The main river, however was flowing well compared to most of the other California rivers I’d visited this summer. It’s hot and relatively arid in this reach but most of the water comes from high in the mountains so it stays pretty cold. The water temperature was in the 60’s here even in mid-August.
The main Kern is a classic trout stream. Crystal clear water with tons of nice runs and riffles. The algae growing on the rocks gives the water a green hue making it a bit hard to spot fish. It’s all wild trout up in this reach. Apparently there has been some cross breading with planted rainbows in the lower river over the years but the farther up river you go, the more pure strain of Kern River Rainbows you will find. The average bow in this section is 8-16 inches. However, the skilled and persistent angler can definitely find some fish up to 2 feet long. There are also rumored to be some really nice browns up in this section but they don’t give themselves up easily.
I worked my way upriver and discovered some really nice pocket water. I began by throwing my fly into the most likely looking seams and pockets in and around the boulders. There were lots of feisty wild rainbows willing to take my fly. It wasn’t uncommon to catch a couple fish out of each pocket. I was surprised by the number of fish we caught in a matter of a couple hours using a dry dropper rig.
Forks of the Kern can be a nice day hike with plenty of hours to fish if you get an early start. Make sure to leave at least an hour or more to make it back up the hill before dark. It’s a bit of an uphill slog after a long day of hiking and fishing. You can also hike for several miles up river from this location and find good fishing for several days or even weeks. There are some pack outfitters in the area who will pack in your supplies and set up a base camp or do a food drop for you too.
For more information on fly fishing the Kern River or guided trips, contact Guy Geans at the Kern River Fly Shop in Kernville.
Cheers,
Michael Wier