grant and Big Timber also rear some Yellow- 

 stone cutthroat trout primarily for planting in 

 mountain lakes. The need for two such stations 

 has been greatly reduced over the past years 

 and plans are to close one of these stations in 

 late 1964. 



The problems of raising fish are naturally 

 complex. The product is alive and must be 

 kept alive and healthy. It is continually grow- 

 ing in size and weight, compounding the prob- 

 lems of keeping the product within the limits of 

 space and water available. It must be pro- 

 duced to a proper size at the right time of year 

 for the waters in which it is to be planted. It 

 is subject to a veritable host of diseases which, 



if left untreated, could completely eliminate the 

 production of a hatchery. There are, in addi- 

 tion, the problems inherent with the handling of 

 water; broken or plugged pipelines, flooding, 

 silting, and the like; all of which can seriously 

 damage hatchery operations. 



The Montana hatchery system is alert to the 

 many problems it faces. This alertness has 

 made the production of quality fish a goal rath- 

 er than the production of large numbers and 

 pounds of fish alone. A quality fish may sur- 

 vive to end up in an angler's creel while a fish 

 reared in an over-crowed or unsanitary condi- 

 tion will be nothing but a distribution figure 

 from a hatchery. 



Use of aircrall and other modern methods has simplified and improved planting of fish. 



FISH PLANTED AND EGGS PRODUCED BY MONTANA 

 STATE FISH HATCHERIES 



May 1, 1962 - April 30, 1963 

 Rainbow Trout 



2" 1 ,225,359 



, 1,254,734 



1,259,831 



31,373 



252,097 



252,588 



298,906 



324,715 



90,994 



44,215 



3,488 



Total Fish 5,038,300 



Total Eggs 9,029,083 



10".. 

 11"., 

 12".. 



May 1, 1963 - April 30, 1964 

 Rainbow Trout 



Size 



2" 600,194 



3" 2,125,819 



4" 734,796 



5" 439,809 



6" 928,875 



1" 43 1 , 1 85 



8" 366,716 



9" 430,060 



10" 139,300 



11" 1,076 



12" 2,653 



Total Fish 

 Total Eggs 



0,200,483 

 9,213,077 



