Salmon Life Cycle - Smolt

The Smolt stage is reached in the spring when the fish is 12-15cm long. It travels seaward to ocean feeding grounds.

At the smolt stage is when the fish really begins to resemble a salmon. It loses it's fingerprint-like markings, and obtains a silver glow - almost like a miniature salmon. In the summer, large numbers of smolts make their way down the river, towards the sea - usually in groups, and often in their hundreds. It can be quite a sight, and we often encourage the young lads who like a spot of trout fishing to refrain for a few days while the smolts pass.

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