THIRTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT 39 



REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF FISH 

 CONSERVATION 



The Bureau of Fish Conservation is charged with the problem of 

 making investigations and performing activities which will further the 

 conservation and propagation of fresh water fish of the State. Toward 

 this end the Fish Conservation Bureau has compiled data which has been 

 used as a guide in formulating regulations on bag limits and seasons for 

 taking fish. Fish hatcheries have been operated and various species were 

 l)lanted in many of our inland waters. 



A research staff was employed to obtain information used for the 

 development of policies of operation, and to serve as a basis for conserva- 

 tion and propagation procedures. The results of this research make it 

 possible to base all activities of the bureau on sound biological investiga- 

 tions and reports. The research staff has conducted surveys of streams 

 and lakes, supervised the planting and rescuing of fish, compiled creel 

 counts from catch records of fish taken by sportsmen and various other 

 special investigations. Studies were continued on the effects of dams in 

 waterways. Fish screens were maintained. Other studies included investi- 

 gations regarding the "farm pond" program and also the results of 

 fishing in tributaries of the Sacramento River as a consequence of the 

 impounding of water at the Shasta Reservoir. 



CHANGES IN TROUT SEASON 



The end of the war in 1945, and the lifting of gasoline restrictions 

 contributed to a tremendous increase in the purchase of fishing licenses. 

 The demands for travel and recreation boosted the sale of licenses to 

 approximately 500,000 for the year. This total exceeded the average 

 license sales of 442,000 for the preceding four years by approximately 

 100,000. The greater proportion of the license sales in 1945 occurred in 

 the few months following the termination of hostilities. 



Wartime increase in population was- a major factor in the increase 

 of license sales but it is noteworthy that the percentage of total popula- 

 tion buying angling licenses has also grown in recent years as shown by 

 the following tabulation : 



POPULATION AND ANGLING LICENSE SALES 



Angling Percentage of population 

 Year Population licenses buying licenses 



1930 5,677,251 248,319 4.3 



1940 6,907,387 388,472 5.6 



1945 9,250,000* 554,025 5.9 



* Estimated. 



The year 1943 was the last in which it was possible to carry on an 

 annual creel census by sending postal card questionnaires to a random 

 sample of licensed anglers. 



The number of licensed anglers remained relatively constant during 

 the war years and the reported average catch of trout by successful 

 anglers was 66 in 1941, 70 in 1942 and 75 in 1943. The estimated total 



