in the Gunnison drainage; (3) to determine the availability and potential fish-spawning activity; (4) to determine the initial fish-stocking procedures for the reservoirs, taking into consideration the basic characteristics and operations of the reservoirs; and (5) to develop management plans for the reservoirs.

Preimpoundment investigations indicated that the waters in the upper Gunnison drainage were for the most part favorable for trout production. The greatest drawback, however, was, and still is, the enormity of well-established sucker populations. Suckers have long been the thorn in the fish

ery biologist's side. Generally, when a body of water contains large and rapidly expanding numbers of suckers, there is less food and space available for the trout each succeeding year with the result that trout members become progressively limited. Fish Stocking

Fishery biologists usually prefer to poison the water and start anew. However, we do not have a selective poison for suckers, and this means that the trout would also be killed. On top of this, total kills of all the fishes are seldom realized, and the suckers are the ones that best survive the poi

son. Fish eradication was deemed infeasible and uneconomical, but did we therefore, admit defeat to the suckers? No, not entirely.

Anticipating the heavy initial stocking plan for Blue Mesa, the Game, Fish and Parks Department made exceptionally heavy plants of legal-sized rainbows in the Blue Mesa site of the Gunnison River during the summer and fall of 1965. In addition, a plant of 50,000 kokanee fry was made in April 1965, but this plant is believed to have migrated downstream before the closure of Blue Mesa Dam. Just after the dam was closed in 1965, the department planted 328,150 rainbow fingerlings ranging in size between 2 and 5 inches. When the ice went off the reservoir in March of 1966, the stocking schedule was greatly accelerated. This acceleration was enhanced by the addition of federally reared rainbows to our State-reared fish. The plants were made when the fish became available, and by October 1966, almost 3 million fish had been planted (about 2,500,000 rainbow and 500,000 kokanee).

Growth was very good. Rainbows planted in October 1965 averaged about 11 inches 1 year later. Those planted in March and April of 1966 as 2- to 4-inch fingerlings were averaging almost 10 inches by October of that year. No samples of kokanee were taken during 1966.

Expecting Blue Mesa to continue filling, considerable stocking was again done in 1967.

Establishing Kokanee Runs

Only about 275,000 of the total kokanee stocked have gone directly into the reservoirs; the remainder have been planted in selected streams above the reservoir for the purpose of establishing annual fall runs to permit easier snagging for the fisherman, and to facilitate the collection of spawn by the department.

As you may know, kokanee, like other salmon, have a very strong tendency to return to the stream or location of their birth or stocking. Despite this homing tendency, we have found that natural reproduction of kokanee in Colorado is almost entirely prevented by heavy icing of the streams and turbid runoff in the spring. Consequently, the department has had to annually collect kokanee spawn to perpetuate the species.

Our entire egg source comes from the kokanee running out of Granby Reservoir to the Shadow Mountain Spillway on the Colorado-Big Thompson Project. Recently the demand for these fish

has nearly approached our supply. Much of this, of course, was due to the stocking of Blue Mesa Reservoir, and we are therefore attempting to establish spawning runs there.

We have made plants of kokanee fry in both 1966 and 1967 in the Lake Fork of the Gunnison and the Cebolla River. During 1966, 75,000 fry were also planted in Beaver Creek just above Blue Mesa Reservoir.

Emphasis, however, is placed now, and will be in the future on the East River, an important tributary of the Gunnison River above Blue Mesa Reservoir. Located on the west bank of this river about 20 miles from the high water line of Blue Mesa, is Roaring Judy Hatchery, one of our newest units. In 1967, 500,000 kokanee fry and 100,000 fingerlings were released into the East River at the hatchery.

Can you imagine the excitement of fishermen in November and December 1970, and annually thereafter, when about 50,000 12 to 16 inch kokanee spawners start to ascend the Gunnison River, pass directly through the City of Gunnison, enter the East River at Almont, Colo., and proceed the last 2 miles of their 20-mile journey toward Roaring Judy Hatchery?

Of course, the magnitude and success of this run depends on adequate numbers of the fry reaching the reservoir, surviving and growing to maturity, and then returning. If successful, it certainly will be something to look forward to, especially for Gunnisonites.

What Can I Catch?

