finnock

plural finnocks · alternative finnac · alternative finnack · alternative finnoc · alternative phinnock

1. ScotlandA young sea trout, in the year after they return to fresh water after their smolt migration stage.

   Previous to their descent, I caught in all, not far from the tideway, about half-a-dozen finnocks, on two or three different occasions.

   1866, Thomas Tod Stoddart, An Angler's Rambles and Angling Songs, page 46

   2 more examples

   Have you ever had a day's finnock-fishing? If you have not, and you happen to be a keen disciple of Izaak Walton, take my advice and seize the first opportunity of doing so.

   1893, J Moray Brown, Stray Sport

   Emigrating smolts were captured by fyke net in 1998 and early 1999. […] The returns to date suggest that the sea survival of stocked fish returning as finnock is consistently lower than that of wild smolts and that the survival of both groups to mature sea trout is almost non-existent at present.

   2006, Graeme Harris, Nigel Milner, editors, Sea Trout

   Synonyms: herling, school peal, school peel, harvester