and should not be taken as an indicator of an overall increase in the number of whitefish or 

 brown trout present. 



1977 



1981 



1995 



1996 



Year 



Figure 11. Catch rates in fish per hour for the Pine Butte section of the Madison River, Montana fi-om 

 1977 to 1996. 



Figures 12 and 13 show how the proportion of the total catch changed from 1977 to 1996 in the 

 Pine Butte and in Snoball sections. Although 1981 is the only year with data for both sections, it 

 is interesting to note that rainbow trout shift from being the most common fish caught in 1977 

 and 1981 to less than 30% of the catch in 1995 in the Pine Butte section. The proportions of 

 brown, rainbow, and cutthroat trout, and mountain whitefish remain relatively consistent in the 

 Snoball section despite different fishing restrictions from year to year. Very few cutthroat trout 

 were caught in either section in any year surveyed. 



Evaluation of 1993 and 1996 Creel Data and its Implications related to Whirling Disease 

 In the Madison River, Montana 



24 



Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks 

 March 12, 2002 



