Strang stomach contents

[DBspecial]

I caught what I believe to be a hold over stocked rainbow trout. I dont normally keep trout but I do keep some stockers to eat. When I got the fish home I checked out what it had in its stomach besides having 7 hellgramites, 3 salmon eggs, 2 corn kernels, 1 yellow stonefly, a large beige caddis, 2 scuds, and a sow bug it had a large tangle of something I have never seen before. They looked like pods from some kind of aquatic plant. They were 3-4 inches in length, had the diameter of flyline, and were olive brown. There were small bumps along the entire length and when placed in alcohol (for preservation) there were little tufts of hair-like things that were randomly spaced along the length. What are they?

[AaronJasper]

Thats pretty interesting. You would assume the corn and the salmon eggs, but surely not the amount of hellgramites. The caddis, scud and sow bug were also interesting finds.

About the plantlike matter, I would venture to say that they fell into the stream and drifted in some way that made the trout want to eat them. Very interesting for sure and it backs u my saying that it's great that trout don't have hands and that they have to put something in their mouths to try something out. Take some photos of the plants. I would like to see what they are.

[DBspecial]

I think I have successfully managed to attach a picture.

[DBspecial]

Its not real clear but at least you get the idea of what they look like. There was at least 50 of them in the fishes stomach!

[sleepswitfishes]

wonder if they could be eggs from toads or frogs..they r attached just like that to stream bottom..and look exactly like that..or if it it some aquatic plant ive seen many times trout will eat that with no hesitation if its loaded with scuds and other live organisms..just like they eat caddis cases..

[bobdawson]

Well in some aquatic plant I have seen many times that trout will eat that with no hesitation if its loaded with scuds and other live organisms....Fish food contains many things which is needed to a fish...

[troutnut]

Ralph Cutter said in his radio show that trout will eat plant life for scuds etc. Just listened to it today. He should know, that's his gig.