Before impoundment, rainbow and brown trout dominated the trout composition of the Gunnison River. However, natives and brooks were also present, so now a fisherman at Blue Mesa can catch any of these species. But, as only rainbow and kokanee have been stocked in the reservoir and in large numbers, your chances of catching the other species are quite slim. In fact, rainbows have made up about 97 percent of the catch at Blue Mesa in its first 2 years of existence. Browns have made up most of the remainder (1.4 percent).

Well then, where are those kokanee? Kokanee seldom show up in the fisherman's catch until they have grown to about 10 inches and have completed at least 2 years of life. Since the earliest kokanee plant of any significance was in April 1966, and the fish from this plant had grown to only about 9 inches by October 1967, is there still doubt why so few have been taken?

Many of you are probably thinking, "Weren't most of those 11 to 13 inch silvery, pink-meated fish that I caught at Blue Mesa last year, kokanee?" The answer is no! They were almost all rainbows. Coloration usually is a poor characteristic to identify fish species, because changes of color frequently occur. These changes may be hereditary, environmentally induced, or due to the maturing of the creature, just to name a few. Often, changes in fish coloration are associated with the protection of the animal. For example, in a shallow trout stream, the fish are most vulner

Many Colorado fishermen still associate pinkmeated, silvery fish as being only kokanee. It is certainly true that kokanee have such characteristics but so do the rainbows in Blue Mesa as do rainbows in other large reservoirs. The pinkmeated condition is believed due to these fishes consuming large amounts of food items containing the pigment carotene.

This yellowish-orange pigment is prevalent in the plankton which both rainbows and kokanee primarily feed on in many large reservoirs. During the winter when plankton is most scarce, the fish

able to predation from the shore or from overhead-man, bears, fish-eating birds, etc. These fish enhance their protection by developing colors on their backs and sides which blend more with the stream bottom.

Danger Below

In large, deep reservoirs where the fish are feeding in open water much of the time, they are quite vulnerable to predation by other fishes from below. Consequently, these reservoir fishes develop lighter bellies and sides which blend with the light penetrating from above. Their backs may be darker because of the added protection it affords from the overhead type of predation. Is it any wonder, for example, that the normally dark rainbows from Gunnison River became silvery a short time after being in Blue Mesa?

flesh tends to be less pink.

The best visible characteristics for distinguishing between rainbows and kokanee is found in the differences in their fins. The large fin on top of and in the middle of the fish's body (dorsal fin) contains many round black spots in the rainbow. The kokanee's dorsal fin has no spots. The tail of the kokanee is less spotted and more deeply forked than the rainbow.

Most reliable but more difficult, is counting the rays in the anal fin, the fin between the tail and the vent on the underside of the fish. Rainbows usually have 9 to 11 rays, but never over 12; whereas kokanee generally have 14 or more rays but never less than 13. Overall spotting of the body is not reliable since it may vary from none to many on either species.

About the Catch

Despite the harvest not equaling what we had anticipated, most of the fishermen at Blue Mesa last year had better than average results. Many limits were taken, but the average angler creeled 3.43 fish while fishing 4.44 hours-a catch per man hour (CPMH) of 0.77.

Most large reservoirs in Colorado seldom have an average CPMH of over 0.30 and the fish usually average slightly smaller than at Blue Mesa where they averaged 11.1 inches during 1967. On a monthly basis, fishing success at Blue Mesa was best during April and June when the CPMH averaged 1.18 and 1.04, respectively. The lowest CPMH of 0.58 was recorded during August, but August was also the month when the average size of the fish was largest (12.7 inches).

When you first start catching kokanee, rather than continuing trolling along aimlessly, circle around and troll several times over the area where you got your first strike or fish. The reason for this is that Kokanee are almost always in schools, and you can easily move right over or out of their area.

In the spring and fall when the waters are cooler, the kokanee probably will be feeding in the upper 20 feet of open water. However, in the middle of the summer they will seek the cooler depths, say 30 to 70 feet in Blue Mesa, and therefore, you must fish these depths if you expect to catch kokanee. Trolling slow, in a zig-zag fashion, or better yet, just drifting with the predominantly westerly winds, in areas between Center Point recreation area and the dam, should yield most of the kokanee at Blue Mesa in 1968.

The use of lead lines, rigged with popgear, snubber and worms is suggested. Similar rigs or spoons on regular lines being trolled slightly faster, will yield primarily rainbows.

Brown trout will enter the catch more frequently earlier in the spring and summer. Look for shallow areas containing an abundance of sagebrush which allows protection for the small sucker and fathead minnows that the browns will be feeding on. Some of the large rainbows may be here, too. The browns will be in very close to the shoreline; or if you fish from shore, you will probably spook them.

