A Mixed Logit Model Approach to Investigate Trout Angler Preferences for Fishing Site Attributes

Managers charged with generating and sustaining high-quality trout fisheries can benefit from a deeper understanding of angler preferences for aspects of the trout fishing experience.  To characterize trout angler preferences, we implement a multi-mode (internet and mail) choice experiment survey (n=4100) in which trout anglers identify a preferred fishing location from a set of locations described by catch, distance, and regulation attributes.  For analysis, we employ a mixed logit model which facilitates a rich characterization of the average preferences of anglers as well as the heterogeneity of angler preferences.  We find that average preferences are as expected − for example, on average, anglers prefer higher catch rates and prefer less restrictive regulations.  However, we find that standard deviation estimates for restrictive regulations are significantly different than zero (p<0.01), and that despite the negative average preference, about 15% of anglers prefer catch and release only regulations and 19% prefer artificial flies only regulations.  Policy simulations show how above proportions change when regulations are accompanied by improvements in catch size and catch rate.  Our results can be used by managers to guide the implementation of management actions which most benefit anglers.