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returns of tagged rainbow trout released to the Yampa River at Steamboat <br />Springs. Very limited work led Lemons (1954) to conclude that channel <br />catfish should be reared in the "Maybell pond" for introduction to the <br />Yampa River. Lemons (1955) described fishing in the Yampa as primarily <br />for trout above Craig and far channel catfish below Maybell, with tempera- <br />tures, "silt", and high water limiting "both types of fishing between these <br />towns." Channel catfish, bonnytail (sic) and squawfish were reported from <br />"every hole that was fished" on a float trip in June 1955 from Lily Park to <br />Pat's Hole. Klein (1957) censused the Yampa River upstream from Hayden in <br />the summer of 1955; whitefish were declared approximately four times as <br />abundant and trout about half as abundant in the Yampa as in the White River <br />on a stream footage basis. Rainbow, brook, brown and "native" trout were <br />reported from both drainages. A few fish from the Yampa River were mentioned <br />in the growth studies of Lynch and Lemons (1956) and Lynch (1957). <br />The lower Yampa River (from Hayden, Colorado, to the confluence with <br />the Green River) was studied by Baily and Alberti (1952); fishes, benthos, <br />physical features, and fish habitat were described. The stream was charac- <br />terized as slow-flowing, with low average gradient and sparse streamside <br />vegetation; river temperatures were high during the summer, and turbidity <br />was high after heavy rains. Bottom samples from four stations were domin- <br />ated by mayflies, caddisflies and true flies at all stations, Benthic pro- <br />duction was low at the lower stations (Lily Park and Pat's Hole). <br />Fishes were collected by electrofishing (Hayden to Craig) and gill <br />and fyke nets (Craig to Lily Park). Speckled dace, flannelmouth suckers, <br />and mottled sculpins were listed as numerous; bluehead suckers and moun- <br />tain whitefish were listed as common. Colorado squawfish were considered <br />14 <br />