Month: December 2023

The New Year

Just remember the happy hours

Well, seems like another year has slipped through our collective fingers, and now we are almost on to the new. Lots of drama, political and otherwise; lots of things to ponder (in 2004, Facebook seemed like harmless fun and Google was a search engine where maybe you could win a prize); lots of wonderment, if you know where to look, and, of course, that mostly always begins with nature. Friends come in second, followed by family. (Don’t ask …)

I’d like to thank everyone who is reading this for supporting my blog these many years. The stats are in, and, like I say, I so appreciate your support. And in the spirit of all the emails we get saying, “there’s still time …” to support whatever your favorite cause is, how about this? Support a fly-fishing print magazine in 2024. The ones that come to mind are three I’m currently writing for: Fallon’s Angler, Fly Culture and American Fly Fishing. The first two are based in the UK and full of thoughtful stories about fishing, as well as how-do-I-get-there photos. Actually, both of those mags are more about people fishing than the fishing, itself. No how to cast farther, construct a better dry fly, etc. They also are strictly print-only, embracing the ethos of the new Romantics, who want to get away from all-online, all-the-time living.

Meanwhile, American Fly Fishing covers lots of destinations throughout the US in detail, with a meaty conservation section to boot. It’s available in print as well as online.

So here’s to the new year. Let’s celebrate this new beginning.

See you on the river, Jim Burns

A cold November day steelheading on the Klamath, with friends Bob and Karen. (Credit: Jim Burns)

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Ken Iwamasa

Jim Burns, Keep up the good work. I would have loved to see a publication like this when I was growing up in Gardena. But many years later I am doing research on the Genus: Baetis in Colorado But I am writing to see if you would help me do research on the mayflies in the LA River or the West Brach of the San Gabriel. In particular, I am interested in the Baetis or commonly known as BWO. Let me know if you or someone else can help with knowing more about the mayflies in your immediate area.

The fisherman's life

Stories keep me coming back

What do you make of it when you see an insect in your man cave? Not much. I spy all kinds of wiggling legs there, spiders (OK, arachnids) maybe a beetle or three, the odd brown ant.

But last night as I looked closer at that speck on the wall, it was … a mayfly! I mean a mayfly in late December when Santa is on his way, how crazy is that? I immediately texted a fishing buddy, who responded “L.A. City of Trout.” I fingered the “haha emoji,” to which he replied, “I’m serious! Spring creeks galore, back in the day.”

His typed words hit me. Back in the day, sure, Octogenarian Robert Richardson who has volunteered in the now-monument since the ’50s — you read that right — regaled me this fall with eyebrow-raising stories about pulling 18-inch trout from the West Fork, when there was a game warden up there who would catch poachers as they emerged from the shore, pitch black of night, waiting for them in his jalopy, necking with his girlfriend. When there was a size limit on keeping trout from Cogswell Dam, bigger than 36 inches (now, no fishing allowed)! His stories are jewels of a time we’ve lost, but then again …

Stories from Bernard Yin, rock-n-roller activist, mountains archivist and fly fisher extraordinaire, will keep you coming back to our steep slopes and deep canyons above the City of Angels, just to get a glimpse of what he sees, what he knows. Another deep source of knowledge, but gleaned from a different time than Robert’s tales. He and Rebecca Ramirez, his co-rocker and wife, put in so many miles scouting trout in our most beautiful wild places, as well as our dumpster dives.

Then, there are the miracles, themselves the making of possibly timeless stories, like the one in my man cave last night. Keep those especially close, for we need the optimism and strength drawn from experiences that skirt the boundaries of mere intellect. These are stories visited upon us, instead of told to us by another.

For I need the energy of miracle when I pick up what seems to be unending amounts of trash on the way to my fav off-the-track spot; I need that unexpected freshness to keep me in a good spot when I contemplate the graffiti spray-painted across rocks raised up more than 6 million years ago. I need it to not despise those who threw out the trash, the ones who defaced the forest, as well as those charged with protecting it, yet do little.

Nature is the key to what we are missing. It’s that simple. Go into it, breath it, embrace it, feel your own soul, calm and serene, as the miracle of peace settles upon you.

Oh, and don’t forget to fish! At the top, the left shot is from the West Fork and the right, from the East Fork.

