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High above the urban sprawl of Los Angeles are tiny mountain creeks, holding wild rainbow trout. They are few in number, small, and undeniably striking in a myriad of colors. Despite drought, habitat destruction, harvest by uneducated humans, and a host of other challenges, they continue to survive in stream pockets and pools off the beaten path. How much longer will these creeks continue to hold such beautiful finned treasures?  For Southern California  Oncorhynchus mykiss , catch and release fishing is the option for ethical anglers. 

 Locating a tiny creek through online research and discussion with other fishermen, then hiking in and actually fishing it sucessfully is truly rewarding. Such was the case for one of my recent fishing trips in the San Bernardino National Forest.  Armed with my ultralite fishing gear, I located this miniscule watershed and proceeded to catch many healthy Redband-strain rainbow trout in less than an hour. All fish were quickly released back into their mountain stream environment, colorful patterns and all. The creek has been through a lot, with natural disasters and manmade problems really hurting the fish population. Still, some fish still exist here, as evidenced in the video I took of the trip: 

Flows were low but still consistent on this wild stream deep in the Southern California mountains. We landed several beautiful brown trout from crystal-clear pools    Photos and video with BlackVue Sport Action Camera All trout were released safely.  Until next time! Video:

Recently, I fished Lost Lake in the Cajon Pass, near Highway 215 in California. This little sag lake, in a fault line, is very, very deep. It is spring fed and has crystal clear water.   Video The fish were very wary and shoreline access was limited. However, between my friend and I, we managed to land 3 largemouth and one bluegill. It's a very odd lake that feels out of place amidst the dry scrub brush and nettles.

These ponds looked fantastic, but I couldn't get a bite in them at all. I think they are only seasonal, holding water after a good rain or two. The ruined buildings in the region were interesting though! More photos and video after the jump

Fishing for wild rainbow trout in the many mountain streams of Southern California has become one of my favorite pastimes.  While I love hunting largemouth bass and other warmwater species, wild trout in crystal clear, ice-cold streams are a treat to catch like no other. Recently, I took a new approach to photographing these fragile wild fish.  Keeping them out of water too long for a picture unduly stresses them, making it difficult to get a nice shot. Instead, I brought along a small "trout box", a clear plastic container, filled with (on occasion) stream water, to allow the trout to calm down and get a nice photo. (Click below for more photos after the jump) On my trial run with this box, at an unnamed stream, the trout box was perfect.  The fish all appeared considerably more relaxed than they normally would be in the grasp of a human and were all returned to this secret mountain stream quickly, without noticeable harm. I hope you enjoy t...

A few weeks ago, I went off the beaten path and explored a new stream in the San Bernardino National Forest. After hiking in, I came across a large, deep pool. First cast resulted in a missed strike, second cast with a micro jig was nailed-hookup! I quickly figured out that this was no small fry, as my drag was getting burned all around the pool. Took me a while to get a look at the fish, eventually it surfaced and I was very surprised. It was an extraordinarily large rainbow trout, especially for the size of this stream! A few more heart pounding moments later and I was able to land it, snag a few pictures and release it back to its water domain. I've spent a considerable amount of time thinking about the origins of this fish. Initially, I suspected that someone had dumped a large stocked rainbow from a nearby public lake or pond into this portion of the creek. However, this fish did not have any tell-tale hatchery signs, fin clippings nor did it have the usual wear and tear of ...

Not much to share here, except amazing scenery, beautiful fish and another lasting set of memories from trout fishing in the San Bernardino National Forest. All fish 100% Catch and Release. Oh, and how about a little video from the trip? Check it out below.