FISH AT OWN RISK ENJOY IT, BUT BE WARY OF BECOMING CASUALTY NO. 211 DANGER FLOWS IN KERN RIVER.Byline: Bill Becher Special to the Daily News The first thing you see as you enter the Kern Valley on Highway 178 is a big sign that says ``210 People Have Died on the Kern since 1968.'' This takes some of the edge off our anticipation of a late-season fly fishing session on the Kern River Kern River A river rising in the Sierra Nevada of eastern California and flowing about 249 km (155 mi) south and southwest to the southern San Joaquin Valley. . It's about three hours from L.A. to this pretty but treacherous stretch of water. Three of us from the Conejo Valley The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both Southeastern Ventura County and Northwest Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States. It was discovered in 1542 by Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, and eventually became part of the Rancho El Conejo land grant by Fly Fishers had decided to take our chances in pursuit of trout. ``Most of the people we rescue or recover are trying to wade or swim in the river,'' said Kern County Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue Sergeant John Diederich said, ``but some have been fly fishermen.'' Although the past couple of seasons have been quiet, with only a dozen or so rescues and recoveries, the Search and Rescue team has had years with 125 rescues and recoveries. The rocks that line the Kern are polished slick from thousands of years of raging water and can cause a tumble, especially when wet. Some of the riverbanks are undercut and can give way, tossing an unwary fly fisherman into the river. Others don't realize the river has holes and drop-offs, and they fall when wading. Diederich suggests the fishermen wear a flotation device to give a person an edge if they slip. This can be a regular PFD PFD abbr. personal flotation device or one of the inflatable fishing vests, suspenders,or packs sold by Orvis, Stearns, among others. If you are wearing waders, especially without a belt, they can quickly fill with water and make getting out of the river difficult. This includes those who don't plan to get into the water. Diederich says one unfortunate girl was photographing a friend on the bank, took a step back and slipped on a rock, falling to her death. If you fall, Diederich recommends you float feet first down the river, so your legs act as shock absorbers Shock absorbers See: Circuit breakers if you hit a rock. Use your arms to back paddle, and stay in the center of the river until you find a beach or other quiet water to exit. Most people head for shore right away, but that can be dangerous. Watch for low-hanging branches or brush, what Diederich calls ``strainers Water lines or kitchen systems can get gravel, deposits that break free, and other stray items in the line. The velocity of the water pushing them, they can severely damage or clog devices installed in the flow stream of the water line. .'' These can trap you and hold you under in the current. Even with the ominous sign, we decided to try our luck at fishing. We tried fishing in Kernville but didn't see any fish, despite some nice- looking water. The 20-mile section of river from Lake Isabella to the Johnsondale Bridge is open year round for fishing with a standard five-trout-per-day, 10-in-possession limit. The river is accessible from the road with several pullouts where you can get out of your car and fish. This water is planted with trout by the Department of Fish and Game, especially around the campgrounds. We drove upriver to the Johnsondale Bridge, admiring the fall foliage show put on by the cottonwoods along the river. The fishing regulations for this stretch of water are posted at the bridge. The section upstream from the bridge, to where U.S. Forest Service Trail 33E30 heads east to join the Rincon Trail, has a two-trout, minimum-14-inch-length limit from the last Saturday in April through Nov. 15. The rest of the year is catch and release, zero limit. Only artificial lures and flies with barbless hooks can be used in this section throughout the year. You can cross the river on the pedestrian bridge and hike upstream and fish. We stayed high on the banks over the big pool near the bridge. Jimmy spotted some rising fish and hooked several rainbows up to 13 inches. The fish were taking a CDC See Control Data, century date change and Back Orifice. CDC - Control Data Corporation dry fly midge midge, name for any of numerous minute, fragile flies in several families. The family Chironomidae consists of about 2,000 species, most of which are widely distributed. The herbivorous larvae are found in all freshwaters; the larvae of some species live in saltwater. imitation. Still fishless, I walked upstream and tried a pool below a small section of rapids. I managed to hook one tiny rainbow on a midge pupa pupa (py  `pə), name for the third stage in the life of an insect that undergoes complete metamorphosis, i.e., develops from the egg through the larva and the pupa stages to the adult. nymph nymph, in Greek mythologynymph (nĭmf), in Greek mythology, female divinity associated with various natural objects. It is uncertain whether they were immortal or merely long-lived. There was an infinite variety of nymphs. . It had the parr marks of a juvenile fish. Looking at what seemed like a fishy fish·y adj. fish·i·er, fish·i·est 1. Resembling or suggestive of fish, as in taste or odor. 2. Cold or expressionless: a fishy stare. 3. riffle in the middle of the river, I was tempted to wade farther out farther out Of or relating to an option contract with a later expiration date than a contract that is currently owned or being considered. For example, a contract with a May expiration date is farther out than a contract with a February expiration date of , but when I checked the depth of the water with my wading staff, it was obvious the bottom dropped off quickly. The gin-clear water made it look much shallower. I stayed where I was. I wasn't wearing a life jacket and didn't want to be No. 211. CAPTION(S): 4 photos Photo: (1 -- 2 -- color) Fishermen sit on rocks along the Kern River. Below, Tom Greenup fishes along the Lower Owens, adjacent to a power plant. (3) Tom Greenup sits pensively pen·sive adj. 1. Deeply, often wistfully or dreamily thoughtful. 2. Suggestive or expressive of melancholy thoughtfulness. , fishing along the treacherous Kern River. (4) This sign offers a stern warning waders and fly fishermen should heed when at Kern River. Bill Becher/Special to the Daily News |
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