This study deals with trout fishing as a form of recreation. It focuses upon 204 fisherman holding 1973-74 Nelson Acclimitisation District fishing licences. The activity patterns of whole and part Season fishermen were investigated and found to differ considerably. The socioeconomic and background characteristics of whole Season fishermen were elicited in a questionnaire. It was found that their socioeconomic characteristics were significantly different from those of the total population. Only two of the socioeconomic, background and fishing activity characteristics of whole season fishermen were significantly related to the amount of fishing they did. This suggests that personal characteristics were the major determinants of the amount of fishing done by individuals. Factors underlying the distribution of fishing activity in the Nelson Acclimitisation District were investigated. Measurement of the factors that fishermen considered important influences on where they fished showed that these were lowly correlated with the overall distribution of fishing trips. It is suggested that the perception's of fishermen are the major factor underlying where they fish. A regression equation based on the combination of factors explaining the highest percentage of the distribution of fishing activity is developed. This is used as a starting point for identifying the factors that contribute to the amount of fishing done in individual waters. Finally, the implications of the study for Fisheries Management are discussed.