Derelict Dams - The Santa Monica Mountains Edition

[Bernard]

I have been documenting flows and ultimately capturing the drama of a few local streams as they experience crazy flows. This also has to do with observing what are essentially useless dams during the recent weather events. Here's good ol' Malibu Creek going ballistic. Enjoy: https://trouthugger.blogspot.com/2023/01/high-flows-from-on-high.html.
B.

[McFlyfi]

Nice pics.
Happening all over SoCal.
Here's one of my old stomping grounds- Matilija Creek (Ojai):
https://youtu.be/XL78EWDz4Bs

[Bernard]

Nice pics.
Happening all over SoCal.
Here's one of my old stomping grounds- Matilija Creek (Ojai):
https://youtu.be/XL78EWDz4Bs

Wow!

[DarkShadow]

Isn't the mass amount of rains supposed to entice steelhead from entering their ancestral homes?

I know an acquaintance that years (if not a decade) ago, caught a pretty nice sized steelhead off the surf in Malibu. I wonder if we'll have any incidental by catches from the surf this year. And I wonder if there will be an increased # of southern steelhead that move up to Malibu Creek, and the other tributaries.

And on the topic of dams, I'm a hugely obsessed with the reservoirs in Azusa Canyon and I saw that San Gabriel Res was drained to move sediment away, but according to my buddy who works for Azusa Water, that project is probably done, as the rains caught up to them. I wonder what happened to the fish? Did they move downstream to Morris? Is that how dams work? :-D

[Bernard]

Isn't the mass amount of rains supposed to entice steelhead from entering their ancestral homes?

I know an acquaintance that years (if not a decade) ago, caught a pretty nice sized steelhead off the surf in Malibu. I wonder if we'll have any incidental by catches from the surf this year. And I wonder if there will be an increased # of southern steelhead that move up to Malibu Creek, and the other tributaries.

And on the topic of dams, I'm a hugely obsessed with the reservoirs in Azusa Canyon and I saw that San Gabriel Res was drained to move sediment away, but according to my buddy who works for Azusa Water, that project is probably done, as the rains caught up to them. I wonder what happened to the fish? Did they move downstream to Morris? Is that how dams work? :-D

- You are correct, water means an opportunity to migrate. In addition to obvious impediments such as dams the sad fact is that their numbers are simply so low that the odds are tough. But, coincidentally and to your point, I was doing some photography in one of the "805's" known streams of "potential" steelhead habitat just yesterday and ran into an field biologist assessing the status of a fish passage/barrier. What I mean by all of this and sorry to be so cryptic is simply: you are correct

- Incidental catches are fascinating. I have a record from years ago of one caught in Dana Harbor! Also, just a few weeks ago, a friend spotted one in Ventura harbor while he was there on vacation. Just swimming around. He took photos and we even submitted them to the right people (DFW/CalTrout). Both confirmed that it was a male steelhead. I would say it was pushing 27 inches. The theory is that it may have been in the vicinity awaiting hi flows on the Santa Clara drainage.

- I wish I knew more about the status of fish in the SG Reservoir and above. I think we already know that these fish face crazy challenges esp. after the Bobcat Fire and, yeah, miners and drought up the EF. There is so much potential for that region to be a place of nurture for these fish.

B.

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[DarkShadow]

Bernard,

Have you ever ventured to the Santa Ynez in between Cachuma and Bradbury?

I have caught some pretty niced sized smallies in the deep pools there 15 years ago, and was wondering if the influx of water into Cachuma may have replenished that area, since because the past ten years of going up there, I have not seen one fish, except carp and green sunfish.

[Bernard]

Bernard,

Have you ever ventured to the Santa Ynez in between Cachuma and Bradbury?

I have caught some pretty niced sized smallies in the deep pools there 15 years ago, and was wondering if the influx of water into Cachuma may have replenished that area, since because the past ten years of going up there, I have not seen one fish, except carp and green sunfish.

That region has been on my bucket list for years. I have a trusted source who has caught beautiful smallmouth in there within the past two years. In other words, during the drought years. He hit it in early spring. I would think that this year, spring time might be excellent. There's only one way to find out!

[DarkShadow]

There's only one way to find out!

Haha, the only problem is that when I make the trek out there, I'm taking advantage of the lake.

Their quarantine policy is the strictest in the state, which means that there are hardly any boaters. About half a dozen times a year, we go out there, and rent a boat, attach a transom mounted trolling motor and have us a day.

This year, my buddy is just biting the bullet and getting his boat tagged in late February and we're putting all of our eggs in one basket and rolling the dice on Cachuma for Spring. Gonna be definitely different being on an actual bass boat instead of the tin can.

[Bernard]

There's only one way to find out!

This year, my buddy is just biting the bullet and getting his boat tagged in late February and we're putting all of our eggs in one basket and rolling the dice on Cachuma for Spring. Gonna be definitely different being on an actual bass boat instead of the tin can.

Envious!
Thought - Bring waders or even wear them in case you need to get out to fish flats or inlets.
This was one of those moments, somewhere in So Cal where we ditched the boat and crawled up an inlet (wet-wading):
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCjpKSHjYrh/

Bernard