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I have read some on fly fishing in Southern California. Im going in July . The 10-15 is when Ill have some free time to fish. I hear the west fork of the San Gabriel river is good. I also was looking into the Piru, Big Tujunda and Santa Clara. Any suggestions on which is best and what flies work out there.
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-John
John, of the ones you mentioned the San Gabriel would probably be your best bet. Fish the West Fork. Beware, that because of the large population and it being summer you will need to hike or bike to get away from the crowds. Unfortunately, you will have to be careful what you leave in your car; it is a high crime area. Piru same situation with crowds and in addition the NZMS. Please purge the snails from your waders, etc. Big Tujunga, lots of gang bangers. All these places used to be very nice and some still find good fishing and a good time there but others find tons of litter, obnoxious people and smashed car windows. If you go to the San Gabriel, go on a weekday, head to the West Fork, leave nothing of value in the car, hike to the C&R section. You will also need to pay to park, it's called an "Adventure Pass." In some areas in Southern California the saying goes, "you can't see the forest for the fees."
If you really want to get into some decent trout fishing without going too far, try the Kern. Here is a link to a site that has information about the Kern and a very informative forum with a section on the other creeks you mentioned so you can get more information on them from other people. I am kind of bitter because I used to really enjoy these areas before they were ruined by ignorant and inconsiderate people. Ask your question here and you will get a lot of info:
[url=http://www.kernriverflyfishing.com:06cda]http://www.kernriverflyfishing.com[/url:06cda]
By the way the Kern high country is home to the Golden Trout so you can catch them also. That's something you can't do just anywhere.
I just may be up on the Kern myself on those dates. Drop me an e-mail if you decide to go up there.
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Joe
[This message has been edited by flyfisherjoe (edited 25 June 2006).]
I lived there for 30 years and I agree that the C&R section of the West Fork San Gabriel is your best bet for now. I used to regularly go to the upper East Fork years ago and it can be surprising at certain times of the year if you hike in past the end of the road.
A good all around attractor dry fly there is a light cahill. I prefered tied parachute. A gold ribbed hares ear for a nymph is also a good one (isn't it always?).
You'll likely run into poachers, but considering the types of people resident there now, don't confront, just report.
I left there for the Central Coast in '86 but returned several times untill a few years back when we moved to TX. Yes, don't leave anything valuable in your car and if it's an older one, so much the better. Also, you might get disgusted at the trash and crowds in the first mile of stream, don't lose heart, it gets better.
There's also Deep Creek in the San Bernadino Mountains. It's a nice C&R creek that can be kind of hard to find. Don't ask me for directions though, I only went there twice and my memory is bad, ask the Forest service, they can get you there.
Have Fun
Charlie
Wow John.. sounds like you should fish with a couple of body guards. Also sounds like you should meet up with Joe on the Kern as your best bet. I am guessing you will be driving a rental car. Probably should leave a 'good will' six pack on the hood for the locals with a 'have one on me sign'...lol.
I've never fished in So Cal however I did see the Kern once when I was visiting friends in Bakersfield. The Kern looked like a real nice place to fish.
Based on the earlier posts, it sounds like those other areas would not be a lot of fun to fish. For me, trying to fish and enjoy the outdoors would be ruined by worrying about my car. Also seeing a lot of garbage in areas that we fish is very disturbing.