Mountain 



whitefish 



14% 



Other 



species 



2% 



Brown 

 trout 

 9% 



Raintx>w 

 trout 

 19% 



^» 



Bull trout 



7% 



Westslope 



cutthroat 



49% 



113 bank/wade anglers accumulated 255 total hours of fishing, averaging 2.26 

 hours/angler. These anglers captured 85 % of the total fish caught (n=166) for a catch rate 

 of 0.65 fish/hour. 



WSCT were the most fi-equently 

 captured fish registering 49% of the total 

 catch (Figure 62). Anglers caught 95 

 WSCT for a catch rate of 0.27 fish/hour. 

 Fifty seven percent of all anglers that 

 caught fish, reported at least one WSCT. 

 All WSCT were released. 



Anglers caught 37 rainbow trout 

 for a catch rate of 0. 1 1 fish/hour. 

 Rainbow trout accounted for 1 9% of the 

 total catch. Anglers released 97% of all 

 rainbow trout. Ten anglers caught a total 

 of 1 7 brown trout for a catch rate of 0.05 

 fish/hour. Brown trout represented 9% of 

 the total catch. Anglers released 88% of all brown trout. Bull trout accounted for 7% of 

 the total catch with a total catch rate of 0.04 fish/hour. Interestingly, five anglers (3% of 

 the total anglers surveyed) caught 14 bull trout, all of which were released. Anglers 

 caught 28 mountain whitefish producing the third highest catch rate of all species caught 

 at 0.08 fish/hour. Mountain whitefish accounted for 14% of the total catch. Twelve 

 percent of all anglers that caught fish, reported catching at least one mountain whitefish. 

 No mountain whitefish were reported harvested. Reportedly, anglers caught three other 

 fish species (e.g. pikeminnow and largescale sucker) making up 2% of the total catch. 

 Ninety-eight percent (n=193) of all caught fish were reportedly released, less than 2% 

 (n=3) were harvested. . . ■ > 



Figure 62. Percent offish species caught 

 on the Blackfoot River in 2004. 



Discussion 



Creel Data 



Total catch rates declined fi-om 0.79 fish/hour in 1996 to 0.56 fish/hour in 2004 

 (Schmetterling and Bohnemann 2000). Blackfoot River catch rates for trout (0.47 

 trout/hour) also were lower than 2004 catch rates on the Clark Fork at 0.77 trout/hour 

 (Knotek 2005). These differences may partially reflect differences in the survey methods 

 among these various studies, as well as recent declines in trout densities occurring during 

 the current drought. Unlike the 1 996 survey, we did not access the river to maximize the 

 number of float anglers interviewed. All interviews conducted with float anglers were at 

 access sites while anglers were beginning or ending their float trip or waved to shore as 

 they floated passing a locafion. 



WSCT was the most fi-equently caught species of trout on the Blackfoot River. 

 Five of fifty anglers (10%) that captured trout caught at least one bull trout. Both native 

 species were captured in higher proportions than their relative abundance in the Blackfoot 

 River system. Interestingly, we found a small percentage of anglers capture a high 

 percentage of bull trout. And the majority (12 of 14) of bull trout captured were taken 

 from spawning locations with anglers using bait. One bait angler alone captured nine 



{^' 



89 



