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 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 |
lariverflyfishing 
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.
So well said, Derek!
Can’t wait to get covered in scratches and my pants wet exploring again. Some of the best days off I found on this trail with my bike, fishing pole, and granola bar.
Dude, well said!
Thank you for your blog. I remember you from way back on the Fly Fisherman and offshoot boards!
I am heading back up this weekend after not having been up there for probably over ten years. I do remember how much better the fishery does after a good wet winter and how much more widely distributed the wild trout are during healthy flows (remember “Oil Slick”?).
Looking up info on the West Fork I came across your blog. I had read it before but sort of forgot about. It is very motivating to both read such thoughtful reflections on what it is like to fish a near urban, Los Angeles County fishery that has wild fish despite its constant head-ons with fires, drought, trash (yes – absolutely trash trash trash as you reflected) and the occasional poacher harvester, and also to hear from someone from a local community I sort of dropped out of years ago.
Look forward to reading more of your reflections, Sir. Peace!