Smolting at age 1 and its adaptive significance for migratory trout, Salmo trutta L., in a small Baltic‐coast stream

Abstract

trout. This result suggested that most trout in this small, unstable stream emigrated at age 1. This hypothesis was investigated by marking and recapturing age 1 trout* in the stream in March and April 1989, and following their movements and numeri- cal changes. In addition, population abundance estimates were made throughout the stream to monitor the overall dynamics of the population. The smolt study area consisted of six contiguous sections in the lowest 140m of Tullviksbacken (total trout-producing length