03-14-2007, 01:18 AM
Tuesday, March 13, 2007 Replenishing the river DFG works to spread the trout out while planting the San Gabriel River By DAVE STREGE The Orange County Register
ANGELES NATIONAL FORESTJohn Moreno climbed down the rocks to the river's edge and tossed a bucket of rainbow trout into the water.
"You've made a good day an even better day," said a nearby fly-fisherman. "I've already caught over 20 today."
The reaction is the same whenever anglers see Moreno and his partner, Pat Brock, coming. They are always happy to see them. Because when they leave, the fishing is always better.
Moreno and Brock plant trout for the Department of Fish and Game. Their destination one day last week was the east and west forks of the San Gabriel River, a place that has been on the DFG stocking schedule since 1951.
Every other week from October to May, the two forks are replenished with trout, typically catchable-sized rainbows or about 2.4 fish to the pound.
"A lot of people don't realize what we do," Moreno said. "If not for the state, these rivers wouldn't have any fish."
Well, they would in the catch-and-release "wild trout" sections, but that's another story.
For the anglers that dunk bait or toss lures and seek trout for the frying pan, the San Gabriel River above the city of Azusa offers two, long stretches where fish are planted.
They don't just back up the truck to the river and unload, though. Moreno and Brock work hard to disperse the 875-pound allotment, climbing over rocks and down hillsides to find a patch of rushing water where oxygen content is highest.
They stop several times along both forks. At every stop, four buckets are filled with feisty rainbows, netted from out of the truck, and carried down to different spots along the river where the fish are tossed in.
"You want to spread them out as best you can to give everybody a chance," Moreno said.
On this day, Moreno and Brock left the Fillmore Fish Hatchery at 8:30 a.m. and were starting to stock the west fork by 10:15. They spent nearly three hours driving up each fork delivering the goods.
"You look for easy ways to get down," Moreno said, as he scouted for trails down to the river while driving.
Some routes are easier than others.
"I almost fell the last time around here," Brock said. "I slipped on a rock."
By the last stop at Camp Williams on the east fork, where the remaining trout were unloaded through a pipe from the back of the truck, Moreno and Brock had worked up a sweat.
"You get a lot of exercise out here," Moreno said. "You get a good night sleep after this."
And make for a lot of happy anglers[cool]
[signature]
ANGELES NATIONAL FORESTJohn Moreno climbed down the rocks to the river's edge and tossed a bucket of rainbow trout into the water.
"You've made a good day an even better day," said a nearby fly-fisherman. "I've already caught over 20 today."
The reaction is the same whenever anglers see Moreno and his partner, Pat Brock, coming. They are always happy to see them. Because when they leave, the fishing is always better.
Moreno and Brock plant trout for the Department of Fish and Game. Their destination one day last week was the east and west forks of the San Gabriel River, a place that has been on the DFG stocking schedule since 1951.
Every other week from October to May, the two forks are replenished with trout, typically catchable-sized rainbows or about 2.4 fish to the pound.
"A lot of people don't realize what we do," Moreno said. "If not for the state, these rivers wouldn't have any fish."
Well, they would in the catch-and-release "wild trout" sections, but that's another story.
For the anglers that dunk bait or toss lures and seek trout for the frying pan, the San Gabriel River above the city of Azusa offers two, long stretches where fish are planted.
They don't just back up the truck to the river and unload, though. Moreno and Brock work hard to disperse the 875-pound allotment, climbing over rocks and down hillsides to find a patch of rushing water where oxygen content is highest.
They stop several times along both forks. At every stop, four buckets are filled with feisty rainbows, netted from out of the truck, and carried down to different spots along the river where the fish are tossed in.
"You want to spread them out as best you can to give everybody a chance," Moreno said.
On this day, Moreno and Brock left the Fillmore Fish Hatchery at 8:30 a.m. and were starting to stock the west fork by 10:15. They spent nearly three hours driving up each fork delivering the goods.
"You look for easy ways to get down," Moreno said, as he scouted for trails down to the river while driving.
Some routes are easier than others.
"I almost fell the last time around here," Brock said. "I slipped on a rock."
By the last stop at Camp Williams on the east fork, where the remaining trout were unloaded through a pipe from the back of the truck, Moreno and Brock had worked up a sweat.
"You get a lot of exercise out here," Moreno said. "You get a good night sleep after this."
And make for a lot of happy anglers[cool]
[signature]