
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 20, 1994                   TAG: 9407220085
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C5   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: BEDFORD                                 LENGTH: Short

IF YOUR NEIGHBOR'S TEARING UP A STUFFED TROUT, WATCH OUT

When a thief made off with Stephen B. McKinney's prized mounted trout, the restaurant owner came up with a good fish story to ensure the thief didn't enjoy the spoils of his crime.

The fish in question was a 14-inch albino rainbow trout caught by the cook at McKinney's restaurant, Stephen's Galley. The distinctive trout with its iridescent gold flanks immediately caught McKinney's attention. He spent $125 to have the fish mounted and hung it on a wall of the restaurant.

Two weeks ago, the mounted fish disappeared during business hours.

McKinney, 61, said he figured he would never see the fish again but didn't want the thief to enjoy his new trophy. So McKinney took out an advertisement in the Bedford Bulletin, a weekly paper:

``Would the person who took the gold trout off the wall at Stephen's Galley please return it. I bought it for my wife's birthday and it contains a gold diamond ring worth approx. $1,000. I would like to have it back for my wife. Thanks, Stephen.''

There never was any diamond ring, McKinney said.

``I went through a lot to get that fish mounted and mounted right,'' McKinney said. ``[The thief] has either torn it up looking for the ring, or if that didn't work, the idea of everyone knowing there's a gold trout missing means he won't display it where people can see it.''

Scott Smith, a biologist with the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, said albino rainbow trout are sometimes bred in hatcheries but are extremely rare in the wild.

``It was the first one I had ever seen,'' said McKinney, who is an avid fisherman. ``It was a pretty-looking fish, and it was worth a lot to me.''

by CNB