entire study area and were captured in only sections C (1), D 

 (1) , E (1), and G (1). Skaar (1989) found higher concentrations 

 of rainbow trout in the Big Hole River and Governor Creek about 

 15 miles upstream of the 1989 study area and theorized that the 

 rainbow trout present in the Wisdom area had drifted down from 

 this upstream area. 



Burbot ( Lota lota ) , longnose dace ( Rhinichthys cataractae ) , 

 longnose suckers ( Catostomus platyrhynchus ) , white suckers (C. 

 commersoni ) , and mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi ) were captured in 

 differing densities throughout the study area but were not 

 guantified (see Skaar (1989) for relative abundance and 

 distribution of these species) . 



In most cases the distribution and relative abundance of 

 both Arctic grayling and brook trout in 1989 were very similar to 

 those reported by Skaar (1989) with the notable exception of the 

 lower density of YOY grayling in the lower portion of Swamp 

 Creek. This may have been due in part to the higher discharges 

 present in Swamp Creek in 1989 that may have lowered our capture 

 efficiency for these small fish. 



Growth of Young-of-the-Year Fishes 



Young-of-the-year Arctic grayling increased in mean total 

 length (TL+SD) from 2.52 ± .08 in. on July 6 to 4.08 + .24 in. on 

 August 28, 1989 (Table 3, Fig. 2). These lengths are very 

 similar to those found by Skaar (1989) for the same area in 1988 

 but, as Skaar (1989) pointed out, these are much larger than the 

 lengths reported by Liknes (1981) for YOY grayling in the 

 tributaries of the Big Hole River in 1979. Liknes (1981) 

 reported mean TLs of 2.17 + .22 inches for the period of July 11- 

 15, 1979, while Skaar (1989) found that for the period of July 

 12-14, 1988 the grayling were 2.68 + .19 inches in mean TL. For 

 the period of July 11-14, 1989, 80 YOY Arctic grayling sampled in 

 four areas of the Big Hole River showed a mean TL of 2.55 + .15 

 inches. The size differences between these years may be related 

 to water temperatures. 



14 



