| Southern California has a vast array of streams | | | | small salmon egg hooks if you chose to us salmon |
| running through its mountains which are stocked | | | | eggs as bait, but you can also just put 3 eggs on |
| regularly with trout during the cooler months. | | | | one hook and save from having 2 types of hooks. |
| Although we will be concerning ourselves mainly with | | | | For weight, small lead 'split-shot' work best as you |
| these 'stocked' fish, many of these streams also | | | | can add and remove them as needed. Split-shot |
| contain 'native' trout which may be caught year | | | | come in many sizes, but it is sometimes easier to get |
| round. In this article, we will be discussing the | | | | the smaller and use what is needed than the larger |
| equipment and tackle needed to catch these | | | | and not be able to put the amount weight you want. |
| sometimes elusive fish. | | | | Lastly we will need some sort of bait (although |
| Before you can even begin, you will need a rod and | | | | spinner bait and spoons can be used, bait is easier in |
| reel (Although you could just as easily use something | | | | these small streams). Bait can be commercially |
| as simple as a stick with fishing line and a hook?). | | | | packaged salmon eggs, cheeses and other so called |
| Ultra-light tackle is preferable, as it is smaller, lighter | | | | trout baits, but what I personally found to work best |
| and more sensitive than its normal (or heavy duty) | | | | is plain old Velveeta cheese. You may also want to |
| counter parts. Fishing line comes in many pound (lb.) | | | | try corn, worms, live bugs or dry flies- the choice is |
| test ratings, but 2 to 4 lbs. test is best for stream | | | | yours. |
| fishing as it is of a small diameter which makes it | | | | Now for the fishing part, almost - but if you are 16 |
| harder for the fishes to see underwater. This light line | | | | years of age or older, you will need to purchase a |
| is also ok since most of the fish caught will be less | | | | fishing license for a small fee (this helps to pay for |
| than one pound. Many anglers find that a fly fishing | | | | the fish we are trying to catch). All that is left now is |
| rig works well too, but unless you have experience | | | | to find one of the many streams that are stocked, |
| fly fishing it can be a daunting task on the small | | | | find a good fishin' hole and catch a few trout for |
| mountain streams. | | | | dinner. |
| The only other things we will need to begin are | | | | In the next part, we will cover some actual |
| hooks, weights, and bait. For hooks, treble hooks in | | | | techniques for fishing the streams of the mountains |
| the 14 - 16 range work best for these smaller trout, | | | | of Southern California. |
| and cheese baits stay on these best. There are also | | | | |