Wood Lake, near the head of Wood Creek, a tributary of the South Fork 

 of the Iforth Fork, probably should have been given equal consideration with 

 the South Fork in this study. Because of its remoteness from the main 

 census area, personnel limitations, and other difficulties, it was censused 

 for a 2-week period only, and it vra.s not possible to estimate pressure and 

 yield for the same period as the other fisheries. During the 2 -week census 

 (June 22 to July 7, probably the period of heaviest fishing) 50 parties 

 were contacted. The contacted fishermen (139) caught 185 fish, all of which 

 vrere trout. The catch vras comprised of appro j:im.ately equal n\.unbers of rain- 

 bow trout, cutthroat trout, and brook trout (table 3), The average rate of 

 catch was 0,26 fish per hour (O.ll pound per hour). The average weight of 

 trout taken vra.s about 0,44 pound. It is estimated that a total of 385 

 fisherrf.an-days (1,965 fishernan-hours) was expended, and 494 trout, vxeighing 

 199 pounds, ^-rere taken at Wood Lake (ta'^les 5 and 6) during the period 

 June 22 to Julj/- 7. 



Mi seel 1 a neous Information 



About 98 percent of the fishermen contacted during the course of the 

 study were residents of llontana (table 7)j of these, 72 percent came from 

 Great j^alls, nonresident fishermen came from 21 States. Appro::imately 

 9G percent of the fishermen In the contacted parties came from an area 

 v/ithin a lOO--aile radius (which included Great Falls), 32 percent came from 

 T/ithin a 50-milc radius, and 3 percent came from vfithin a 25-mile radius 

 (table 3). The small percentage of fishermen from within the 25-mile 

 radius can be directly attributed to the limited population in that zone© 

 That 64 (77 percent) of the 33 fishermen who came from a distance of over 

 300 miles v;ere nonresidents, indicates the attractiveness of this wilder- 

 ness area to noni'esidents. 



Hen comprised 77 percent of the total number of anglers in the con- 

 tacted parties, women 14 percent, and children 9 percent. 



The largest fish recorded during the study vra.s a 11,7-poiand pike. 

 The largest trouts were a rainboiv v/eighing 2.9 pounds and tvTO brovms 

 iveighing 3,6 pounds each. 



Boats were used by about 43 percent of the fishing parties contacted 

 at Gibson Reservoir, 26 percent at Diversion Reservoir, and 11 percent at 

 Split Rock Lakes, Boats were prohibited on the other reservoirs in the 

 study area; only three boats were observed on the streams during the census. 



Until the first part of July, bait fishing v/as the most common method 

 of fishing* after that time fly fishing became increasingly popular. 

 Grasshoppers were the favorite bait at Pishkun Reservoir, and minnows were 

 favored at Split Rock Lakes. 



On the average, each fisherman-day v;as 4,5 hours long. Extremes in 

 the length of the average fi she man -day for the various areas v;ere 2,8 

 hours on Pishkun Canal and 6,3 hours on Split Rock Lakes, The average was 



21 



