We visited Katrinasrust Hatchery and Trout Farm recently to familiarize ourselves with the breeding of trout.  Frequently asked  questions of our guests are where our trout come from,  how they are hatched and grown to the sizes we want. We are happy to say that for the past 17 years Katrinasrust has been our sole supplier of trout, and we will continue to stock from them. Tim and Leslie-Anne Brewer are the proud owners with many years of experience.

Hatching of trout is fairly straightforward. When spawning a female fish is taken out of the water by hand, and her stomach  gently pressed to release the eggs in a mixing bowl or bucket. The male’s sperm, also called milt, is added into the bowl allowing it to fertilize the eggs.The fertilized eggs are then put in a tray incubator for incubation. Incubation depends on the water temperature. With a temperature of 55 º F or 15 º C eggs will hatch approximately 3 weeks after fertilization. The cooler the water the longer it will take.

Once the eggs hatch into fry (small fish 1 – 2 cm in size), they are moved from the incubator into troughs 3 – 5 m long, 0,5 m wide and 100 – 200 mm deep, with a waterflow of 40 – 50 liters  per minute.

When about half of the fry come up or swim up, feeding by hand of starter mash starts on the surface of the water 3 – 4 times per day. As soon as most fry are actively feeding they are fed more frequently with approximately 10 % of fish weight per day.

After the fry have been feeding for two weeks, the density is reduced by moving some to other troughs to prevent over crowding, typically below 0.5 kg of fry per 0.5 m³ of water volume. The fry are moved into larger troughs when they have grown to 25 mm in length, and when  larger they are transferred to  dams where they will grow to big fish, and netted out as ordered.

Although the whole process seems simple,  it requires constant supervision and attention to ensure adequate water flow with the right oxygen level and of course food. Fish hygiene is equally important to reduce contamination and disease.  It is therefore time consuming and labour intensive  requiring a high degree of reliability.

T

he Editor of The Complete Fly Fisherman (TCFF), P.J. Jacobs, lodged objections to the responsible authority, The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, against the listing of trout as an invasive species. He also invited concerned parties to contribute to the campaign by sending their support by e.mail to TCFF, magads@gonet.co.za. The letter follows :

The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Attention: Bonani Madikizela
Fedsure Building
315 Pretorius Street
Pretoria

30 April 2009

By e-mail – bmadikizela@deat.gov.za

Dear Mr Madikizela

This letter serves as the lodging of a formal objection to the proposed
regulations for the NEM:BA Act 10 of 2004 (as published in the Government
Gazette on 2 April 2009), on behalf of the Complete Fly Fisherman Magazine,
its employees and shareholders, and specifically as far as the listing of
trout is concerned.

We wish to place on record the following:

1.   Trout are non-invasive in South Africa, and there exists no scientific
proof to the contrary. Its present listing as “alien invasive” in terms of
Schedule 3 is therefore incorrect, and can only be based on incomplete,
incorrect information or assumptions. This is contrary to the requirements
of the Act.
2.   Where they presently occur, trout present no threat to any indigenous
species and are naturalised.
3.   Trout are self-regulatory and need not be zoned. Zoning and the permit
system will have a detrimental effect on the trout industry.
4.   The present listing of trout will do great harm to the trout industry,
with a consequent substantial loss of jobs, especially in the lower income
segment.
5.   Trout fishing is a way of life for many South Africans, and the present
listing infringes this right.
6.   Trout contribute enormously to the economy, and the present listing
will limit that contribution in the future. It also impairs the right of the
industry to expand and grow.
7.   The listing is flawed, in that correct procedures were not followed as
stipulated in the Act, inter alia in so far as not enough funding was made
available to properly research the status of trout prior to and leading up
to its listing as “alien invasive” in terms of Schedule 3. Many interested
and affected parties were not consulted or invited to workshops,
insufficient workshops were held and evidence presented at workshops were
not procured or evaluated as is prescribed in the Act.

Consequently, we request that trout be re-listed as non-invasive in terms of
schedule 1.

We reserve all rights.

Yours faithfully,

PJ Jacobs
Editor

See also the Editorial of the December/January 2008/2009 issue of TCFF

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Delivering a load of trout

B

elow is a brief summary of the current situation in regard to the trout permitting system :

“• There is what is referred to as the “Promulgated Fly Fishing (Trout) Zone ” which is a demarcated area where trout have been stocked for many years. Anyone who owns property within this zone is entitled to stock trout once they have obtained a permit.

• Farms that occur outside the zone trout are not permitted but an application can be made to stock and this has been granted in many cases. For new establishments a risk assessment has to be conducted and if there deems to be a risk an E.I.A. will then follow.

