A fyiue-yeaA, Quit ^Utlibutio+t aW ManaCfe+ne+it Plan 



With the inception of the first fisheries sta- 

 tion in Montana no thought had to be given 

 tc the territory to be stocked. The whole State lay 

 with hundreds of individuals willing to receive 

 and distribute the fish being propagated there- 

 in. However, it was not long before addi- 

 tional hatcheries were constructed at different 

 points over the State and at the present 11 State 

 hatcheries and three Federal hatcheries are en- 

 gaged in the rearing of trout and grayling. One 

 warm water station is devoted to rearing the finny 

 rayed species. 



These 14 trout hatcheries under normal op- 

 erations have an annual output of over 30,000,- 

 000 trout of varying sizes and up to the last year 

 these 14 hatcheries were engaged in a distribu- 

 tion program based upon popular demand, pres- 

 sure from political groups, and the ease with 

 which waters could be contacted. As can be 



imagined, the result was anything but satisfac- 

 tory and resulted in much confusion, duplication 

 of effort and loss of efficiency. It was thought 

 some years ago, when our hatcheries assumed 

 the responsibility of planting, that all our troubles 

 would be over, but it was soon discovered that 

 they hud just commenced. 



Local pressure groups desiring to stock some 

 favorite spot soon found out that, by various in- 

 sistent demands, it was very often possible to ob- 

 tain trout from several hatcheries at once to stock 

 the same body of water. The result was that 

 waters ideally suited to planting very often re- 

 ceived no stocking at all and waters not suitable 

 for the species introduced received far more than 

 the waters were capable of supporting. Some of 

 the hatcheries would make a plant of 1 or lVi- 

 inch fish and perhaps the next day, or sometimes 

 within a few hours, the distribution truck from 



DISTRICTS NOW ASSIGNED TO FISH HATCHERIES IN MONTANA 

 MONTANA . 



"""£— vTJhIC 



