Fyke Net Catches as Indices of the Abundance of Brook Trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, and Atlantic Salmon, Salmo salar

Abstract

The catch per unit effort (CPUE) data of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in fyke nets set in two small lakes in central Newfoundland were compared with population densities estimated with Schnabel multiple mark–recapture experiments each spring and fall from 1978 to 1982. The catchability of brook trout did not differ significantly between lakes or seasons, and CPUE was an index of the relative abundance of trout within and between lakes. In contrast, the catchability of Atlantic salmon differed greatly between lakes and varied seasonally, being greater in the spring but less in the fall than the catchability of brook trout. Comparisons of relative salmon abundance between lakes or of the relative abundance of brook trout to Atlantic salmon within or between lakes require a correction for seasonal differences in the catchability of salmon.