Lower Kings River

[yikes]

A few days ago I had some "essential business" in the Central Valley. I finished early so I detoured for a couple of hours to visit the Kings River. It's a place I'd been to before, and had caught maybe one or two fish. This time, it was a honey hole - - a fish on every 3 casts or so. (Maybe it was stocked?)
I was mostly catching rainbows on a #16 blue Copper John, but for some reason, the carp were attracted to it, too.

At one point I brought in an 18"+ 'bow, saw the CJ was buried deep down its throat, and realized I had lost my forceps on an earlier release. I tried to get it out with my finger , but it was buried in too deep. Necessity being the mother of invention, I pulled out my pocket comb and found that the last tooth of the comb was perfect for wrapping around the hook and extracting it quickly. Too bad I didn't get it on video, but the video below is another rainbow from that day:

All in all, a great way to wrap up a workday!

 

[darkshadow]

Sheesh, that raninbow has some size to him.

And are you sure that's not a pike minnow/squawfish, Yikes? I used to be an expert guide on the upper Kern catching those things. Couldn't catch a trout to save my life, but man was a squawfish master.

I was gonna say that I haven't touched my fly rods in ages, but I busted out the 3 weight at the local pond 2 miles from my house since they stacked a few scoopfuls of stockers the other day. (I was throwing wooly buggers at them, and can now see the allure of stripping streamers.)

 

[flav]

I fished the Kings a couple times as a kid, my grandparents lived in Kingsburg. Your post brought back a few nice memories.

That other fish is a sucker, not a carp or pike minnow. I've caught more than a few of those guys over the years, usually nymphing, sometimes even swinging for steelhead.

 

[yikes]

I fished the Kings a couple times as a kid, my grandparents lived in Kingsburg. Your post brought back a few nice memories.

That other fish is a sucker, not a carp or pike minnow. I've caught more than a few of those guys over the years, usually nymphing, sometimes even swinging for steelhead.

Thanks, I just looked at the scales and assumed a carp. I know little about what's in that river. What's the scientific name for a sucker fish?

 

[darkshadow]

Debunking The Trash Fish of California – Keep Calm and Fly Fish

keepcalmandflyfish.com

Apparently the Sacramento Sucker's taxonomical name is: Catostomus occidentalis

Or, iwastryingtocatchatrout buticaughtthisinstead

 

[yikes]

iwastryingtocatchatrout buticaughtthisinstead

It was fun to catch, but taking the hook out of that mouth was kinda creepy, like taking a hook out of Jabba the Hut.

 

[yikes]

Darkshadow, in the linked article, I was taken aback by this statement:
The common carp is an invasive species however it is still unlawful to “Cause the deterioration or waste of any fish taken in the waters of this state” (CCR T-14 Section 1.87).
That means that we should not try to eradicate invasive species? I've previously been told (informally) by DFW staff that if I catch nonnative aquatic on the SGR, I should not return it to the water. They tell me there are people who buy fish, turtles, snakes, etc. as pets, then when they don't want them, they take them p to mountain streams as set them free.

 

[darkshadow]

...They tell me there are people who buy fish, turtles, snakes, etc. as pets, then when they don't want them, they take them to mountain streams as set them free.

I know our local city ponds get the majority of nice stocking by amateur aquarists throughout the year 'round these parts. And because of temperate weather, and their adaptablity to eat anything in a pinch, they kick their feet up and enjoy their new home.

I remember an epic trip to Brasil I took to Echo Park, where i caught a:

1. Arrowana
2. Peacock Bass
3. Pacu
4. Red Oscar

in a 48 hour period.

But the #1 culprit that I always see? Poor little Plecostomuses (Plecostomi?) that get bought when they're an inch long, and end up out growing their tanks. I can't count the number of Plecos that exist in our local ponds.

(And you know when you're in reputable fish store when the staff always warn people on how fast and big Plecos grow, so they don't end up dumped at the local pond in a year)

It irks me walking through some sections of the city where they have the baby red eared sliders in tiny enclosures, and parents buying them for their kids, not realizing what they're getting themselves into.

Que sera, sera, I say.

 

[yikes]

I remember an epic trip to Brasil I took to Echo Park

Your posts are comedy gold!