Southern California's wild rainbow trout represent the remnants
of a species slowly vanishing from the region. Some may be distantly related to
the endangered California steelhead that still roam the ocean, seeking to
return to coastal rivers and streams. Others are the descendants of rainbow
trout stocked during the early days of pioneer settlements in the region,
bringing life and vigor to cold mountain streams previously uninhabited by
sportfish.
The drought has not treated these fish kindly, yet in remote
creeks a few still survive. On a recent journey after the welcome rainstorms, I
journeyed to one such location, and was pleased to find these finned,
glistening trophies. All were safely released back into their pools, after a
quick photo or video. You may recall the Trout Box post I wrote about several
years ago, and it made a re-appearance on this trip, offering a safe location
for photographs with less handling.
I've read that the drought, which has affected around 90% of California,
continues to recede, now dropping to around 50%. These numbers are encouraging
but show just how dry the state is. Here's to hoping and praying for more
precipitation to keep these streams and their rainbow treasures alive!
Happy New Year.