Hat Creek SUCKS!!!!

[goby]

I had the weekend off, and decided to go to Hat Creek. I've heard so much about this spring creek, and the PH2 riffle. BTW, I've been fly fishing for 15 years, mainly in smaller creeks and rivers.

I was there on Friday evening, and Saturday morning. I caught exactly 1 fish, and it was about 8 inches. There were a few people there, there wasn't much happening. I saw a few fish caught, but not enough to justify a visit. I had great success and a lot more fun on the Upper Sac the prior week. Although Hat Creek is beautiful, I was stunned at the lack of fish. On Saturday there were only 3 of us there. And only 1 or 2 fish caught.

So what did I do wrong? Do I suck as a fly fisher, or is Hat Creek not really the great place I read about? I spoke to the other fly fisher there who said Hat Creek was amazing in the 90's, but it's just not the same.

PS: This is a lighthearted thread. I'm sure Hat Creek doesn't really suck. lol

[Mike O]

Lower lower hat has always been the place for me.

[goby]

Now you tell me! lol

I thought PH2 was the place to be.

[stonefly58]

That doesn't sound like the Hat Creek I fish! Try one of these next time you go, It works for me every time.;)

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We where very lucky to have been able to fish it in the 1970s when it was a "big deal".

It was much deeper with very nice wild trout.

It had lots of diverse insect hatches but was still very challenging for most.

I think it has silted in and has no deep water now.

May/June and October have been the prime months for me.

__________________________________________________ _______________________

Bob Quigley was up there in those days and he actually taught many of us "wannabees" how to "match-the-hatch" and fish small exacting patterns on long leaders with light tippets in the surface, "down stream" on the flat smooth water to feeding trout.

Bob Quigley had a huge impact on our sport....thanks Bob.

I would rather fish the hatches and work on feeding wild fish, maybe not catching very many fish in a day, but to me that is "real fly fishing".

Too fool a wild trout in the surface use to be what fly fishing was when I started......now it seems to be indicator fishing for high numbers of fish for most.



Here is a little video that shows what I am talking about.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zffpa9XKQw




I hear there might be plans to rehab lower Hat Creek? I think it needs to be dredged.

.

[Dan LeCount]

That river you linked Bill is pretty remarkable. I've been fishing it a good number of years and its pretty ridiculous. I don't know anywhere you can catch fish like that, as consistently with dry flies all day long. Its too bad its starting to get blown up and there's people crawling all over these days. At least its far off the beaten path.

[Terry Thomas]

May have to watch that every morning to get my day going!

[wineslob]

Last time I went there I felt out of place not driving a BMW, Mercedes,..............



;)

[JGB]

Last time I went there I felt out of place not driving a BMW, Mercedes,..............



;)

Interesting comment coming from someone calling themself "wineslob". Now if you called yourself "beerslob"...

Sortakinda a pot and kettle thing?

Just sayin' is all...


JGB(a BMW driver...when my wife lets me)

[Mike O]

Last time I went there I felt out of place not driving a BMW, Mercedes,..............

I never feel that way. I just fish.

[wineslob]

Interesting comment coming from someone calling themself "wineslob". Now if you called yourself "beerslob"...

Sortakinda a pot and kettle thing?

Just sayin' is all...


JGB(a BMW driver...when my wife lets me)



Heh, not a "snob" about wine (it's meant to be the opposite)..........though I won't turn my nose up to a good glass. :cool:

The reason I didn't "like" Hat was (sorry guys) the other fishermen. Just a little too snobby. I literally was "looked down upon" by more than one person there. I was in blue jeans, a well-worn vest and using a rod and reel that may have cost me $100 bucks. I was just a little too "low brow".

[Mike O]

Heh...sounds like when I walk into an Orvis store.
Do what I do at the PH riffle. Nymph with the smallest red and white fishin' bobber you can find...and when you hook one, whoop and holler like a little kid....the last part is optional, because it is annoying. The li'l bobber really turns their head when they are using "indicators". Works better than any other I have seen, to boot!

[Bob Loblaw]

the fish at the botton of PH 2 riffle probably see more drifts in a week than most trout see in a lifetime. They are very picky fish.

[goby]

Last time I went there I felt out of place not driving a BMW, Mercedes,..............



;)

There was actually a guy wet fishing there (no waders, I guess that's whats it's called). And he caught 2-3 fish. Maybe that's the secret of Hat Creek.

BTW, this week I stayed home in Trinity County, and over 2 days caught about 30 trout. One took me to my backing (first time ever!)

[David Lee]

Kind of funny ..... mention 'Hat Creek' and everyone imagines the area from Cassel downstream . Hat is a beautiful little Freestone way up high , from below Old Station to the Badger Mountain area - get away from the campgrounds/highway turnouts , and there's some really great fishing to be had without massive pressure .

Not that it relates to this thread .... but my oldest memories are of playing around Cassel and camping at Brush Mountain when I was about 2 years old .

D.~

[Mike R]

Although I havent been up there for a few years, it always seemed like fish would move in and out of the PH2 riffle. Sometimes there arent that many fish in there.

Also, the number one reason I people don't catch too many fish: they are fishing flies about 4 sizes too big.

[oldtrout]

You should have been here yesterday!


... in Hat Creek's case, yesterday was forty years ago.

[dpentoney]

You should have been here yesterday!


... in Hat Creek's case, yesterday was forty years ago.

Absolutely! I remember fishing a mid-May evening caddis hatch with my Dad in the early '70s. We were doing well, and in the last hour we each took a number of fish in the 14-16" class. Just before dark a bunch of BIG fish started rising. We had a dozen or so fish over 20" up rising rhythmically in casting range. Just before it was too dark we each hooked big rainbows. My Dad's broke off, mine was my best ever dry fly fish to hand, a deep bodied fish that taped just under 24".....