of or seen a rainbow trout turn slowly darker and darker after it was on your stringer and had died do you know if this trout would be safe for consumption?
[signature]

[DKSRenegade]

All my trout do that if I put them on a stringer and tie them to my float tube. Even if I catch a trout in a stream and keep it ,it will go dark by the time I get home.
[signature]

[trouthungry]

i was just wondering in my 10 years of fishing i have never seen it happen to a fish my dad says hes never even heard of it so i was just wondering if anyone knew
[signature]

[Jedburton]

trout and any fish for that matter change color after you catch them depending on how warm they get, what else they touch and how much light shines on them,but they are fine to eat unless you leave them out for too long,
jed
[signature]

[ocean]

Fish change colors a lot of times due to lack of oxygen just like humans change color too.
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[url "javascript: addTag('cool')"][cool][/url][#0000ff]Many aquatic critters have "chromatophores" in their skins that can change colors with varying conditions. In deep water, some fish become very pale, and turn darker when returned to shallower water and more direct sunlight. On the other end of the spectrum, many oceanic species (like dolphin fish and marlins) are known for "lighting up" in bright colors when excited...but then turning to a dull grey color when life ebbs from them after being brought aboard and killed.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Trout are not able to control rapid changes in their skin coloration or intensity, but they do go through different color phases naturally over the year. Most notable is the brighter breeding colors of most species during the spawn. But, the colors can change when the fish are stressed or injured too. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]One of the interesting things I have observed about trout is how they will turn silvery in large waters...especially when they are clear and deep...like the Gorge. But, the same species, taken from a tributary or outlet stream will have all the characteristic colors. I suppose it is a survival adaptation, with bright reflective silver being more difficult for predators to see in clear water.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]And then there are the black trout you catch from under the banks in streams with a lot of leaves and tannin in the water. Yep, fish identification can be challenging if you rely solely on color.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The good news is that a change in color is no reason to discard a fish...unless it turns green after two weeks in the refrigerator.[/#0000ff]
[signature]