Local Report - In the name of academic curiosity

[Bernard]

Happy new year everyone!

I decided to visit this extremely easy to access stream to, well, see how it is faring. Academic curiosity! Sorry but I did not post much in the way of text/descriptions so should any of you be curious, the first photo is from the WFSG while the others are from, well, another fork None of them too pretty I regret to say but still, there's a spark of hope in the name of little finned friends. Emphasis on little. Enjoy: https://trouthugger.blogspot.com/2023/01/blue-lining-into-2023.html.

B.

[Justin]

Super rad to see life there, super sad to see what the humans have done. Thanks for the report I was considering a run up that way soon to see for myself what’s going on up there.

Justin

[Wildman]

Tom and I were in there just before "that fire" and it was an amazing stream full life and mature vegetation. Glad to see life is coming back. It will take some time to even approach what it was.

[lucfish]

While I’m glad to see the fish are somehow surviving, the graffiti just makes me sad. Thanks for posting.

[DarkShadow]

Glad to see there are survivors, even tho they may be small guys.

I've always wanted to grab the bike and head out there and fish near the Reservoir.

Anybody fished the WF past Cogswell? From maps, it looks like the blue line is there year around.

[FIGHTONSC]

Glad to see there are survivors, even tho they may be small guys.

I've always wanted to grab the bike and head out there and fish near the Reservoir.

Anybody fished the WF past Cogswell? From maps, it looks like the blue line is there year around.

The area that you speak of I believe is called Devil’s Canyon. Back in the early 70s my father and I attempted to access it off of Route 2 from somewhere around Windy Gap. We got maybe a half mile from the truck before we ran into almost impenetrable poison oak and and steep rocky descent conditions far beyond the capabilities of our Vietnam boots.

My dad is highly allergic to poison oak also, so we decided to head back. Back then, some of the old timers claimed that large rainbows occupied the deep waterfall pools having been planted upstream when Cogswell was being built in the 1930’s. We never got far enough to find out.

With modern technology available now, you can perhaps find a useable trail from Rte 2 down to the creek above the falls. Back then we only could guess with a topo map.

Found this article though which you might find interesting riding in from the West Fork Side:

https://authors.library.caltech.edu/250 ... lowdvl.htm

Regards,

Jeff

[DarkShadow]

Jeff,

I've gone only a few hundred yards up on that fork right after crossing the dam.

But, the area I'm referring to is heading towards Bobcat Canyon, on the WF proper. It just seems like that area holds much more water than the fork heading north past the dam.

Unfortunately, there is no trail that leads to that area from Cogswell. You'd have to come from the west, and even then, it looks like a trek to where the WF dumps into Cogswell. Looks like Bobcat Canyon would be the spot I'd want to dump into.

We'll see what happens.

The area that you speak of I believe is called Devil’s Canyon. Back in the early 70s my father and I attempted to access it off of Route 2 from somewhere around Windy Gap. We got maybe a half mile from the truck before we ran into almost impenetrable poison oak and and steep rocky descent conditions far beyond the capabilities of our Vietnam boots.

My dad is highly allergic to poison oak also, so we decided to head back. Back then, some of the old timers claimed that large rainbows occupied the deep waterfall pools having been planted upstream when Cogswell was being built in the 1930’s. We never got far enough to find out.

With modern technology available now, you can perhaps find a useable trail from Rte 2 down to the creek above the falls. Back then we only could guess with a topo map.

Found this article though which you might find interesting riding in from the West Fork Side:

https://authors.library.caltech.edu/250 ... lowdvl.htm

Regards,

Jeff

[FIGHTONSC]

Jeff,

I've gone only a few hundred yards up on that fork right after crossing the dam.

But, the area I'm referring to is heading towards Bobcat Canyon, on the WF proper. It just seems like that area holds much more water than the fork heading north past the dam.

Unfortunately, there is no trail that leads to that area from Cogswell. You'd have to come from the west, and even then, it looks like a trek to where the WF dumps into Cogswell. Looks like Bobcat Canyon would be the spot I'd want to dump into.

We'll see what happens.

The area that you speak of I believe is called Devil’s Canyon. Back in the early 70s my father and I attempted to access it off of Route 2 from somewhere around Windy Gap. We got maybe a half mile from the truck before we ran into almost impenetrable poison oak and and steep rocky descent conditions far beyond the capabilities of our Vietnam boots.

My dad is highly allergic to poison oak also, so we decided to head back. Back then, some of the old timers claimed that large rainbows occupied the deep waterfall pools having been planted upstream when Cogswell was being built in the 1930’s. We never got far enough to find out.

