FISHING FUNDING FACING THE KNIFE.

Byline: Troy Anderson Staff Writer

Gone fishin'.

Not if Gov. Gray Davis gets his way.

Davis plans to slice nearly $3 million from funding for Los Angeles County fishing programs as part of his budget cuts, which means the county would stop stocking trout in about 10 lakes, including Hansen Dam at Lake View Terrace.

``I think it's wrong,'' said Eugene Housmouth, chart master of the San Fernando Valley Saltwater Fisherman Club. ``I pay so much for my fishing license every year that goes to that program.''

The proposed reductions in state Department of Fish and Game funds would likely cause the agency to discontinue stocking county lakes with nearly 100,000 pounds of trout at an annual cost of $444,000, officials said.

Also, the county's fish hatchery operations would be cut by $1.6 million, which could result in the closure of two hatcheries, one of which provides trout to the lakes. They include the Hansen Dam Recreation Area, Santa Fe Dam in Irwindale, Peck Road Water Conservation Park in Arcadia, Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park in Sam Dimas, Cerritos County Park, La Mirada Park, Alondra Park in Lawndale, Magic Johnson Park in Los Angeles, Kenneth Hahn Recreation Area in Baldwin Hills and Belvedere County Park in unincorporated East Los Angeles area.

``I think it really (stinks) because I take my children to places like that,'' said Housmouth, a West Los Angeles resident. ``When I get off work and they stock over there at Kenneth Hahn, I'm always over there fishing. It's a good way to unwind after a hectic day.''

Los Angeles County supervisors voted Tuesday to urge Davis and state lawmakers to support the Fishing in the City and Urban Lakes Stocking program in Southern California.

``Los Angeles County will be directly impacted as the largest recipient of services provided by this program,'' the supervisors wrote in a letter to Davis. ``The Fishing in the City program has coordinated with the county to support many fishing trips for underprivileged children throughout the years.''

The Fishing in the City program started in 1993 and is operated by staffers from the state Department of Fish and Game with help from volunteers. Fish and Game organizes the program, stocks the lakes with trout, provides fishing poles and tackle, and furnishes trained instructors to teach children how to fish.

The state conducts youth programs at all of the county's urban lakes because the county Department of Parks and Recreation is not equipped or funded to conduct these programs. This is particularly true for the large foster-youth programs, for which as many as 500 fishing poles and tackle are needed.

While the county parks department stocks some lakes with trout at county expense, the loss of 100,000 pounds of trout would have a significant impact on thousands of park patrons who enjoy fishing, officials said.