Today is opening day on the Los Angeles River.

It may not get the press or angler attention as the traditional opener in the eastern Sierra, in which fishers descend on the area’s many awakening lakes and streams, but the truth is it’s a banner day just the same.

For the third season, the recreational zone includes two areas,  Elysian Valley and Sepulveda Basin.  Check out the above link for maps, rules and all the good stuff about kayaking.

Buy a fishing license

                Fish legally

Support the conservation efforts of the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife

Don’t kill and eat your catch

                Red-tail hawks, osprey and other birds depend on fish for their survival

Practice catch-and-release fishing

                Play your fish quickly

Use barbless hooks or bend the barb back with your hemostat

Hold your fish as gently as possible when you remove the hook

If your fish is exhausted, place back in water in your hands until it swims away

Put discarded line, bobbers and hooks in a container in your pocket

Remember all lines will not biodegrade for centuries and are a hazard to wildlife that can become entangled and die in them

Hooks left in the water can injure wildlife, as well as barefoot humans

Send me any stories and pics you want to share with readers of this site. Successes as well as failures welcome! I don’t cover the Sepulveda Basin and would like to know how the fishing’s going there.

See you on the river, Jim Burns

Mark Gangi says:
May 25, 2015 at 1:25 pm Edit
I would add – give other fisherman a lot of room, and don’t wander along the edge scaring all of the fish. It’s exciting to see 3-4 fly fisherman on the river at the same time, and the fish are getting active quicker – but please be cool to everyone on the river