With modern technology available now, you can perhaps find a useable trail from Rte 2 down to the creek above the falls. Back then we only could guess with a topo map.

Found this article though which you might find interesting riding in from the West Fork Side:

https://authors.library.caltech.edu/250 ... lowdvl.htm

Regards,

Jeff

I looked up Bobcat Cyn to get a better idea of what area you are talking about and this article popped up by the same guy as the other article
http://www.dankat.com/advents/bobcat.htm

I’ve been all over those mountains but never in Bobcat Cyn….good luck in your venture!

Jeff

[Bernard]

First off, apologies for my report being sort of bitter sweet but that's southern California trout for you right?

I love how the conversation has morphed into the deeper reaches of the WF. I have visited Devils Canyon numerous times both from the 2 as well as from Cogswell. I'd say my first time there was around 1992. I have also fished the fork further to the west below Red Box gap. During better times, I would get protective and suggest that this conversation be moved to the delicate category but the drought years and the Bobcat fire hammered the heck out of these regions. Historically, as maybe you can sense, they all fished incredibly well and I fondly recall some of the dam keepers boasting of sizable fish from the actual lake. As for the legality of fishing that lake, it seems to depend who you ask but intercepting migrating fish in spring and targeting resident fish is/was always easier for me. Again ... sigh .... during better times. For those still curious, note that the canyon Devils Canyon is actually divided, so to speak, by a waterfall. It represents a migrational barrier for fish coming out of Cogswell. To reach the pool at the base of these falls is an insane amount of work regardless if whether or not you come from above or below. Poison oak is just part of it. Rattlers galore and large mammals busting through the brush are/were part of most treks I have done here. One interesting thing about Cogswell is that unlike the San Gabriel Reservoir, it has no warm water species. It does have a robust population of chubs though. I think this contributed to the … ahem … "healthy" trout in that region. Devils Canyon unlike the other fork further to the west comes out of rougher terrain and a deeper gradient and as a result has deeper pools and more potential to protect fish even during hot and dry spells. The last time I went there was probably 2019 and some of the best pools were heavily silted in. I am afraid to take a look at Cogswell at this point but maybe in the years to come, I will go back up there. I have witnessed fish populations boom and bust almost cyclically and always as a result of a setback such as fire, mudslides, and/or drought .... Should anyone else venture that far report would be so cool. Be it the deep reaches of the SG system or elsewhere, I am cautiously optimistic that these rains will help some local trout populations a little. We know they are tough! Tight lines!
- Bernard

[FIGHTONSC]

First off, apologies for my report being sort of bitter sweet but that's southern California trout for you right?

I love how the conversation has morphed into the deeper reaches of the WF. I have visited Devils Canyon numerous times both from the 2 as well as from Cogswell. I'd say my first time there was around 1992. I have also fished the fork further to the west below Red Box gap. During better times, I would get protective and suggest that this conversation be moved to the delicate category but the drought years and the Bobcat fire hammered the heck out of these regions. Historically, as maybe you can sense, they all fished incredibly well and I fondly recall some of the dam keepers boasting of sizable fish from the actual lake. As for the legality of fishing that lake, it seems to depend who you ask but intercepting migrating fish in spring and targeting resident fish is/was always easier for me. Again ... sigh .... during better times. For those still curious, note that the canyon Devils Canyon is actually divided, so to speak, by a waterfall. It represents a migrational barrier for fish coming out of Cogswell. To reach the pool at the base of these falls is an insane amount of work regardless if whether or not you come from above or below. Poison oak is just part of it. Rattlers galore and large mammals busting through the brush are/were part of most treks I have done here. One interesting thing about Cogswell is that unlike the San Gabriel Reservoir, it has no warm water species. It does have a robust population of chubs though. I think this contributed to the … ahem … "healthy" trout in that region. Devils Canyon unlike the other fork further to the west comes out of rougher terrain and a deeper gradient and as a result has deeper pools and more potential to protect fish even during hot and dry spells. The last time I went there was probably 2019 and some of the best pools were heavily silted in. I am afraid to take a look at Cogswell at this point but maybe in the years to come, I will go back up there. I have witnessed fish populations boom and bust almost cyclically and always as a result of a setback such as fire, mudslides, and/or drought .... Should anyone else venture that far report would be so cool. Be it the deep reaches of the SG system or elsewhere, I am cautiously optimistic that these rains will help some local trout populations a little. We know they are tough! Tight lines!
- Bernard

No apologies needed….thanks for filling in some of the WF gaps.

