LOVE OF THE FISH LOCAL FISHERMAN NOT ONLY ENJOYS THE SPORT, HE'S WRITTEN GUIDES SO PEOPLE CAN ENJOY IT AS WELL.

Byline: Bill Becher Special to the Daily News

Give a kid a fish, it goes in the freezer. Teach him to fish, and he's hooked on fishing for life.

That's the philosophy of Chris Shaffer, who at 24 already has written two comprehensive guides to California fishing.

Shaffer grew up in the San Fernando Valley and attended Crespi High in Encino.

He knew at an early age he wanted to write about fishing. Shaffer prepared for his career by majoring in journalism at Cal State Northridge and teaching fishing at a summer camp.

Shaffer took a boy fishing at Lake Tahoe who had never caught more than a couple of fish during a season. When Shaffer helped him hook more than 200 fish in a week, it was a life-changing event for both.

``I've never seen a kid so happy,'' Shaffer said.

Shaffer said the boy's father asked, ``If you can do this with my son, make him this happy, teach him all these new areas and techniques, why don't you go out and do it for everybody else?''

He did. The boy's father now is Shaffer's partner in a publishing business that has released two books by Shaffer: ``The Definitive Guide to Fishing in Southern California'' and a companion guide to central California, including the Sierra. They are available at Sport Chalet, Barnes & Noble or online at www.fishingcalifornia.net. Books on California's waterfalls and a fishing guide for Northern California are in the works.

Shaffer's guides are designed for adult, conventional-gear, fresh-water anglers, though parents can use them to take a kid fishing.

Shaffer livens his text with his personal experiences and observations, so his books read like a friend telling you about his favorite fishing spots.

But Shaffer doesn't just talk about favorites. He rates each of 134 fishing venues in the Southern California book and 329 in the Central California book from one to 10. Shaffer said he's fished each of the spots he writes about, and he doesn't mince words about places that haven't produced.

In his Southern California guide, Shaffer said this about Irvine Lake:

``To tell you the truth, in the five times I've been there, I've only snagged one carp. ... Every time I go to the lake, the guys in the tackle shop tell me that fishing is `red hot and limits are common.' But when I walk the shoreline to do a survey, only a few anglers have fish.''

This leads to one of Shaffer's core complaints: Anglers lie. That might not be an original observation, but it bothers Shaffer when local tackle shops and guides hype the fishing to attract out-of-towners, who end up making a long drive for no fish.

But there are spots that don't need hype.

``My favorite fishery in California is Lake Tahoe,'' Shaffer said. ``I've fished there over 50 times in the last two years. There's always that opportunity to catch a huge mackinaw, a huge rainbow trout, or a huge brown trout.

``It's a real challenge, and it's gorgeous. You've got the deep, emerald waters and wildlife. You can see bald eagles and osprey.''

In Southern California, Shaffer's favorites include the Sespe River near Ojai and Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains.

Shaffer likes to don a mask and snorkel to explore water he's going to fish. At the Sespe River from Lion Campground, downstream for several miles there are lots of wild trout along with bass, green sunfish, bluegill and brown bullhead, according to Shaffer's snorkel observations.

To protect steelhead, the Sespe area no longer is planted with trout and access is difficult, as the Forest Service has closed some roads to protect endangered arroyo toads. But for those willing to make the trek, Shaffer said fishing can be great.

Big Bear Lake is another Shaffer favorite. He calls it a ``put-and-grow lake.'' Fingerlings are planted there and have the chance to grow to sizable trout.

``You get a bigger, stronger fish, because it's not raised in the hatchery - it's raised in the wild,'' Shaffer said. When summer heat drives the trout deep, there are bass to catch at Big Bear Lake.

Shaffer is a catch-and-release fisherman these days, so his freezer is empty. But he's teaching the whole village where to fish.

SHAFFER SUGGESTIONS

--Five Fishing Tips from Chris Shaffer:

1) Use the right gear. At local lakes, some people use big ocean rods with heavy line. You don't need anything heavier than four-pound test to catch trout in Southern California.

2) Check the time of year. A place like Bouquet Canyon Creek in Saugus is only a late-spring-through-early-fall fishery. It's not stocked in the winter. People get frustrated fishing for trout from shore at Castaic Lake in the middle of summer. The surface temperature is 78 degrees, so the fish will not be there.

3) Use lighter line. A lot of bass and trout have learned what line looks like, especially in clear water. With heavy line, you spook the fish before you have a chance to catch them.

4) Do your homework and learn about the places where you fish.

5) If you teach kids to fish, make it easy. The first fish is the most important one they will ever catch. If it's a good experience, they will want to fish the rest of their lives.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- 3 -- color) Local fisherman Chris Shaffer has written two books about fishing, both guides about spots in Southern and Central California.

Bill Becher/Special to the Daily News

Box:

SHAFFER SUGGESTIONS (see text)