rainbow was the best fish examined during the postseason population surveys 

 on these waters.. 



Most of the stocked rainbow and brook trout were removed from the 

 streams shortly after the season opened. The estimated recovery for both 

 species was 65 and 6u percent respectively,, Wild rainbow trout provided 

 the bulk of fishing throughout the summer, whereas wild brook trout made 

 an insignificant contribution to the total catch. 



A very limited number of population surveys were made on fishable 

 streams in the watershed during September, October,, and November, 1953. 

 They disclosed that trout stocks of all sizes were low. There were fewer 

 trout in the waters subjected to the heaviest fishing loads than in those 

 more lightly fished. No survivors were found of the 875 hatchery-reared, 

 legal rainbow trout which were stocked in the Little Pigeon River in April 

 1953 1 not one specimen of the 875 brook trout planted in Porters Creek dur- 

 ing the spring was taken or observed in 3 survey collections (anglers, 

 however, harvested some of these planted fish). 



The 192 rainbow trout collected in the open waters included 11 per- 

 cent which were of legal lengthy in contrast, the 201 rainbows taken with 

 cresol in the closed waters of the Wilderness Area included 32 percent 

 which were 7 or more inches long* The smallest mature female trout 

 examined was 8.7 inches longj mature males were often younger and of 

 smaller size. Only 5 percent of the fish from open waters were large 

 enough to include mature females, as compared with 21 percent from the 

 Wilderness Area. 



The combination of liberal fishing regulations in effect from 19h8 

 through 1952 and a heavy fishing pressure has contributed to a lack of 

 parent stock and a decline in trout numbers „ The population surveys 

 showed less than 500 rainbow trout per mile in the Little Pigeon, Middle 

 Prong, and Porters Creek. There were more trout per mile in Ramsey Prong 

 where the angling pressure is less heavy. Results obtained in the Wilder- 

 ness Area on the Middle Prong indicated about 1,600 rainbows per mile. 



The records obtained from 68U successful anglers indicated a 2 si 

 preference for artificial lures over bait. Of the kkl fishermen specif - 

 ical?uy questioned, 7U percent favored a change in the fishing regulations 

 to allow only artificial lures on Park streams % 26 percent of the respon- 

 dents were opposed to any change. 



26 



