Do Trout Play Dead? i'm serious

[rford]

Several time's this past year i have seen some odd behavoir, that appeared to be trout playing dead.
One time while walking up stream, I noticed, what I thought was a dead brook trout, kinda stuck under a rock upside down. So of course I started poking at it with my rod ( yes I broke two rods this year already ) anyway it suddenly reacted, righted itself and bolted away.
Several other times after catching a fish, fighting him quick, and gingerly removing the hook, upon release the fish bellied up as if I had fought him for an hour on a spinning rod with a treble hook that ripped his gills out. Then I would do my EMT thing on him, and before I could give him mouth to mouth he would bolt as if nothing was wrong.

Why are these fish upside down. Why damn it.
Soylent Green its People....ITS People!!!!!!!!!

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[Fly Ty R]

They could just be stressed out from the fight. The one you walked up upon might have just been released earlier. And yes, don't eat the Soylent Green. Soylent Orange is much better for you...

[cole]

Ralph, 2 possibilities about the upsidedown trout 1) your wife caught her previously and gave her some good girly advice. or 2) your trout is friends with Buwinkle and they figured you would stop and try and help out. watch your back Colman.

[JeffK]

I don't think freshly released trout are playing around if they are rolling around - they want to get back under cover and forget their bad trip.

Hooked fish can do that though. I have seen large, manhandled trout in heavily fished places like the Pequest TCA, Little Lehigh etc go downstream into fast water and then go limp and let the current do all the work. After the first 50 times with this getting hooked deal they don't go berserk and look for the easy way out. Very rarely I have had trout in the Pequest ease right over to my side with a look like lets get the hook out and get this over with.

[dcabarle]

I've seen trout play dead during warm water situations. They do this so you leave the river and don't fish for them.