The angling public is a heterogenous aggregation of subgroups with differing value systems; therefore, fisheries managers must identify the subgroups and their corresponding attributes to guide management programs. This study was designed to evaluate the concept of recreational specialization for differentiating angler subgroups, and to determine if angler attitudes and management preferences vary predictably by specialization level. Specialization was defined as a continuum of angler behavior, from general to specialized, along four dimensions: (1) fishery resource use, (2) degree of experience, (3) investment, and (4) the relationship of angling to the lifestyle. In 1984-85, 544 anglers on the Shenandoah and New Rivers, Virginia, were interviewed and asked to participate in a followup mail survey. Of those who agreed, 379 anglers returned completed questionnaires (80% response rate). Cluster analysis of respondents, using variables in each of the four dimensions, identified six distinct angler types, ranging from low to high specialization. As expected, occasional and generalist anglers cited escape and family-oriented motivations, placed greater emphasis on luck to catch fish, were satisfied with catching and harvesting smaller fish, and favored liberal harvest regulations. Specialists were more likely to cite resource-oriented motives (testing skills, trophy fishing), to rely on skill to catch fish, preferred to catch and release larger fish, and favored restrictive harvest regulations. The results show that relatively simple and objective surveys of angler behavior can substitute for attitude surveys and can indicate how programs should be managed to maximize angler satisfactions. / M.S.