FISHING, RAFTING - KERN RIVER HAS IT.

Byline: Keith Lair Staff Writer

The signs are everywhere: ``Caution, fast-moving rapids. Beware of slippery rocks.''

But the signs do not stop rafters from tackling rapids such as Limestone Run with its Class II and III runs. They do not stop swimmers and anglers. And they certainly do not stop Glendora's Dale Barber and former Azusa resident Dave Young, who consider the Kern River their home away from home.

``It's so peaceful, so quiet,'' said Barber, who tries to make the drive to the area above Lake Isabella in Kern and Tulare counties at least once a month. ``You go here and you think about nothing.''

Nothing except fish, that is. Nice, shiny rainbow trout, delivered from a hatchery just downriver in the Kern Valley.

Rafters and swimmers stop anywhere along the river, which flows past Kernville and into Lake Isabella. But Barber and Young have their favorite spots along the river, which can become treacherous in the spring, when the Sierra melt-off breaches the river's banks and creates fast-flowing rapids that have claimed the lives of several rafters in recent years.

Almost every month, Barber's family fishes next to the Fairview Campground, 15 miles north of Kernville in the Sequoia National Forest. There are small pools, few rapids, a tiny motel and market, a hamburger stand and a popular restaurant that draws almost a full house on fall weekdays.

``I just love it here,'' Young said. ``I just have to have water nearby when I camp.''

Children ride their bikes along the nearby trails. The Whiskey Flats, Flynn Canyon, Tobias Creek and Rimdale trails are all found within a quarter-mile of the campground. Parents target trout and often release them as soon as they are landed.

Because the campground is situated at about 3,500 feet elevation, it rarely has snow and remains open year-round.

Many anglers marry light tackle and 4-pound line with salmon eggs or Panther Martin lures. The river also is renowned for fly-anglers, as the trout sample such standard patterns as black wooly buggers.

``We catch things right away,'' Young said. ``If we don't have anything on our first walk up the river, we're disappointed.''

Anglers also make trips just north of the campground to the Fairview Dam, which is undergoing renovations. They fish a spot called the Wall, a cliff face just above the dam. The water usually is chest-deep there, but on this trip it barely covered an ankle.

For outdoors enthusiasts looking for an escape, the Kern River presents a lively option.

IF YOU'RE GOING . . .

To reach the Kern River, travel the Golden State Freeway (5) north to the Antelope Valley Freeway (14) north past Mojave to Highway 178 west. Drive some 35 miles to Sierra Way and continue north to Kernville. The Kern also can be accessed via I-5 and Highway 178 through Bakersfield, but that section of 178 has many more curves.

Overnight spaces are $24 at Fairview Campground or $12 to picnic for the day. Unlike our local forests, no other day-use parking permits are required in the Sequoia National Forest. There is ample parking in front of the Fairview Lodge - [phone] - and it's a one-minute walk to reach the river.

Those interested in more deluxe accommodations might consider staying at several hotels and bed-and-breakfast facilities in Kernville. Information: [phone].

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PHOTO Dave Young reels in a rainbow trout as Dale Barber looks on along the banks of the Kern River above Kernville in Tulare County.

Keith Lair/Staff Photographer

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