Here's a Quick report on my first fishing day on the New Year, I went yesterday..but was somewhat tired after arriving home, so i figured i'd wait until today to post the Report.
I drove to ARROYO SECO CREEK, which is roughly 40 miles from my front door. It's a small, but soo pretty stream in the San Gabriel Mtns to the East. Anyway it takes about 40 minutes to get to the parking spot. You have to hike down a road?trail 1.3 miles to the Stream...
Arriving at the Stream, I noticed the water level is down...but there is more water then last year's final vist in Early March.. I rigged up with a Green Double Wing dryfly...a LaFontaine pattern I've come to rely on alot lately as a Searching fly.
I headed downstream as I've never been down that way. ( the stream runs down towards the Rose Bowl & past the JPL labs....). I just followed the old road/Now Trail down the canyon for abour 30 minutes. I start working my way back up stream at this point, having about 2 miles of Creek to work back up towards Gould Mesa Campground... Small Pools & mini Rapids/runs are the rule. No cast you'd make is over 16 feet from where you stand...
Little (3 to 6 inches) Rainbows come full force to the Double Wing. their takes are very aggressive,and lots of fun to watch. I tally 7 of these MINI Rainbows...before I spot the BIG RAINBOW I was hoping for... from the Distance I'm at when i spy the "behemoth" I'm figuring 8 inches... Slowly I work upstream to within the short distance one wants to be at to execute the short cast. The Big Boy spooks, heading under a rock to sulk... I set down quitly on a nearby boulder & wait for the 'bow to come back out...
Afew minutes latter or so, the Rainbow re-emerges from under the rock. a quick, on target cast drops the Double wing above the hold. the drift is right & the "Big Boy" rises to the fly as it comes down. Fish On!!! actually the fight consisted of me walking up the little pool the rainbow lives in and landing him before he leaped out of the pool onto the banks..
This rainbow actaully looks bigger then 8 inches... So I measured him with the tap measure i carry in the vest, Damn this 'bow is closer to 10 inches..actually 9 3/4 inches!!!!! Pretty fish, lovely parr marks & overall dark colouring(the bottom of the creek is dark from the leaves that cover much of the bottom..)
After the quick release, i work upstream, hitting more of the Mini 'bows with 3 more 6 to 8 inch fish throwen in for good measure... The days tally comes out to 16 fish caught & released... A fine day on my favorite local Trout Stream...
A word about the Rainbows in Arroyo Seco Creek....these are NATIVE LANDLOCKED STEELHEAD RAINBOWS... Arroyo Seco Creek used to drain in the Los Angeles River...anyone who has seen the Current Los Angles River knows why these Steelhead do not attempt a trip out to sea.. I've researched the Creek & find that few Hatchery plants are made in the stream, excpet way up stream at Switzer campground...
Sure is a GREAT THING to think that Native Trout still exsist within sight of Downtown L.A. I'm hoping they stay around for along time to come...
DEAN...
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