Hat Creek represents the quintessential chess game of spring creek fly fishing for wary trout.

Current River Conditions: The cooler daytime temps and cloudy skies have produced good Blue Wing Olive hatches. Best fishing has been early AM through 12:00 PM. The afternoons are quiet, but you can almost always find hook ups at the Power House #2 riffle. The evening fishing can be productive until sunset.

Swinging buggers and /or leeches almost always gets some attention.

UPDATE:
Expect 30 minute delays on HWY 299 from 12 miles to 5 miles west of Montgomery Creek due to road maintenance work.

The Fly Shop's ? Tips: We recommend Mercer's Missing Link for a good caddis dry along with the classic Elk Hair Caddis in olive or tan. Sizes #16-18 are good. A Parachute Adams #14-16 will imitate some of the dark mayflies, like the Callibaetis. Various cream colored and olive mayfly dries in #16-18 should be placed in your fly box. Carry a selection of nymphs from #18 to #14 and suspend them under a big dry fly like a yellow stimulator.

Present your mayfly duns/dry flies on 9' leaders tapered to 6X. Leader length after attaching tippet should be about 11'. Fish #6-8 leeches, like Zack's Swimming Leech and buggers like Fox's Peacock Buggers near sunset. Look for caddis in the evenings. Swinging #16 Birds Nests, Green Poopahs and #16 Zug Bugs should trick a few rainbows or more. Look for rising fish along the flats below the Power House #2 riffle. 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. 5 wt rods are perfect. Have an extra spool loaded with a Scientific Anglers Wet Tip Clear Fly Line.

Suggested Fly Patterns:

Dry Flies:
• Midge Hanger
• Matt's Stoneflies - Salmon Fly
• Yellow Stimulators #8-16
• 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:
• 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)
• RK Flatulators Any/All

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:
• Simms ? G4 Pro Wader
• The Fly Shop's ? Stocking-foot Chest Waders
• Wading Boots
• Get Buff