Cast Near Shore

The most productive method should be from boats within casting range of shore. Cast your lure almost hitting the shore and swiftly retrieve it

for a short distance. Vary the retrieving speed constantly and work small areas of the shoreline in this manner several times. You will probably lose both lures and hooked fish in the sagebrush, but the action will be much faster and you will occasionally land a lunker. Best times for such activities are early in the mornings and evenings.

If you are exclusively a "fair-weather-sunshine" angler you will be missing some of the best fishing at Blue Mesa. Many of the larger trout have been caught between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m.

One of the preferred localities is the area near the main Gunnison inlet where large stone fly nymphs, commonly and erroneously called hellgrammites, drift into the lake from the river. These nymphs are immature forms which give rise to the famous Gunnison River willow fly.

True hellgrammites are immature forms which give rise only to Dobson flies and such flies are not found even in the upper Gunnison drainage. Call these stone fly nymphs whatever you like, but they are excellent trout getters. I do not recommend their use in areas any great distance from the inlets because they are not born, nor do they develop and hatch in waters other than swift-flowing streams.

Some Blue Mesa fishermen have consistently taken 2- to 3-pound trout in the inlets by simulating stone fly nymphs or small minnows with artificials such as the brown bear, gray goose, or longshank wooly worms of various colors. I prefer to use the gray goose and wooly worm tied on No. 4, 2X hooks, sometimes weighted. The lure is tied onto about 5 to 7 feet of 4-pound level leader.

Stringing Line

I then pass my spinning line through a small waterfilled plastic bubble and tie a small swivel to the line. After the leader is attached to the swivel and the fly wetted somewhat, the rig is ready to be fished.

Shortly after the sun goes down, I anchor my boat in the channel of an inlet over water 4 to 10 feet deep where the current is not swift enough to lose anchor. The bubble rig is cast directly upstream and allowed to sink momentarily. I quickly make three to five turns of the reel, pausing very briefly between each full turn. This is followed by very slowly and continuously retrieving the line for another five to eight turns. I then go back to the fast-jerking retrieve and alternate thereafter until the current moves the rig behind the boat.

If you do not keep a fairly taut line while retrieving, you will not feel the trout strike and will miss many fine fish. This, of course, is easier said than done, but if you master the technique, it will produce where other techniques fail.

One last tip for you fishermen-avoid being an excessive "spot changer." Some fishermen are under the impression that the fishing at Blue Mesa is always better in some spot other than the one they are fishing. They constantly move around the reservoir and spend most of their time in transit. The result is usually less time fished and fewer fish in the creel. The above does not apply to most trollers, but some tend toward racing to cover as much territory as possible. This accomplishes little. other than the boat ride.

Up-to-Date Management

This year 100,000 kokanee salmon fry were released in a newly constructed channel between one raceway of Roaring Judy Hatchery and East River. Also schools of kokanee were located by using echo sounders and marked with bursts of

Analyze Accidents

There are six main points in analyzing an accident. An accident causes:

1. Immediate lost time while getting an injured employee to first-aid treatment and several other employees may have to leave their jobs temporarily to render assistance.

2. If the injury is serious, production drops sharply because everyone has the accident in mind and can't give full attention to the job, and a bad accident may affect the work program for several days.

3. Something has to be done about the injured employee's work. A temporary replacement may be required.

4. If the employee's accident is serious, he may not be able to do his full job when he returns to work and a light work program has to be arranged. This will affect production and efficiency.

5. If you have to substitute a less experienced worker for a regular employees, he may damage expensive equipment or machinery and he, too, might have an accident.

6. A serious injury lowers the morale of other workers and it may change the attitude of the injured employee and reduce his efficiency after he returns to the job.

fluorescent granules useful for tracking and learning the movements valuable for fishermen. Next year tiny radio transmitters will be attached to some kokanee in schools for that purpose.

Besides making the regular large plants of local rainbows and kokanee in Blue Mesa in 1968 and 1969, kamloops rainbows, silver salmon and mackinaw trout will be stocked in 1969. The kamloops strain is a good one because of their tendency for greater longevity, ability to establish spawning runs, and preferred habitat being that of the Blue Mesa reservoir.

Silver salmon and mackinaw trout will be stocked for the purpose of aiding in the control of rough fish and to add variety to the fisherman's creel. # # #