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.

------------------
Joe




[This message has been edited by flyfisherjoe (edited 25 June 2006).]