  the fur-bearing trout (or furry trout) is a fictional creature purportedly found in north america and iceland. according to tales, the trout has evolved a thick coat of fur to maintain its body heat. tales of furry fish date to the 17th-century and later the "shaggy trout" of iceland. the earliest known american publication dates from a 1929 montana wildlife magazine article by j.h. hicken. a taxidermy furry trout produced by ross c. jobe is a specimen at the royal museum of scotland, it is a trout with white rabbit fur "ingeniously" attached. there are no real examples of any fur-bearing trout species, but two examples of hair-like growths on fish are known. the "cotton mold", saprolegnia, can infect fish, which can result in the appearance of fish covered in the white "fur". a real fish, mirapinna esau, also known as the "hairy fish", has hair-like outgrowths and wings. == commonalities == fur-bearing trout are fictional creatures that are purportedly found in arkansas, northern north america, and iceland. the basic claim (or tall tale) is that the waters of lakes and rivers in the area are so cold that a species of trout has evolved which grows a thick coat of fur to maintain its body heat. another theory says that it is due to four jugs - or two bottles - of hair tonic being spilled into the arkansas river. the origins vary, but one of the earlier claims date to a 17th-century scottish immigrant's letter to his relatives referring to "furried animals and fish" being plentiful in the new world. it was followed by a request to procure a specimen of these "furried fish" and one was sent one home. a publication in 1900 recounts the icelandic lodsilungur, another haired trout, as being a common folklore. the earliest known american publication dates from a 1929 montana wildlife magazine article by j.h. hicken. the "cotton mold" saprolegnia will sometimes infect fish, causing tufts of fur-like growth to appear on the body. a heavy infection will result in the death of the fish, and as the fungus continues to grow afterwards, dead fish that are largely covered in the white "fur" can occasionally be found washed ashore.{{cite web | url=http://www.tdsfb.org/fungus.htm | title=fish f
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