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News Release: For Immediate Release
March 18, 2003
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Trout Survive Kern River Calamities
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Contact: Conservation Education Branch, (916) 653-6420
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The North Fork of the Kern River has gone through some drastic changes over the last six months. First, the McNally Fire swept through the region north of Kernville during the summer and charred more than 150,000 acres of wilderness and riverfront land. To add insult to injury, a massive rainstorm that dumped more than 22 inches of rain in a single day in some parts of the Kern River Drainage stirred a powerful flood in November.
Many anglers believe that the Kern River is dead and that no fish remain. However, anglers who know the river well, swear that somehow the trout survived.
They have.
Most of the vegetation along the river's bank was not destroyed, and fish are still readily available.
"Other than a few carp, we haven't seen any dead fish in the river. The trout are all still there," says Christy McGuire, an associate fisheries biologist for the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) in Kernville. "I think it's just the rumor mill. People think that because we had a fire all the fish died. The trout in the river made it."
Greg Kollenborn, the DFG's Kernville Hatchery Manager has yet to see any negative effects.
"I don't see any negative consequences from the flood and still haven't seen any dead fish from the fire," Kollenborn said. "I saw people catching fish the week after the flood so we know the trout didn't get washed away. I don't think there is any reason to worry. People get these rumors going, but we will be fine. It's going to be just as good as ever."
Kollenborn is an expert on where trout are in the Kern. He personally plants more than 100,000 fish into the river. Beginning in March he'll stock the section of the river from Kernville to Brush Creek, with mostly half-pound rainbow trout. In addition, a bonus of 4,000 3- to 5-pound trout will also be stocked.
Fishing will still be good on the Kern. Nevertheless, the fire and flood did cause some damage. Others believe it did the river a favor.
"It's true the river was so high that it moved a lot of silt down the river, but that silt is getting carried down into the lake. I don't think the fishery changed significantly, just the river's appearance," McGuire said. "The burned areas will continue to feed sediment into the system. It could happen for up to five years. It can have a short term negative aspect, but the fire was healthy for the landscape. The wildlife biologists are ecstatic that the old brush has been wiped out. It's great for the deer."
The fire and flood also created new habitat for fish.
"The flood rearranges things," McGuire said. "But it also uncovered boulders and exposed new gravel beds. It's a natural process. A lot of the structure of the river has changed since the flood, but the trout are still there."
The path of the Kern has changed somewhat. Approach it as a challenge. For the most part, the Kern has followed the same exact path for as many decades. The altering of the streambed challenges anglers to attempt to relearn the river.
"The silt that came from the fire is going to change things," Collenborn said. "The river has changed. It's not a negative thing. You may not be able to go to the same hole you used to and catch fish, but the fish will be there."
As the weather warms in March action on the Kern should pick up. The Kern offers fishing opportunities for all anglers. Fly-fishing, casting Power Bait, crickets or salmon eggs and tossing small spinners work well.
March 18, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trout Survive Kern River Calamities
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact: Conservation Education Branch, (916) 653-6420
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The North Fork of the Kern River has gone through some drastic changes over the last six months. First, the McNally Fire swept through the region north of Kernville during the summer and charred more than 150,000 acres of wilderness and riverfront land. To add insult to injury, a massive rainstorm that dumped more than 22 inches of rain in a single day in some parts of the Kern River Drainage stirred a powerful flood in November.
Many anglers believe that the Kern River is dead and that no fish remain. However, anglers who know the river well, swear that somehow the trout survived.
They have.
Most of the vegetation along the river's bank was not destroyed, and fish are still readily available.
"Other than a few carp, we haven't seen any dead fish in the river. The trout are all still there," says Christy McGuire, an associate fisheries biologist for the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) in Kernville. "I think it's just the rumor mill. People think that because we had a fire all the fish died. The trout in the river made it."
Greg Kollenborn, the DFG's Kernville Hatchery Manager has yet to see any negative effects.
"I don't see any negative consequences from the flood and still haven't seen any dead fish from the fire," Kollenborn said. "I saw people catching fish the week after the flood so we know the trout didn't get washed away. I don't think there is any reason to worry. People get these rumors going, but we will be fine. It's going to be just as good as ever."
Kollenborn is an expert on where trout are in the Kern. He personally plants more than 100,000 fish into the river. Beginning in March he'll stock the section of the river from Kernville to Brush Creek, with mostly half-pound rainbow trout. In addition, a bonus of 4,000 3- to 5-pound trout will also be stocked.
Fishing will still be good on the Kern. Nevertheless, the fire and flood did cause some damage. Others believe it did the river a favor.
"It's true the river was so high that it moved a lot of silt down the river, but that silt is getting carried down into the lake. I don't think the fishery changed significantly, just the river's appearance," McGuire said. "The burned areas will continue to feed sediment into the system. It could happen for up to five years. It can have a short term negative aspect, but the fire was healthy for the landscape. The wildlife biologists are ecstatic that the old brush has been wiped out. It's great for the deer."
The fire and flood also created new habitat for fish.
"The flood rearranges things," McGuire said. "But it also uncovered boulders and exposed new gravel beds. It's a natural process. A lot of the structure of the river has changed since the flood, but the trout are still there."
The path of the Kern has changed somewhat. Approach it as a challenge. For the most part, the Kern has followed the same exact path for as many decades. The altering of the streambed challenges anglers to attempt to relearn the river.
"The silt that came from the fire is going to change things," Collenborn said. "The river has changed. It's not a negative thing. You may not be able to go to the same hole you used to and catch fish, but the fish will be there."
As the weather warms in March action on the Kern should pick up. The Kern offers fishing opportunities for all anglers. Fly-fishing, casting Power Bait, crickets or salmon eggs and tossing small spinners work well.
