Sept. 4 is one of two yearly license-free fishing days in California, and was the final summer session of South Coast Trout Unlimited’s successful Vamos a Pescar learn-to-fish events. (Credit Miranda Robin) 
Patricia Perez, who took the Vamos a Pescar course in 2018, returns to catch and release a beautiful carp. (Credit Miranda Robin) 
With the help of California State Parks Luis Rincon, this young fisher examines her carp’s gills. (Credit Miranda Robin) 
Carp fishing put the LA River in the map, and now Ricardo knows why — hard to catch, lots of fight. (Credit Miranda Robin)
Tag: Vamos a Pescar
The second SCTU Vamos a Pescar event brought new anglers to our river through workshops and fishing experience. (All photos credit Miranda Robin) 
From South Coast Trout Unlimited:
Vamos a Pescar! Let’s go fishing! We’ll be giving fishing poles* to youngsters and learning to fish at this 2-day workshop. Sign up here!
About this event
Vamos a Pescar! Let’s go fishing! We’ll be giving fishing poles to youngsters to learn to fish, helping to rig up their rods, and demonstrating fishing techniques. On July 27th we’ll be rigging up our fishing poles and learning about knots and river conservation. On July 29th, we’ll be fishing on the Los Angeles River. Join us for both days to get your free fishing rod and reel!
Our second workshop series will be over weekdays!
Day 1: July 27th, 4 PM to 7 PM: the first workshop in an outdoor classroom setting to learn the basics.Marsh Park/Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park: 2944 Gleneden Street Los Angeles, CA 90039
Day 2: July 29th, 4 PM to 7 PM the second workshop is on the LA River. Pick up your free* fishing pole and hit the river to catch some fish! Marsh Park/Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park: 2944 Gleneden Street Los Angeles, CA 90039
Day 3: September 4th is the last workshop to learn how to catch the big fish with the pros. CA Free Fishing Day, no fishing license required. Open to all participants! The place to be confirmed, we hope it will be at the New Taylor Yard Bridge!
Face coverings are required to participate in all events to protect you and our volunteers.
Waivers are required for the workshops. If you are under 18 you must have a parent or guardian sign at the on-site registration.
* you must attend the first workshop to get a free fishing pole.
Sponsored by: SOUTH COAST TROUT UNLIMITED • CA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE • GEORGE H.W. BUSH VAMOS A PESCAR EDUCATION FUND • CA STATE PARKS
LEWIS MacADAMS says it best on a bas relief commemorative sculpture at the park, which also bears his name. (Credit Miranda Robin) 
SCTU President William Preston Bowling, left, with knot master Eugene Ahn chilling out before the event. (Credit Miranda Robin) 
SCTU board members Bob Blankenship, left, and Jim Burns explain to two participants what’s in their mini-tackle boxes. (Credit Miranda Robin) 
Knot master Eugene Anh, back to camera, helps two participants through the intricacies of the improved clinch knot. (Credit Miranda Robin) 
Former Trout Unlimited South Coast Chapter President Ban Luu begins a casting lesson. Luu has caught more than 2,000 fish on the L.A. River (Credit Miranda Robin) 
A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT as participants get a look at where they will fish after receiving their first day of training. (Credit Miranda Robin) 
DOWN BY THE RIVER: After a day of learning the basics of conservation, knot typing and casting, participants find their spots to actually fish. (Credit Miranda Robin) 
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Engaged couple and SCTU event organizers, from left, Karen Barnett and Bob Blankenship, take a break with Tom Blankenship, who traveled from his home base in Fort Worth, Texas. (Credit Miranda Robin) 
Participants Ethan and Hailey get a good look at a juvenile carp before releasing it back to the LA River. (Credit Miranda Robin) 
FISH IN A BUCKET! gets participant Vivienne’s full attention. (Credit Miranda Robin) 
JUMP! Fishing workshop participant Panida Rzonca tries to hold onto her first catch, a green sunfish. (Credit Jim Burns)
On a day when temperature records were getting broken all over the Southland, Patricia Perez broke a record of her own: six fish caught on the lukewarm LA River.
“I’d never caught one fish until today,” Perez said.
She was one of the 120 Angelinos who took advantage of Trout Unlimited’s Vamos a Pescar program to learn how to fish our urban water.
“She was the first one on the water with me this morning, “co-event organizer Ban Luu said.
Before 9 a.m., both Luu and Perez had hooked green catfish on his secret masa recipe. And before the event officially ended early at 11:30 because of the intense heat, she’d caught five small carp as well.
All fish were released successfully back into the river.
See you on the river, Jim Burns
Co-event organizer Ban Luu asks the kids in the crowd, “Hey, close your eyes. What do you hear?” (Jim Burns)
Poet and river visionary Lewis McAdams would have been proud to see the next generation of river stewardship unfold. (Jim Burns)
Not only did these lucky children get their own rods for free, they also got to put their names on their very own mini-tackle boxes. (Jim Burns)
Mini-tackle boxes include a waterproof chart on knot tying. (Jim Burns)
Casting practice boils down to getting that itty-bitty bobber into that great big Hulu Hoop. (William Preston Bowling)
(Click on the photos above to read the captions.)
They came, they saw and, boy, did they conquer.
The first day of the first weekend of Vamos a Pescar brought kids, parents, young adults and volunteers to Marsh Park on a May Gray morning to learn the beginnings of becoming an urban fisher for life: tidbits about our river; safety; rigging a spin outfit; casting a bobber inside a Hulu hoop ring, sort of like the pros, only with more smiles (and tangled line).
“We gave out 120 spots, an overflow from our original number,” said Bob Blankenship, Trout Unlimited South Coast Chapter and co-organizer of the event.
What does this mean for readers of this blog who know how to fish and want to pass that skill along to others? There are volunteer spots open next weekend (Saturday and/or Sunday, 9 a.m.-noon) when all these new fishers will try out their nascent skills at the Bowtie Parcel. Please sign up by contacting Blankenship at southcoasttu@gmail.com.
See you on the river, Jim Burns
And now for some gloom-free news: For all of you who have sorely missed FoLAR’s “Off Tha Hook” fishing throwback on the LA River, rejoice:
Trout Unlimited’s South Coast Chapter, based in OC, has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to provide instruction, equipment, and support for local families to participate in a series of fishing outings on the Los Angeles River this year, according to the TU website.
The funding for this grant comes from the George H. W. Bush Vamos a Pescar Education Fund administered by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. The Vamos a Pescar initiative is focused on engaging Hispanic families in fishing, boating, and conservation activities.
As a consultant on “Off Tha Hook,” I’m super excited kids will once again have a structured way to engage our river and catch the passion we all love. My favorite memories of the three fishing throwback years were of kids — kids rushing down the rip-rap to get to the water; kids learning how to knot a hook on a line; kids wondering where in the heck all the fish went; and — blam — kids hooking up on possibly the first fish of their young lives.
As TU chapter president Robert Blankenship, who was instrumental in “Off Tha Hook” along with FoLAR co-founder Lewis MacAdams and former all-star-staffer William Preston Bowling, said in that same post:
“In an increasingly wired world, fishing encourages Americans young and old to discover and connect with the nature around us, even in highly urbanized settings such as the greater Los Angeles area. This grant funding will allow us to introduce dozens of kids and adults to the wonders of fishing who may never have had such opportunity.”
Events begin in May, including one on a no-fishing-license-required day, July 7. Read the post for more information.
See you on the river, Jim Burns
lariverflyfishing 