See you on the river, Jim Burns


Larry Pirrone

When I first started fishing the West Fork I was returning from a long layoff from fishing local waters. I was just starting a new business and up the street was Alex Seimers fly fishing shop and Ray Bianco who got me back into fly fishing. Life was good. Then it started. A huge flush of mud released from Cogswell. Years later the stream was back and so was I. The Stream Born Fly Fishing club was still alive. I was catching fish on the WF again. I was catching two trout at a time on a two fly rig. Then it happened. The Center for Biological Diversity who could care less about human family fishing recreation helped kill off a load of trout. Who knows how we let this happen or why it happens. I am hoping that the fishing will get and stay healthy for me to recapture some of the good times. At 78 I don’t have a lot of time. How can we protect this great resource?


Jim Burns

Thanks for these great comments, Larry! What was the Stream Born Fly Fishing Club? As for protecting the WF, I think a lot of people have that same idea, but it is the “how” that hasn’t yet come into focus. John Tobin, Pasadena Casting Club’s former Conservation Chair, had this to say: “My big concern is the poor invertebrate recovery so far.  What are these fish eating, besides our flies?  I’ve turned over a few rocks and don’t see much yet.  We need an invertebrate survey.”

Scott Boller

Well said, Jim! Happy Holidays!


lariverboy

Jim,
What an honor to be mentioned. Having Rebecca by my side (and very much enthusiastic about the quest) and the added prod of CalTrout asking me to seek maximum clarity on these SoCal hills and their ever-persistent trout has kept me banging my shins and removing ticks for what seems to be forever and it is far from over. All in the name of locating even a tiny fish in a tiny trickle that has been “smote by God” as someone once said 😉 The Cogswell conversation is always entertaining. It is constantly manipulated and the entire region has these crazy moments of boom and bust. There’s little rhyme or reason except for the obvious one: if there’s some water then there’s some chance. I will bite my tongue with respect to the Bobcat Fire and the following winter’s muddy runoff. Simply mind-blowing how happy the WFSG was before that terrible volley of events. Gosh I could go on. 

As for age, time, etc. you know, a game I very often play is to challenge myself with the humor or irony of finding fish virtually roadside. This includes the access on the WFSG but there are a surprising collection of non-stocked trout populations; legal to fish for; within 500 feet of one’s parked car in So Cal. 

Scott,
I think the concern about invertebrate life as a food source is totally valid however it is not unheard of for a trout to make terrestrial’s a substantial percentage of their diet. Just throwing that out there for the sake of the discussion. Now, in the case of an area that is also denuded by fire then, sigh, yeah, we have very hungry fish and an ecosystem that needs some time to recover.

Larry,
Ray continues to appear from time to time at fly fishing events. His casting skills dazzle me and last time I saw him (less than a year ago) he sported some boots that even the Beatles would envy (with Cuban heel too by the way).

I am not intimately familiar with the center of biological diversity is actions of what you speak. There are a handful of moments in Southern California where they have influence the course of an ecosystem. I would be surprised if a deluge of silt or mud was intentional given how they are so fond of amphibians. Speaking of which, protections initiated by them for a particular So Cal endemic toad has actually done wonderful things to protect a few pockets of wild trout including some with primarily native genetics. * And not always resulting in an angling closure.

In closing …This last wet year has helped several local populations of trout get a breath of fresh water and if we have what amounts to an even “normal” winter, I think next year is going to be glorious in the “locals” and give us all some joy.

– Bernard

Citizen science

Dance of the rainbows on the East Fork

By Malachi Curtis, Guest Contributor

it was a pretty normal day on the East Fork for me. A few fish here and there, but not seeing any fish until they took my flies. When I came up on a spot that I had caught a nice one the weekend before, I saw these two fish swimming right in front of me, seemingly in their own world. I wasn’t moving particularly stealthily, but they didn’t seem to mind and came with three or four feet of me.

After a few minutes, they moved upstream and I continued on with the day. I was looking for other fish displaying similar behavior but those were the only fish I saw in the open that day.

I’m not too familiar with trout spawning, but as far as I could tell by some quick Google searches the earliest you normally see trout spawn is January, whereas this video was taken on Nov. 12. I know steelhead generally spawn a bit earlier so maybe this is their genetics kicking in here.

Either way super cool sight to see, and a good sign for the future of the population.

riverboy

Malachi – what great footage. 2023 has defied many rules. I have a report of RBT trying to jump a barrier in effort to “migrate” in early fall – prompted by an artificial dam release. I am always pondering this balancing act between seasonal behaviour and opportunistic behavior. You got to witness a curious moment – whatever they were up to. Stoked for you and a teeny bit envious 🙂

Fish Fan Shots

Monsters still lurk on the LA
Mayfly Project’s Jane Winer-Miller
caught this absolute beast back in
October on the LA. Pasadena Casting
Club’s Caroline Craven’s fly design turned out to be a real winner!
(Credit: Caroline Craven)

San Gabriel Mountains National Monument

Fodor’s lists Monument as a ‘no go’ in 2024
This snap is actually from May, 2021, behind JPL, but it sums up our collective sentiments about trash. (Credit: Jim Burns)

It’s worse than being on the bad side of Santa’s naughty or nice ledger: the San Gabriel National Monument has joined the travel magazine Fodor’s “No List 2024.”

