PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1931 669 



try where some stocking is not necessary, although many lakes and 

 streams are largely self-maintaining. The increasing importance of 

 this type of recreation and the opening of new and better roads to 

 the waters makes necessary the expansion of game fish cultural 

 facilities. The work has also a monetary value, visible in the in- 

 come from licenses, expenditures for guides, boats, bait, tackle, 

 lodging, transportation, and the various other items which go to 

 make up the cost of a fishing trip. These costs are so indefinite, 

 however, that no specific sum can be ascribed as a valuation of the 

 enterprise. 



EOCKY MOUNTAIN TROUT STATIONS 



The abundance of wild fish available as a source of egg supply 

 makes possible the major part of the activities at the Rocky Moun- 

 tain stations and substations. The waters in this region are ex- 

 ceptionally well suited to the raising of all species of trout. The 

 eggs secured are used primarily to meet local requirements and the 

 surplus, which is transferred, augments inadequate egg collections 

 in other fields. A large part of the bureau's work in this region 

 consists in the production of fish for stocking waters in the national 

 parks and forests. 



BOZEMAN (MONT.) STATION AND SUBSTATIONS 



[W. T. Thompson, Superintendent] 



Despite the handicaiD of low water due to drought conditions, Bozeman sta- 

 tion and its auxiliaries experienced another record year. Collections of eggs 

 totaled 23,480,000; and the distribution of eggs, fry, and fingerling fish amounted 

 to 22,223,078. The distribution of fingerlings, yearlings, and adults amounted 

 to 9,201,378 compared with 7,570,830 for the fiscal year 1930, 



Bozeman {Mont.) station. — This station produced fingerling trout sufficient for 

 20 car lots by railroad distribution car in addition to a considerable number of 

 fish distributed locally by truck and messenger. Aside from a small take of 

 40,300 brook-trout eggs, the station acquired its stock of eggs by transfer. Brook, 

 Loch Leven, black-spotted, golden, and rainbow trout were included in the out- 

 put. Success attended the rearing of Loch Leven fingerlings. Feeding experi- 

 ments were suspended during the year because of drought conditions. Cooper- 

 ation with the Montana Fish and Game Commission was maintained as formerly, 

 the State delivering four truck loads of the bureau's fish to Yellowstone Park 

 and assisting in the transfer of adult black-spotted trout and grayling to Boze- 

 man. The California Division of Fish and Game, the Nevada Fish and Game 

 Commission, the Forest Service, and other agencies also cooperated in the work. 

 Reports of spawning golden trout in the Gallatin Forest arouse hope that the 

 bureau may soon be able to collect its own stock of eggs from these fish. 



Meadow Creek (Mont.) substation. — This substation exceeded its own records 

 of 1929 in the collection of both Loch Leven and rainbow trout eggs. Its 1931 

 collections comprised 18,905,800 eggs of the Loch Leven trout, 42,000 of the 

 black-spotted, 4,404,800 rainbow, and 131,400 brook trout eggs. The majority 

 of the Loch Leven and rainbow trout eggs were shipped to other stations, including 

 Bozeman, in the eyed stage. In exchange for some of these eggs, the Montana 

 Fish and Game Department turned over to the bureau 1,945,500 eggs of the 

 black-spotted trout. Shipments of Loch Leven trout eggs from Meadow Creek 

 included 500,000 to the State of Arizona; 800,000 to Seattle, Wash., for distribu- 

 tion to the bureau's stations in that region; 3,709,500 to the State of Montana; 

 and 8,311,800 to the Bozeman station. Of the rainbow trout eggs, 2,654,400 

 were shipped to Bozeman and 407,000 were transferred to the Glacier Park sub- 

 station. All the brook trout eggs taken were sent to Bozeman. At the end of 

 the year 1,128,900 of the black-spotted trout eggs received from the State of 

 Montana were still unhatched; the remainder of the consignment had been 

 planted in Madison Valley waters in the form of small fingerlings. 



Glacier Park (Mont.) substation. — In preparation for the 1931 season minor 

 changes were made in the arrangement of the water-supply pipes and troughs, 



