many angler-campers. The site chosen offered the most advantages; parking 

 space was available; the campground was less than 1 mile away; the confluence 

 of Porters Creek and the Middle Prong within a few yards of the checking sta- 

 tion represented the downstream limits of most anglers' efforts; and prox- 

 imity to the Ranger Station made it possible for the warden to assist us in 

 many ways. 



The checking station was manned by John A. Fowler, temporary Fishery 

 Aid, Fish and Wildlife Service, who has had long experience in the Park and 

 in meeting the public in his job as a seasonal fire guard for the National 

 Park Service. Mr. Fowler was thoroughly interested in the creel census, and 

 he contributed much extra time and effort to secure the greatest possible 

 amount of creel data. 



There were some disadvantages encountered in the creel survey and in 

 the location of the station. No means were employed to ensure cooperation 

 on the part of the fishermen; the reporting of catches was voluntary. Some 

 anglers who fished in the lower 3 miles of the main stream and in Injun Creek 

 escaped contact and left the Park without registering their catches. Some 

 individuals drove by the checking post, in spite of its advertised and well- 

 marked position; others fished past the station and did not return. Most of 

 the fishermen, however, were entirely cooperative. 



It was unfortunate that we were unable to operate the station each day 

 of the open season. Mr. Fowler was responsible for UO hours of duty per 

 week, with duty days scattered to adequately sample each week and weekend 

 day. His working day was from 9 to 5, but he usually chose to exceed this 

 by remaining on duty until 7 in order to contact more anglers. Additional 

 records from fishermen were obtained on Mr. Fowler's off-duty days by Dis~ 

 trict Warden El Ogle and by the writer. In spite of the disadvantages 

 mentioned, Mr. Fowler and Mr. Ogle have very carefully estimated that the 

 returns received represent two-thirds of the actual number of trout removed 

 from the Little Pigeon River watershed during the 193>3 season. 



The Little Pigeon River Watershed 



The Little Pigeon River and its tributaries drain one of the larger 

 watersheds in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The drainage area 

 contains about 5>0 miles of trout water and lies on the northeast side of the 

 Park, in Tennessee. Its streams originate at elevations up to 5,000 feet 

 or more on the steep slopes of a high ridge running eastward from Mount Le 

 Conte (6,593 feet) to Mount Guyot (6,621 feet) and fall sharply to the 

 valley floor. The Little Pigeon flows about 8.5 miles, with an average 

 gradient of U70 feet per mile, and leaves the Park at an elevation of 1,1+00 

 feet. 



Splendid virgin forests of mixed softwoods and hardwoods stand on 

 much of the headwater portions of the area. Old mountain farms at lower 

 elevations have now reverted to forest in the 23 or 2\\ years since the 