The WF for me was always a second, third, or even fourth choice when heading into the San Gabs. If the EF or Cattle Creek were running high and muddy, I’d drive up and fish the NF above the big cabin stretch. If the NF was blown out I’d walk the WF into Bear Creek and head upstream. If all were blown out, there was always the controlled flow of the WF, but it was always my last choice because of the constant road traffic, human presence, graffiti and litter everywhere. I also always seemed to catch larger fish (although not quite as colorful) on the other tribs.

Hopefully the rain you’re getting will recharge the aquifers and springs and bring them all back to a fishable status once again.

…..many fond memories still exist for me of my beloved San Gabriels.

Regards,

Jeff

[DarkShadow]

First off, apologies for my report being sort of bitter sweet but that's southern California trout for you right?

Bitter sweet is usually the case as of late. But, I find myself having the mindset that I'm doing scouting, rather than fishing, and that I brought my fly rod, 'just in case.' That way when you see signs of life, it's the glass half full angle.

I've been keeping a watch on the gauges on another one of our locals. They're definitely getting quite a bit of water down to Peeroh Lake, as the lake had risen quite a bit since the last time I had visited yesterday The area above the 'Mid definitely got some scouring as well with some high CFS for that area. FF looks like it is back down to it's regular winter flows, after getting an influx from the latest storms that hopefully gave the area a decent flushing, as the sediment was getting tough in some areas.

Here's hoping for more of the wet stuff.

[Bernard]

FIGHTONSC, DarkShadow ... thanks for chiming-in.

I agree with several of the points. For the west fork was very low on my list. It is a shame that just before the Bobcat Fire it was fishing unusually well. As for the watershed (P***) and these are gauges, I have been watching those very closely as well and have been very entertained by the massive spikes. A lot of hitting angling options still persist in that system. It usually requires a lot of work and hiking. I want to use one area as a training ground for Sierra back country stuff but it also leads to a once fruitful tributary (Agua Blanca). It's a total grind to get there but I think this year we're going to work up to it and who knows? These fish are truly tough. Because of that, I too think of the cup as being half full despite everything.
B.

[DarkShadow]

It's a total grind to get there but I think this year we're going to work up to it and who knows?

So, I confirmed from a little birdy that the road that leads towards what used to be Blue Point was open, and you could drive all the way up until the "Pot Hole Trail Head," which Im not familiar with.

BUT, the recent storms jacked up the road in various spots so now it's closed again.

The road UP to the lake is also jacked up in places and is currently closed.

Good news is, the lake has risen a lot and continues to do so.

[Bernard]

It's a total grind to get there but I think this year we're going to work up to it and who knows?

So, I confirmed from a little birdy that the road that leads towards what used to be Blue Point was open, and you could drive all the way up until the "Pot Hole Trail Head," which Im not familiar with.

BUT, the recent storms jacked up the road in various spots so now it's closed again.

The road UP to the lake is also jacked up in places and is currently closed.

Good news is, the lake has risen a lot and continues to do so.

Correct!
One of my fave "blue line" regions. That road has now been open for, hmmmm, I'll call it over 2 years. There's an easement for the lack of a better word to the newly developed trailhead at Pothole. Pothole is an ancient trail (perhaps native?) which has the distinction of almost zero switchbacks. It's crazy. It's gorgeous esp. in spring. Rebecca and I use it for training. It accesses the Sespe Wilderness. We have seen condors there, bobcats a plenty, and also illegal offroaders (motorcycles). We still have not made it over the hump to the deeper stretches of Agua Blanca which, pre-drought, held fish. That all said, this region is amazing even if one does not find trout. Before the re-opening of Pothole, we would use bikes. Now, as you imply, this is also a curious way to access the main stem Piru as well as the upper flats of Lake Piru.
Fun thread here
B.

[DarkShadow]

Back when my dad first immigrated to this country and LA, which was the early 70s, he used to talk about driving to Blue Point and hanging out at the river. He swears up an down that the stretch had some 'big' fish, but don't know if those were just fish stories. He did mention they were so plentiful that, after a few beers, my uncle would try to catch them bare handed.

Decades later, he'd take us as kids, and I remember catching quite a few small largemouth that had probably made their way up the creek, but that was eons ago and i would probably not remember the area at all.

Im sure you've seen the studies the DFG did in the area, including the sampling. I noticed that at the confluence to Piru Creek, there were zero fish sampled. It wasn't until they moved WAAAY upstream did they start seeing signs of trout, including some pretty decently sized fish, especially for a trib that I don't think gets much water?...i dunno, as I've never been up there but all the pictures that i see for A.B. show it very skinny.

If I had known that road had reopened (and that I don't have to pay $ at the Piru gate) I would've been exploring. I've never gone upstream from the old BP campground.