Hi all! Remember the Micro Fishing Lures post from several years ago? I've added a little update to my collection of such lures, this time in the form of several videos, see above.
Wanted to share a quick report from Fisherman's Retreat, in Redlands, California (San Timeteo Canyon area). It's a private lake, that is open for fishing if you drop $16 for the entrance fee. Actually, there are three lakes, two open to anyone, and the third members-only.
Bass fishing can be excellent at times, but sadly, on this trip, it wasn't. In fact, I only had perhaps one bite over 4 hours of tossing a variety of lures. However, the trout and catfish bite was hot for many other anglers - they stock these lakes heavily! It's a nice, somewhat secluded area to fish and I'm glad to have spent the afternoon out here.
Plenty of water, but very shallow. Does hold some very small fish from my observations. Possibly a location for ultralite fishing? Like Tenkara or Tanago style fishing? More to come...
I really enjoy float tubing local harbors, especially Newport. While the fish aren't usually huge (my PB here was a 17" TOAD, but most are 10"), I still get a kick out of the feisty spotted bass fights. This is my likely last trip for the year, glad it worked out alright!
Recreational fishing faces many threats - loss of fish habitat, drought, radical environmentalists, increasing regulations, a public that is increasingly unfamiliar with angling, and so on. One particular threat that all anglers should be aware of has emerged from Europe (with attempts being made to enact it in Canada), in the form of fishing regulations that ban catch and release fishing for being supposedly cruel.
While this sounds absolutely insane (it is!), let me quickly explain the theory behind such regulation. Certain individuals opposed to recreational fishing believe fish feel pain in a manner similar to humans (despite evidence to the contrary), and as such, no one should fish for "sport" (defined by catch and release angling), only for food. Never mind the detrimental impact such a policy would have on isolated streams and lakes, especially in densely populated regions like California! In fact, anglers can be fined for releasing fish in some parts of Europe, particularly Germany.
There is a very nice documentary looking into this issue, and how local anglers are dealing with it in Germany right now.
Much of this nonsense stems from a "Global Code of Practice" or "Best Management Practice" for fishing that is being pushed throughout various part of the Western world. The key fallacy behind this is man and fish simply are not the same, and attempts to equate the two, in terms of pain/suffering are intrinsically wrong. I highly encourage everyone to read the excellent writeup on this threat to angling at High County Angler's Fall 2017 edition (https://issuu.com/highcountryangler/docs/hca_fall_17)
The author, fisheries biologist John Nickum, rightly notes the pseudo-science behind such "Global Code of Practice for Recreational Fisheries", the agenda disguised as "science", and the stupidity of the anthropomorphisms behind such beliefs. Definitely go read it! It's on pages 46-47 in ezine.
To really delve into the science behind fish not perceiving pain in the same manner as humans, take a look at the role of C-fibers and Adelta fibers in the nervous system. Fish have a distinctly different arrangement (or even a lack thereof) of these, rendering their nociceptors perception vastly different from humans. C-fibers, the unmyelinated fibers responsible for severe, chronic, burning pain in some cases, are either absent or severely reduced in fish. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough!
Properly done, fishing is not cruel, and catch and release fishing is certainly not cruel. In fact, catch and release fishing is vital to the health of a fishery where recreational fishing is allowed. Finally, without recreational fishing (fortunately, it's part of California's Constitution to allow fishing), many waterways would be less robust and there would be less funds and interest in caring for them.
Thick and trouty
Outdoorsmen (and women!), be they hunters or anglers, have traditionally formed the backbone behind protecting and preserving habitat and species for future generations to continue to enjoy. Few people care as much about the health of a fishery as the anglers that spend countless hours on the water. Many wildlife sanctuaries are funded by hunters and anglers, who directly benefit from a healthy, robust ecosystem with game and fish to pursue, be it for take or (in the case of fishing), catch and release. In many situations, the goals of recreational fishing and environmental organizations do align (i.e. CalTrout and TroutUnlimited partnering with the Nature Conservancy and Environmental Defense Fund) Unfortunately, there is an element with some environmental circles, mostly from animal rights activists, that is completely opposed to any recreational fishing (and often to human life in general). Such groups should never be supported or assisted in any manner, and anglers of all stripes should be alarmed when policies such groups push become law. Remember, it's a crime to interfere with the act of legal fishing or hunting in California, be sure to report anyone doing that!
What is just around the bend? What is located just downstream (or upstream)? What secret does the next pool of crystal-clear water hold? These questions push me forward on countless trout fishing expeditions, often in the local mountain ranges, the "Saints" (San Gabriels, San Bernardinos, San Jacinto).
Earlier this year I took the plunge (literally) downstream, going further along a popular creek than I had ever ventured before. It required getting wet and scrambling along some narrow ledges for a ways, but I made it safely. Even managed to avoid the abundant poison oak along the "trail."A pair of cheap gardening gloves + frequent applications of TechNu lotion seemed to do the trick (seriously, check the TechNu lotion out, it's saved me many times)
This particular stretch of creek had two fascinating sections - a lush, forested portion with many nice pools, some teeming with trout; and a second, narrow slot canyon, exposed to the intense summer sun. The scenery was arguably amazing in both, but the slot canyon really caught me by surprise. Most SoCal creeks doesn't have this kind of topography and I hadn't seen any pictures of this part before. Google Maps sleuthing hadn't gotten me prepared for it either. Take a look:
Fishing was difficult, to say the least. I'm still getting used to trying fly-fishing only on certain trout trips, and I had more than my fair share of snags, lost flys, and tangles throughout the day. However, the scenery more than made up for it, as well as the thrill of discovery. I came across many pools with rainbows swimming idylilly around, easily spooked, but still willing to hit a dry fly. I even managed to land one, and snap off a monster of a fish in sheltered pool underneath thick cover.
I'll definitely be back for more!
Photos taken with the Zerotech RollCap Camera. You can see video footage from the trip, and other trips, on my review of the RollCap camera here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HiMdKGaCaw
