After all this clobbering rain, I’m sure many local fishers are anxious to see what the mountain tributaries of the San Gabriel River have to offer, as we head into spring.
Water right now is racing, one friend describing what he found on the lower East Fork as “like a 10 or 20-year flood.”
Here are a few comment from both before and after the rains.
Any scouting reports are always appreciated.
See you on the river, Jim Burns
Many years ago. Maybe 20-30 years a huge El Nino did an amazing flush of the East, West and North forks. Fishing was amazing for a long time after that. Sadly, I think the recent rains, even though a flushing event, just will not be the same as 30 years ago. Maybe the East fork will benefit. I will venture forth in May but I am afraid of what I am going to find. I long to revisit those wonderful days that we took for granted but I am 78 now and fear that I don’t have enough time left to ever again see it like it once was. —
LARRY PIRRONE
A friend went to another river in our local mountains and said all the normal pools were filled with sand and silt. It was not in a fire burn area. Our theory is that the rains a few weeks ago were just enough to dump sand in, but we need more rains to scour it back out. — Steve
East Fork SOS: Where Have all the Fish and Anglers Gone?
Lousy. Thanks for sharing those depressing stats.
Consistent with my experience on East Fork too. Last trip was in 2014, here:
No trout. — Izaac Walton
East Fork SOS: Where Have all the Fish and Anglers Gone?
WRONG. I just thru-hiked from Vincent Gap to the Bridge TNW trailhead and I caught three trout along the way fly fishing with a nymph. The first at Fish Fork, a tiny and beautiful purple rainbow. The second down about a mile, about an 8 inch rainbow, and the third was up north of the Narrows and this 12″ beauty fought like an 18 inch Sierra trout. STRONG fish up there, you just need to know how to fish and what to use. — Brendan Bordato
lariverflyfishing 
Hi, Jim,I was in Treasure Fair thrift store in Pasadena on the north side of Foothill Blvd at Sierra Madre Villa (across from a Kaiser Permanente clinic in East Pasadena. They had for sale an original watercolor seascape of an ocean cove with lighthouse in the distance. It was signed “Jim Burns.” On the back was a label for the artist giving a Pasadena address. I don’t know if you are a painter, but if you are the artist, I thought you might want to know. It is priced at $20 and has a good double cut matte. I have really enjoyed your website over the years.
Sincerely,Kevin Cloud Brechner
Hey, Kevin, thanks for your thoughtful comment. I’m not a painter, but I will check out this work by another Jim Burns! Much appreciated.