To Scout the Salton Sea

After reading the article on The Salton sea in the Az Rebublic Team AZOD Fly Fishing Editor Terry Cia couldn’t wait to go there.  At our company meeting Saturday night Terry informed us over dinner that he and some friends were leaving for a scouting mission at 3 AM.  It should be very interesting to hear what Terry and his friends find out.  Oh you didn’t read the article because you were fishing.  Well I guess we can summarize it for ya.   

For those of you who missed the original article in the Republic, here is the short scoop of it. (http://www.arizonarepublic.com/sports/articles/0802salton0802.html )

 

The Salton Sea was created by accident in 1905, when a massive Colorado River flood overflowed a levee and filled a shallow sink south of Indio, Calif.  This 15-by-25-mile kidney shaped inland sea is located 227 feet below sea level, and is saltier than the ocean itself.  The most amazing thing is the man made eco system formed by this lake.   By transplanting saltwater species the lake has become a fantastic fishery.  Mostly under fished because of the harsh conditions, it is reported to be a fishing bonanza. Four primary game fish thrive in this salty environment - corvina, croaker, sargo and tilapia. The prize is the orangemouth corvina, a hard-battling ocean transplant that is as tasty to eat as it is exciting to catch. While 10- to 20-pounders are common, some reach 30 pounds or more.  Although it is a fantastic fishery it is also doomed unless man steps back in to help dilute the salt concentration of the water. We have provided a link to read the original story by the republic and hope your check back with us to find out how Terry’s scouting trip went. 

 

For more information on the salton sea check the salton sea homepage

http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/salton/SaltonSeaHomePage.html

Robert Willis

AZOD