•  As a  producer of trout we are required to obtain an exemption permit  to Catch, Transport, Sell and Release Trout . We have been applying on your behalf for this permit for a number of years now but more is required.

• You, as the landowner, are also required to get a permit to RELEASE TROUT into your waters. Once you have been issued with the initial permit we can then do your annual application.”

Issued by Tim Brewer, Katrinasrust, Thursday, March 5, 2009.

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Tim and Lesley-Anne Brewer, third generation Brewer, are the proud owners of Katrinasrust Trout Farm.

Katrinasrust Trout Farm was established in 1949 by Tim’s grandfather and two other partners. The farm did not do  well and in 1954 Tim’s father, Eric, took over the farm from the owners. He drove down through Africa from the Sudan in an old Citroen car with his pregnant wife and baby.

It was a real struggle in the first few years as there were many logistical hurdles to overcome. The roads to Johannesburg being dirt much of the way, were atrocious. The fish produced were sent to a depot in Johannesburg and distributed to  restaurants. Trout angling was not popular in those days.

The food for the trout was made on the farm daily using old horses, fishmeal, offal, blood from local abattoir, vitamins, powdered milk, and semels. This was a wet food that was thrown into the dams. As  can be imagined the feeding of the fish was a constant problem. In later years after the advent of the dog pellet, Tim’s father, Eric, thought it was time that trout were also fed on a dry food and engaged the food companies on the possibility of producing trout pellets. Wet food is no longer used by anyone.

When trout angling became more popular in the 60′s Eric started trout stocking as it is known  today. In the old days people used to stock fingerlings into their waters and the State offered up free fish to landowners. It was very much hit and miss and it was at this point that experiments were started with the stocking of larger fish. The first two farms used for this purpose were Santa and Driehoek, two well known farms in the area. The experiments proved to be a great success and the rest is history. Over the years the average size of stocked fish went from 300 gms up to 700 gms. Big fish up to 3kg are also supplied on prior special order. The era of instant gratification had arrived.

For the last twenty years Tim Brewer has been managing the family business and has specialised in the supply of quality angling trout to the recreational industry. Katrinasrust only uses large earthen ponds to rear trout in order to keep the quality as good as possible. During  winter months Tim breeds brown, golden and rainbow trout and in the summer months eyed ova are imported from either Denmark or United States.

Katrinasrust also offers a free advisory service on the development and management of trout waters.

Contact details : (013) 256-9063/ 082 570 1673

e.mail : timbrewer@cybertrade.co.za

Related Articles:

Trout Species
Stocking and Fishing Policy

4 Trout filleted

Seasoned flour

75 ml butter

75 oil

250 small mushrooms

Half teaspoon garlic (optional)

40 ml dry white wine

125 thick cream

Turn trout in seasoned flour

Melt butter and oil in frying pan and fry trout 5 – 6 minutes on a side.

Add mushrooms and garlic sauté over low heat for 3 – 4 minutes.

Add wine and boil for 1 minute. Add cream and stir until thick.

Seasoned with salt and black pepper

Serve with green vegetables and parsley potatoes.

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In South Africa the two main species of trout are Rainbow and Brown Trout. In some waters the so called Golden Trout also occur, but they are hybrid and not a pure specie. However, trout are not indigenous to South Africa.The differences between the species are :

Rainbow Trout.

Rainbow trout are distinguished from Brown Trout by a pinkish or red longitudinal band, with varying numbers of dark spots, and pink or red gills. Rainbows favour clear, cool streams, but can survive in warmer still waters. They are spectacular fighters, and frequently jump from the water when hooked.

Brown Trout.

Brown Trout are recognised by their brownish, butter colored sides, and black, red and orange spots laterally on the body. They are extremely wary and are most difficult to catch, and are stubborn fighters when hooked, but not so acrobatic as the Rainbow.

However, Brown Trout are known for their intelligence and cunning. Normal fly fishing tactics often fail with Browns, but it is therefore all the more challenging and rewarding. They tend to go deep and hide underneath some shelter.

Golden Trout.

“Golden Trout found in South Africa are no more than Rainbow Trout displaying unusual colours. How they got into the country is not known but the most likely route is through the importation of eyed ova from either Europe or America.

The Golden trout are a recessive gene which occurs in nature from time to time as one also sees in white lion, black impala etc. Some people have suggested that they are Albinos but this is not the case and they are sexually fertile.  This means we are able to breed with them. When breeding with two goldens many of the progeny revert back to normal rainbows. Some people believe that Goldens are engineered fish but this is not correct. In captivity we are able to increase numbers.”
( Tim Brewer, Katrinasrust Trout Farm)

Related Articles:

Katrinasrust Trout Farm, supplier of live trout

Stocking and Fishing Policy

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