August is my least favorite month in L.A.: It’s hot under that super-heated cloudless sky; there are wildfires burning, scaring us all and further fouling our air; and I’ve finished bing-watching “Scarier Things” on Netflix.

Even without Netflix, things begin to pick up for me with USC’s first game (and now the Rams, yippee), going back to teach journalism and getting to participate in our own home-grown L.A. River fishing event, Friends of the Los Angeles River’s Off Tha’ Hook.

Each year, this festival geared around what our river is — and what it could be — grows, from its first “Hey, Martha” moment in 2014 (as in, “Hey, Martha, can you believe what they’re doing down there …), to this year, the first at the notable Bow Tie location. The water is deeper here than North Atwater Park, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what the adult division anglers catch.  Sign up for $35 here and read more about the contest. (This is a price reduction from last year; also, if you help out with the kids’ fish, you’ll receive a $10 discount)

Much as I enjoy watching the fishers catch, and then being part of the “bucket brigade” that brings the fish to biologists to weigh and measure, the best part — the part that sustains me throughout the year — is the kids’ fish. For many youngsters, it’s their first introduction to our favorite sport, and this year the Los Angeles Rod and Reel Club will once again be on hand with kid-friendly rods and their expertise. And, it’s free.

So for all of you hiding out inside, binge-watching Netflix, please join us early next month. It’s one of two days you don’t need a fishing license to legally fish. I think you’ll really enjoy it. Like I said, it’s one of the fall treats I look forward to every year.

See you on the river, Jim Burns