"Wolfgang" wrote in message
...
Trout Fishing in the Berkeley Hills*


Since the days when Izaak Walton wrote The Complete Angler, men have
emulated his example, and gone forth with rod and reel to tempt the finny
tribe from dashing mountain brook or quiet river.

We, being his disciples, thought to follow his example, and spend the day
in the Berkeley hills whipping the stream for the wary brook trout.

April first is the open season for trout in California, but owing to the
scarcity of rain we feared the water in the brook would be too low for
good fishing. Providence favored us, however, with a steady downpour on
Wednesday, which put new hope in our hearts, and water in the stream; and
we decided to try our luck on Saturday afternoon, and take what came to
our hooks as a "gift of the gods."

Accordingly, we met at the Ferry Building, fully equipped, and took the
boat across San Francisco Bay, thence by cars to Claremont, and from there
struck into the hills. The wind blew cold from the bay, having a clear
sweep up through the Golden Gate, but as soon as we began to make the
ascent our coats became a burden.

I grew up in the Berkeley hills. El Cerrito. The creek down the street
from my house was not covered over in those days (1950's) and the steelhead
could travel all the way up to the railroad tracks a block below my house.
Was a trash grate there that kept them from coming up further. The still
spawned and the creek 2 blocks up would have lots of smolts and minnows
swimming around. Only fished sal****er in those days off the shore and
Berkeley pier as well as off boats.