Sites land on the list for several reasons. For example, of the nine “winners” this year, Venice bellyflopped because of over-tourism. This is nothing new, but, as the mag says a five Euro tourism fee is likely to do little to curb the tourists-to-residents ratio that landed the beautiful city on the list last year and in 2018. It joins Athen and Mt. Fuji in this category.

Then there’s the “water quality and sufficiency” category that includes Lake Superior, the Ganges and Koh Samui, Thailand. Lots to write about here, but it’s too depressing to pen. You can read about it >>HERE.

Then finally the USA makes the list in “trash production,” along with Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, and Chile’s Atacama Desert.

Up until this point, Californians could be rightly proud of the many lists our state treasures have been included in, such as the National Geographic National Parks Road Trip, which features the Redwood National and State parks. Now?

Public outcry is the only way to save this beautiful area we all love. Get vocal. Get loud. This land truly is “our land,” as the song says, “this land was made for you and me.”

The beckoning entrance to Bear Creek last week, far from the madding and messy crowds of summer. The goal should be to keep the monument in pristine condition. This will take federal money, local money, grant money, a transparent Forest Service, many dedicated volunteer groups, a strong enforcement arm and public education to get off Fodor’s “No List.” (Credit: Jim Burns)

See you on the river, Jim Burns

San Gabriel Mountains National Monument

At long last, West Fork reopens
IF THIS GRAFFITI bugs you, why not make a quick phone call to our friends at the Forest Service, (626) 574-1613? (Credit Jim Burns)

We Southern California steam fly fishers are a unique lot. If you’re reading this, you must love overcoming obstacles. After all, for a modest investment in an 8 weight, a decent waterproof reel, working on a longer cast and a sinking line, there’s the Pacific Ocean right in front of you, with its siren call of corbina runs, maybe a halibut and, for sure, a perch. (Just don’t bonk any beach joggers on the head when they absentmindedly walk into your back cast. That can lead to therapy — for both of you!)

Yet, here you are wandering the San Gabriel National Monument, doing the Curtis Creek sneak behind JPL, pondering a long drive to Deep Creek or scouting Piru Creek to the west. I mean, what’s with you?

Your friends up north, think you must be a bit daffy to get excited by a hand-size catch that takes a full-size outing to snag, or stiffle a chuckle when you tell them about the three (count them, three) fish passages in various stages of planning on the LA River.

They want to chase steelhead, dammit, on the Klamath or the Trinity; or bow a spey rod lifting a massive Lahontan Cutty at Pyramid Lake, or shiver through a UFO encounter and a fighting ‘bo on the Nature Conservancy water of the McCloud.

The heavy equipment that removed thousands of tons of debris are gone, but the scarring remains. (Credit Jim Burns)

The very fact we have a lot of water that can or might hold wild trout right here in dry, hot Southern California thrills you. You wonder if your ancient Orvis 2 wt. might work well as a Euro rod? Contemplate getting up at dark thirty, just to explore another skinny water and see if it holds trout. Wonder if that was actually a Trico on your windshield and then dream about how the stubborn finny friends who have survived, dams, drought, fire and trash, trash, trash might react to one on 7x tippet? Good lord, those little fellas could hold the genetic makeup of the endangered Southern California Steelhead!

Well, what can I say, I’m right there with you. We are both giddy optimists! I love exploring what we have here in So Cali. And, finally, at long last, tomorrow is opening day on the West Fork of the San Gabriel River. After so, so long being closed during weekdays for a Public Works rehab of the water and riparian habitat conflagrated by the Bobcat Fire, it’s back.

Oh, just don’t mention that part about the UFOs in Dunsmuir. It’s secret.

See you on the river, Jim Burns

Only the truly optimistic So Cal stream fly fisher dreams of crossing a graffiti scarred footbridge to find paradise. (Credit Jim Burns)

Derek Paul Flor just commented
Tiring of the long and expensive trek up 395, I have decided fishing the local opportunities has it’s own charm. Catching fish then returning them to fight again, has it’s own charm, and in our pressured local waters, it just seems so right.