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of the poor survival of the two strains of cutthroat were the size (fry, advanced fry) at which they were planted and the low reservoir elevations of 1978 and 1979 which affected productivity. Approximately 8,000 Snake River cutthroat were mixed in with the adipose fin-clipped brown trout planted during the fall of 1980. No actual estimate of the number of these fish harvested was made but creel interviews and fishermen log data show that these adipose fin-clipped Snake River cutthroat did return to the creel in promising numbers and they stayed mainly in the Inflow Area. These cutthroat were planted in the fall at an average length of 7.0 inches. Even though results from experimental plants of Snake River and Strawberry cutthroat trout were discouraging, another attempt with Snake River cutthroat planted in the spring at an average length of 8.4 inches should be tried. Returns of left pelvic fin-clipped brown trout (spring plant) versus adipose fin-clipped browns (fall plant) may be premature, but the spring planted fish are returning at a better rate than the fall planted fish. Table 28 summarizes the returns of the two lots of brown trout through 1982. Table 28. Cumulative harvest estimates of marked brown trout to the creel during 1981 and 1982. Number Cumulative 7 Returned Species (Clip) Stocked (7) Harvest to Creel Brown Trout (Adipose) 796,2192 (97.3%) 3,115 0.39% Brown Trout (Left Pelvic) 22,468 ( 2.77) 1,815 8.087 1 Numbers are adjusted for planting mortality. 2 1980 plant only. The first year returns of left pelvic fin-clipped, spring planted, catchable brown trout were 16 times greater than first year returns of adipose fin- clipped, fall planted, advanced fingerling brown trout. The harvest estimate for brown trout during 1981 is undoubtedly biased low, because the creel surveys were not continued through November 1981. During 1982, 23 percent of the total brown trout harvest occurred in November. Fisherman log data show that returns of fin-clipped brown trout (both pelvic and adipose) did occur in November of 1981 and that a significant number of brown trout were caught during the month of November. DISCUSSION Results of the creel survey work done during the project period (1977-1982) indicate a continued decline in the sport fishing at Flaming Gorge until 1980. A slight reversal of this trend occurred during 1981, when creel rates (Figure 4) and harvest (Figure 5) increased. A slight drop in both catch rates and har- vest occurred in 1982. The decline in harvest and catch rates of sport fish, specifically rainbow trout, in Flaming Gorge was expected as the reservoir aged (Wiley and Dufek 1977). Production related to fish populations has shifted gra- dually from game fish (rainbow trout) toward nongame fish, notably the Utah chub and white sucker. -43-