The regular fishing season opened on Hay 20, 1951, and closed on 

 UoTember 15, except at Pishlcun Reservoir, which was opened to fishing 

 from July 15 through the follov/lng February 29, Winter fishing was per- 

 mitted in all of the ITorth Fork Sun River below Diversion Dam and in 

 Willow Creek Reservoir during the months of December, January, and February, 

 Daily and possession limits were as follows: Trout and whitefish, 15 fish, 

 not to exceed 10 poimds and one fish; grayling, 5 fish, no vreight limit; 

 pike, 15 fish, not to exceed 15 pounds and one fish; and bass, 15 povuads 

 and one fish, no limit on number. Minimum siae limits permitted the taking 

 of not more than 5 trout or v/hitefish under 7 inches in length and no pike 

 under 18 inches in length. There T?ra.s no creel or size limit on yellow 

 perch or suckers. During the winter season the creel limit on the river 

 was 15 fish, of which not more than 3 could be trout. 



METHODS 



Creel-census activities started mth the opening of the fishing season 

 on May 20 and continued until September 30, a period of 133 days. A 4-day 

 check was made during October in an attempt to provide a basis for estimat- 

 ing the amount of fishing during the period October 1 to llovember 15. 



To facilitate the studjr, 18 check areas £/ were designated. Charac- 

 teristics of the body of water or limitations of access were the primary 

 considerations in making the designations. Data recorded at each check 

 area were kept separate, and estimates of total fishing pressure and 

 yield were made independently for each. 



Because of limited access, it v/as necessary for virtually all parties 

 fishing above Diversion Dam, except those using the upper extremities of 

 the t\TO forks of the river, to pass through a checking station established 

 near Diversion Dam, This station was operated continuously duTing daylight 

 hours, except for two weekdays each T/eek. An auxiliary checking station was 

 maintained during much of the season at the head of Gibson Reservoir. In- 

 terviews for the South Fork, North Fork, llorth Fork-South Fork area, Gibson 

 Reservoir, Middle River, Beaver Creek, and Diversion Reservoir check areas 

 were made at one or the other of these checking stations. The "North Fork" 

 and "South Fork" check areas were used to designate fishing on the respec- 

 tive streams (exclusive of a half-mile stretch of each immediately above 

 their jimction) which could be checked at either of the two checld.ng 

 stations. The "llorth Fork-South Fork" check area was used to designate 

 fishing that occurred at or near the junction of the tvro forks (within one- 

 half mile) vrhere, because of overlapping use of the ■b.vo streams, it was im- 

 possible to separate the data. 



2/ See table 1 for listing of check areas. 



