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-5- <br />between 282,000 and 800,000 fish per year, with a catch rate of 0.25 <br />to 1.28 fish per hour. Mean weight of trout harvested varied between <br />226 g. (0.50 lb) the opening year (1964) to a maximum of 476 g (1.05 lb) <br />in 1967. <br />Methods <br />The creel census used in 1977 was the one developed in 1971 and <br />1972. The job description in 1977 called for a reduced creel census <br />during the period of high angler use (May through August) but was also <br />conducted in January, February, March and April at a greatly reduced <br />rate. Creel census days were stratified as to time of day (AM vs PM), <br />area (canyon, open hills and inflow) and type of day (weekend-holiday <br />vs weekday). The days were then randomly selected in each strata for <br />each of the eight months. <br />Traffic counters, operated by the U. S. Forest Service, have been <br />used on the four major access roads in the past to estimate total angler <br />use. The number of counters used in 1977 was reduced to a single unit <br />on U. S. Highway 44 near Greendale Junction. This fact along with changes <br />in traffic patterns, fishing to non-fishing ratios and a shortened creel <br />survey combined to make pressure and harvest calculations impossible for <br />1977. <br />Changes in traffic patterns and fishing use at Flaming'Gorge since <br />1972 have made this type of pressure estimate unreliable. A new classi- <br />fication of traffic patterns and fishermen use would be required to up- <br />date this method. It was decided in 1977 to go with a direct method <br />(a.erial counts) of estimating fishing pressure in 1978 so that statis- <br />tical methods could be used.