Through the years, I have played mad scientist on large, small-stream brown trout. I am fixated on them. I have no formal training, but I have logged hours with DNR shocking staff, and gone to hatcheries and watched the brooders be milked. I have asked many questions of the staff.

I have caught my fair share of big browns, and then some. I have looked at many stomach contents and examined flesh colors to help guess if they are stockers or stream born. This was in adulthood and childhood. A monster with orange flesh is typically a long-term resident. A monster with white flesh is a brooder or pond escapee.

I have a friend who is a taxidermist, and I spent too many Saturdays watching him skin monsters. He could usually tell if the trout were stockers prior to skinning. Many folks don’t know you can both mount and eat your monster.

Brooder browns are easy to determine. Their fins usually are stubby and have nodes on the front fins. The tail is typically worn on the bottom from wear on the substrate of rearing ponds.

I once had a long-term adventure with a monster that three anglers had lost. I was with a guy when he lost it. It was a horse. I went after it day and night for over two and a half years—over 50 times.

The neighbor had a party and I talked to locals who have been in the area longer than me. I spoke to a guy from Richland Center who worked for the DNR. I told him about my quest for the monster and where I was chasing it. With a straight face he told me, “That is a pond escapee.” I didn’t believe him and asked where the pond was. He told me exactly where it was. I waded a long way up the tiny stream and finally found this medium-sized pond loaded with giants. I chased that giant for almost three years. It was a pond escapee. A horse of a different color.

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