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<br />this length range were estimated to have been harvested in 1980. This <br />represented twice the number of brown trout captured during the 1980 spawn- <br />ing migration. <br /> <br />Evaluation of Spawning Habitat <br /> <br />One of the major limiting factors in controlling the number of fish <br />in any population is spawning habitat. In the Blue River, 1.8% of the total <br />study area was usable brown trout spawning habitat. The majority of the <br />riverine substrate was comprised of small boulders and cobble (100-300 rom <br />diameter). Much of the brown trout spawning habitat was confined to small <br />areas along streambanks. All spawning habitat appeared to be utilized, in- <br />cluding areas that were considered marginal. <br /> <br />Evaluation of Angler Use and Harvest <br /> <br />Dillon Reservoir has received high fishing pressures since 1975 (Sealing <br />and Bennett 1980, Davis 1982). Angler hours per season have ranged 128,000- <br />283,000, or 96-212 angler hoursjha/yr. This may not appear to be very high <br />until the actual area of the reservoir utilized by anglers is considered. <br />The majority of the fishing pressure was exerted by shore anglers. Combin- <br />ing the length of the reservoir shoreline, 41.6 km, and the average distance <br />an angler casts a line, 20 m, the actual area utilized for fishing was 82 ha. <br />Adjusted angler hours per hectare per season ranged 1560-3451, which is very <br />heavy fishing pressure. <br />The percentage of brown trout in the total harvest of all species from <br />Dillon Reservoir from 1975-1980 ranged 2.4-6.0% (Sealing and Bennett 1980, <br />Davis 1982). The high, 6.0%, occurred in 1978 during a severe drawdown. <br />The percentage of brown trout in the total harvest has varied from 1% over a <br />20-year period in LacLeman, Switzerland (Laurent 1972), to 47% over as-year <br />period in Castle Lake, California (Wales 1946). Hansen (1952) reported that <br />brown trout provided 42% of the annual trout harvest from Pathfinder Reser- <br />voir, Wyoming. <br /> <br />CONCLUSIONS <br /> <br />1. The number of large brown trout captured was less in 1980 than in 1979. <br />2. Mean weight and length of brown trout were less in 1980 than in 1979. <br />3. The number of brown trout in the Blue River spawning migration has <br />declined since 1977. <br /> <br />4. Brown trout growth and condition declined between the ages of 2-4 years <br />and then began to increase. <br /> <br />5. All available spawning habitat in the Blue River contained at least one <br />brown trout nest. <br /> <br />6. Spawning substrate and water parameters in the Blue River were typical <br />of brown trout spawning habitat. <br /> <br />45 <br />