Fig. 3. Composition of the fauna of the entire Big Blue River Basin, and of seven streams or stream systems in that basin. "Mill Creek, Wash. Co." refers to all streams in the Mill Creek System, Washington and Republic counties. "Bl. Vermillion R. System" includes all streams in that watershed excepting Clear Creek and one of its tributaries (Stations 31-G and 32-G).
Fig. 4. Composition of the fauna of the Big Blue River, and of five collecting-sites on Carnahan Creek, Pottawatomie County. Lowermost sites are at the left of the figure.
[Figure 3] gives a generalized picture of the faunal composition in different kinds of streams. However, the fauna of a small tributary becomes more distinct from the fauna of the larger stream into which the small stream flows as one moves toward the headwaters (Metcalf, 1957:92, 95-100). [Figure 4] illustrates this in Carnahan Creek. Station 11-G included four sampling-sites, which were approximately one, two, three, and four miles upstream from the mouth of Carnahan Creek. Station 13-G (one collection) was about four miles upstream from the closest sampling-site of Station 11-G. Applying the same methods as for [Figure 3], my findings show a gradual decline in the per cent of the fauna represented by the "large-river-fishes," and an increase in the segment classified as "upland-fishes," from downstream to upstream.
CREEL CENSUS
Fifty-three fishermen were interviewed in the 1957 creel census period, and 152 in 1958. Only those fishermen using pole and line were interviewed. In the area censused, much additional fishing is done with set-lines, that are checked periodically by the owners.
In the 1958 census, 22 checks along approximately 80 miles of river were made, and seven of these trips were made without seeing one fisherman. The average fishing pressure for the entire area was estimated at one fisherman per 7.9 miles of stream, or one fisherman per 15.7 miles of shoreline.