Return of the Golden Rainbow Trout in SoCal: Stream Fishing Report (Video + Photos)
(Sequel to this post from last year)
(Just want the video? Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3QST85uQwI)
Today, I finally returned to one of my favorite streams in the SoCal mountains. Today, the fog (and smog?) produced an enchanting landscape, with thick clouds covering the nearby hills as I hiked in.
I was curious to see how the creek had weathered the recent storm, and if the fish were getting ready to spawn. Frequent readers of FNN may recall a fairly popular post last year, about "Golden Trout in SoCal." These were not true golden trout, as many astute anglers pointed out, rather, rainbow trout in spawning colors. I was hoping to run into more of the beautiful, gold-washed wild rainbows.
I only encountered a few solitary hikers on my route in. After over and hour since I had parked, I finally reached the creek. Usually, I skip the lower reaches and concentrate on pushing further upstream. However, I was feeling confident, and was rewarded with a fantastic wild rainbow on my 3rd cast. Dark, rich colors on this beast fit in perfectly with the shaded glen resided in.
A few dozen yards upstream and I was rewarded with yet another rainbow, this one more pale in color. Still a beautiful fish.
After this, I concentrated on rock-hopping the boulder-strewn creek to advance further in my quest for wild rainbows. The pools just weren't the same as I had remembered and the bites seemed to stop for the next hour. I switched up lures, going from the excellent dark brown custom trout worm from an FNN member to a light, natural Berkely Trout worm, cut in half.
I noticed the few fish I spotted were uncharacteristically shy. They would dart out, inspect my offering, but wouldn't commit. In past trips, they would bite at first sight. Even with the cloudy stay, I expected to see more fish. I only spotted a handful, all cautious and sticking tight to cover in their pools.
Eventually, I started hooking up with the trout again. It felt good to land several more, all beautifully patterned. Still, no sign of the "goldens" yet. I kept pushing upstream, looking for more, even as the fog crept in amongst the trees.
I spotted a set of foot prints that kept following the stream ahead of me, over and over again. This was quite unusualy. Who was this? I've never seen anyone else here. Had someone figured out my shang rai la? Did they devastate the little creek? Was this the reason all the fish were so shy today? No idea.
As the day was starting to get late (daylight in these canyons never last long enough, even worse on a cloudy day), I reached an old favorite spot. Neglecting to turn my BlackVue Action Camera on, I made a half-hearted cast near a boulder ahead. A massive shadow lunged out from under, grabbing the microjig, nearly ripping the tiny ultralite rod from my hand. Hookup! It went airborne, with a flash of gold getting my attention. I had to land this fish. Running up along the creek, dodging treelimbs, I worked my way closer. True enough, a "Gold" rainbow trout was at the end of my line, roughly 14" or so. As I grabbed my camera, and knelt down to scoop him up, he shook his head, popping the jig off. I frantically tried to grab him, but with a splash of his tail he took off downstream. Argh!
With only a little while longer to spare, I climbed further up the creek. Cast after cast to good looking pools produced nothing. Finally, I came to a tiny pool, about the size of a small livewell. First cast, and boom, hookup. There wasn't much room for this one to go, except straight up, and jump he did. Carefully bringing him to the side, I snapped several photos. Definitely a beautiful fish! Golden shimmer over his rainbow coat made a fascinating mashup on this trout. Really need to bring a better camera next time, my action camera is great for video, but lacks good macro focus for photography.
Interestingly, while the rains we had a few weeks back really helped turn the vegetation green and lush, they also detrimentally impacted the stream. This is because a mountain of silt washed from the hillsides into the creek during the storm. Most, if not all of my favorite deep pools have lost their depth, with 6 inches or more of silt carpeting the once pebble-lined streambed.
The rain certainly will help keep this creek alive throughout the presumed hot, dry summer ahead. However, I am concerned that the deep holes where most of the fish hide throughout the summer are much too shallow now. Fortunately, I did find several stretches further back in the woods where the silt hadn't settled quite as much. Tough times ahead for this fish for sure.
All in all, it was a very relaxing and rewarding trip. Sure, I'll feel the hike the rest of the day (week?) but it was worth it.
Total: 7 fish landed, 2 lost
Weather: Cloudy, occasional sunbreak, 65-70F
Gear: Ultralite with microjigs
Tight lines!
