Kern River Fly Fishing Forum

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May 19^th, 2013, 7:01am

Kern River Fly Fishing Forum › General Discussion (registration required to post) › Beginners Forum
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New member here (Read 341 times)

TroutChaser

New Member

Posts: 4
Gender: female

New member here
Apr 30^th, 2012, 3:48pm

Howdy,

I'm not new to fly fishing, but I am new to wanting to fish the Kern area. I live in West Los Angeles, so the drive up there wouldn't be too bad--I think it would be a reasonable weekend trip or an excellent 3-day. I read a previous post about camping in Headquaters--do they allow tent camping? Or would they object to me sleeping in my SUV?

My local waters are filled with little trout right now--my biggest this year is 6"--LOL! They are fun, especially on a light rod with light leaders, but I am itching to get into some bigger fish.

Anyway, for now I'll enjoy reading about the area and seeing what's going on so I can prepare a trip for myself. I am thinking about sometime the last week in May.

Tight lines,
TroutChaser

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Dances with Bears

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Posts: 1203
Gender: male

Re: New member here
Reply #1 - Apr 30^th, 2012, 7:00pm

Welcome,
I hail from LA as well... it's not a bad drive at all. I do recommend taking the 14N (which makes a right in Mojave so pay attention) to the 178W over walker pass, then make a right at the big Kernville sign before you get to Isabella (town and lake). By taking that route, you avoid the grapevine, the cow smell of bakersfield and the very winding road along the lower Kern. The way I'm recommending is said to be a tad longer (not more than a half hour), but it's way less stresful and safer.

Headquarters allows tent camping although I'm sure it'd be fine to car camp so long as you've paid for a site...

Peace,
Cris

http://westforksgrc.org - West Fork Conservancy
The logs of wood which move down the river together are driven apart by every wave. Such inevitable parting shoud not be the cause of misery.

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TroutChaser New Member Posts: 4 Gender:	Re: New member here Reply #2 - May 2^nd, 2012, 11:49am Thanks for confirming the route I was already considering! That's really great iinformation. --TC
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Ants

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Posts: 867

Re: New member here
Reply #3 - May 2^nd, 2012, 12:44pm

The Kern River Valley has lots of fishing options. Be flexible and you can have more fun.

As far as the 'cow smell' that Cris refers to in Bakersfield, I think he must have confused it with the Harris Ranch feedlot that is 2-hours away on I-5. The drive up the canyon is great and gets you in the mood for fishing. It will also get you thinking about what fish are hiding in those waters. The scenery through Lancaster, Palmdale, and Mojave is over-rated.

The campgrounds are numerous. The larger ones get bigger crowds on weekends, so the smaller ones may appeal to your peace and quiet.

Don't forget to stop at the Kern River Fly Shop since they can help with fishing advice, supplying flies weight and larger tippet, as well as providing the forum that helps get the information out to the users.

Ants

If you're practicing catch and release, what difference does it make for the size of the fish you land.

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TroutChaser New Member Posts: 4 Gender:	Re: New member here Reply #4 - May 3^rd, 2012, 9:25am Thanks, Ants--as for the Antelope Valley/Mojave scenery being 'overrated'--haha--I agree. One of the most boring stretches of road. Would a 9'6" 5WT rod be doable on this river? I figure the longer reach would be needed. And I would def stop at the local fly shop for river info. --TC
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Ants

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Re: New member here
Reply #5 - May 3^rd, 2012, 12:30pm

Your 9.5 foot 5-wt will be fine. I gave been having fun with my 10 foot 4-wt to cast dries, fish streamers, and drift nymphs under an indicator.

You may want to check your tippet supply. Depending on your presentation, different size tippets may be in order.

As for scenery, the I-5 route has at least six areas to fish along the way. The club outing for May is at one of them. I have my preferences, but it is nice to think fishing options along the way. The canyon can be spectacular with moonlight and shadows.

There are lots of options for fun. Consider them all!

Ants

If you're practicing catch and release, what difference does it make for the size of the fish you land.

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Kern River Fly Fishing Forum › General Discussion (registration required to post) › Beginners Forum
(Moderator: flyguy)

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