Yesterday was a great day to fish for trout in So. Cal., but I wasn’t expecting to see this mating dance. In fact, I’ve never seen this behavior before in our local watershed. At first, I thought that maybe a snake had taken a fish, and was rolling over and over to try to get it swallowed. Then, as the action came nearer to me, I was astonished to find the commotion was a pair of amorous native trout. Watching this miracle of nature make me want to redouble my own personal efforts to protect this region, and to restore it to what it once was. Take a look for yourself. (Be sure to hit “full screen” so that you can see the fish all the way through.)
See you on the river, Jim Burns
lariverflyfishing 
Thank you for posting this great video! It’s great to see that nature is running its course in the San Gabriel River. San Gabriel Mountains Forever is a local campaign working to protect our mountains and the many rivers and creeks running through them. Please check out our Facebook page or website for more information, http://www.sangabrielmountains.org. We currently have the support of a number of angling groups in the region, such as the Federation of Fly Fishers Southwest Council and the Pasadena Casting Club.
Love the name of your organization! The video was actually taken away from the San Gabriel River.
Thank you! I’m about to post your video on our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/sangabrielmountains). We have anglers who are fans of our page, and I’m sure they’ll really appreciate your video.
Do you think they were spawning or two males jousting? There seems to be no redd and they are at the surface. Either way very neat!
Mitchell, you know, I’m not sure, but you are absolutely correct: the typical spawning signs, especially the coloration, aren’t there. I’m hoping to get a biologist to take a look and then weigh in. Thanks for your thoughtful comment. — Jim