Roger's Angling Pages
The Hutchen Hucho hucho		Salmon family Salmonidae

This fish is one of the most beautiful of large salmonid fishes inhabiting inland waters. Its head with jaws equipped with distinctive rows of teeth shows that it is a predator. The colour of the young Huchen is lighter than that of the older fish with its predominant green-brown colouring. In the spawning season the males are tinged pink at the sides and turn black on the belly. It is still possible to fish for Huchen in Czechoslovakia, Austria and Rumania, but as a result of the modernisation of fishing techniques and increasing water pollution they are continually in decline. Experiments have been conducted in artificial rearing and the distribution of domesticated fishes to other parts of the world (for example they have been taken from Czechoslovakia to Algeria and Morocco).

They live in deep streams where they find abundant food, such as Dace and Chub. They grow quickly and reach a weight of 40 lb and above. A fish caught was re- ported as weighing 110 lb. They breed in April or May. Huchen are particularly sought after in autumn and in winter and fishing for them is very exacting. The habitat of Huchen is usually predictable and they search out their food early in the morning or early in the evening. They can be caught by spinning, and by using dead fishes, metal lures or plugs. Artificial animals are also good bait, such as common amphibians (for example the frog) or land vertebrates (for example the mouse). A large lure should be chosen with a line of 12 lb breaking strain and such a rod as will stand up to the sharp thrusts and the play of a large fish in flowing water.