Hat Creek is a fun spot to fish in the AM hours and then again near sunset

Hat Creek - CA (Shasta County)


by The Fly Shop
6-25-2013
Website

Current River Conditions: Expect to share the water with anglers on the weekends. The Power House #2 riffle has many smaller rainbows that will chase midge patterns, leeches and dry flies. Look for Callibaetis hatches mid day. No guarantees, but those bugs come off about this time of year and the rainbows love'em!

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