Fishing great! It's Golden Stone time on Hat Creek!

Hat Creek - CA (Shasta County)


by The Fly Shop
6-16-2013
Website

Current River Conditions: Fishing great! It's Golden Stone time on Hat Creek! Caddis and baetis, PMDs too! But the big meal is definitely the Golden Stones. Fish the dry version all day. Especially near sunset! Right now is prime time on Hat Creek! Don't forget to swing and retrieve leeches in black or olive early in the AM and then again at sundown.

The Fly Shop's?? Tips: Look for hatches of BWO's, PMD's and possibly a few Green Drakes. Best hatches occur late morning through early afternoon. Be on the look-out for rainbows and brown trout rising near the edges of the river for best chance at a hook-up.

A great option that often produces some of the very best Hat Creek "fish stories" is to fish #6-8 leeches, like Zack's Swimming Leech and buggers like Fox's Peacock Buggers near sunset.

Look for rising fish along the flats below the Power House #2 riffle in the early AM and very last light. For the best presentation, drift your D&D Cripple down and across to rising fish. For a fun challenge, try catching Hat Creek trout on as many tactics as you can: small indicators with nymphs, swinging wet flies and/or streamers, and, of course, with a well-presented dry fly. The Powerhouse #2 Riffle is one of the best spots on the creek, but also one of the most popular. Anglers seeking a real challenge should sight-cast to trout in the fabled "carbon flats" section, and those looking for solace can hike into the freestone section just above Lake Britton. 5wt rods are perfect. Have an extra spool loaded with a Scientific Anglers Wet Tip Clear Fly Line.

Suggested Fly Patterns:

Dry Flies:

• Brooks Hedlite Sally
• Mercer's Flush Floater Foam Stone - #8 Golden
• Matt's Stonefly #8 Golden Stone
• Foam Parachute Sulfur #18
• Galloup's Cripples PMD/BWO
• Para Extended Body PMD/BWO
• Midge Hanger
• Last Chance Cripple #14-22
• Normans Loop Wing BWO & PMD
• Parachute Adams #14-18
• Spotlight Caddis Emerger Olive #16
• Mercer's Missing Link #16-18

Nymphs/Wet Flies:
• Mercer's BPP Golden Stone #16-18
• Mercer's BPP Golden Stone - #8-14
• WD-40 (Any)
• Black Zebra Midge #18-20
• Hogan's S&M #16 Brown
• Fox's Wire Body Beeottis (Any)
• Tungsten Jig PT
• Posse Bugger #14
• Glass-Bead Micro May-Black or Olive
• Mercer's Gidget Brown or Olive
• Pat's Brown Rubber Legs #6-8
• GB Half-Flashback PT #14-20
• Burk's Crystal HBI
• Zack's Pseudo May #16-18 (Any)

Streamers/Leeches:
• Zack's Zugger's Yellow/Brown
• Fox's Peacock Buggers #8
• Zack's Swimming Leech Various
• Fox's Cone Bugger Rust
• Double Bunny
• Beaded Mini Leech Olive

Fly Fishing Gear:
• TFS Waterproof Swingleaf Nymph Fly Box
• Simms?? G4 Pro Wader
• The Fly Shop's?? Stocking-foot Chest Waders
• Wading Boots
• Get Buff