4o A creel census of the Upper Sacramento River sports fishery- 

 was started on the first of September, 1947. Early creel census methods 

 were exploratory, leading to a sampling method of maki,pg a census of the 

 108 miles of river between Middle ^Creek, near Redding, and i:;hico Creek. 

 An airplane was used for the census of fishermen in isolated portions 

 of the rivero Analysis of data from creel census samples involved 

 determination of the portion of the fishery sampled and increasing it 

 accordingly to represent the whole o 



5o During the period from September 1 through December 31, 1948, 

 approximately 3,300 king salmon weighing 62,400 pounds were taken in 

 83,200 hours of angling by 23,400 fishing efforts. In the following 

 season. May 1, 1948 - February 28, 1949, approximately 8,000 salmon 

 weighing 136,200 pounds were taken in 171,300 hours of angling by 43,800 

 fishing efforts. The monthly catch pattern followed closely the move- 

 ments and abundance of king salmon in the Upper Sacramento Rivero The 

 catch and number of fishing efforts for salmon increased during the fall 

 of 1948 over the same period of 1947 due to increased interest in the 

 fisheryo The length of the completed fistiing effort for salmon seemed 

 to be influenced by the weather and the availability of salmon but had 

 no set patterno The catch per hour showed a strong inverse relationship 

 with the ca-cch and fishing intensity. 



6o During the period from December 1, 1948, through February 29, 194-9, 

 approximately 3,800 rambo?/ and steelhead trout were taken in 4i3, 900 hours 

 of fishing by 10,900 fishing efforts. Daring the following season. May 1, 

 1948 - February 28, 1949, approximately 10,200 -brout were taken in 141,500 . 

 hours of fishing by 43,200 fishing efforts. The trout catch s eemed to be 

 influenced somewhat by the availability of fish as shovm by the catch per 

 hour but had a much stronger direct relationship with the nomber of fish- 

 ing efforts. "She catch per hour did not vary directly wj.th the abvmdance 

 pattern of the rainbow and steelhead trout. There were fewer trout caught 

 and fewer fjshing efforts during the winter of 1948-.<i9 than for comparable 

 montns of 1947-48 due to unusually cold weather in December, 1948, and 

 January, 1949. 



7. During the months from May through September, 1946^ approximately 

 600 striped bass were taken in 14,300 hours of angling by 6,100 fishing 

 efforts. The catch, number of fishing efforts and catch per hour all 

 varied directly with the apparent abuiidance pattern of stripsd bass as 

 they moved into and out of the Upper Sacramento River mreao 



8. During the most important months of catfish fishing. May through 

 September, 1948b approximately 1,300 catfish were taken in 4,700 hours of 

 angling by 2,500 fishing ef''"ort5. The catfish apparently made thermal 

 migrations into the river from slough areas during these months and the 

 catch, fishing effort and catch per hour followed closely the supposed 

 migration pattern. 



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