Event Skill Levels:
- Stream: beginner to advanced (some highly technical water)
- Lakes: beginner with float tubes to prams, some accessible shore fishing for lakes
- Wading: intermediate in riffles with light slippery medium rocks
- Hiking: beginner and flat with maximum 2 mile optional hikes
- Catch success rate: beginner at Baum Lake, advanced at Hat Creek
This is a 3 night-4 day trip to explore the 3.5 miles of fishable wild trout water at Hat Creek. Arrive on the first day with late evening fishing, then three full days of fishing to follow. It is scheduled for the traditional large Salmonfly and Golden Stonefly hatches that occur during this period, as well as several other hatches. We will be fishing five different areas on Hat Creek from knee deep riffles at the Powerhouse and mid-stream to the gin clear, quiet flats, and to the downstream area of thigh deep water. This is a wading trip, although it is recommended to stay out of the water unless absolutely necessary as the fish are very skittish due to the fishing pressure. It is barbless hook, catch and release water only. Fishing styles can include Euro nymphing, streamers, and indicators in the riffles, with dry fly presentations on the flat water.
The trip will encompass the Powerhouse 2 riffles in the early day followed by late morning dry fly activity (Stoneflies, PMD's, Little Yellow Sallies) below the riffles in the flat water to rising fish. Mid-day will shift to the mid-stream shallow riffles for high sticking/euro nymphing, or indicator fishing. Late in the day we will continue moving downstream to the meadow area for the Salmonfly hatch.
This is a combination wading and optional watercraft (days 3 & 4) trip and will require moving around frequently with some hikes of a maximum of about 2 miles in some areas. Individuals can choose to fish specific areas rather than transit between them during the day.
The 3rd and 4th days will be on Baum and/or Manzanita lakes depending upon whether "ice out" has occurred at Lassen National Park. It is recommended to utilize a watercraft on both lakes, although fishing can be and is often successful from the shore locations as we did last year.
We will be leaving early AM from the Tri-Valley with stops in Redding at The Fly Shop for last minute supplies/flies as well as for gas and a lunch to eat in the car. That will get us to check-in some five hours after leaving the Tri-Valley and put us on the water the first evening ready for the late afternoon/early evening caddis hatch at Carbon bridge.
Cost:
Participant hotel and camping accommodations and food are extra; approximately $100 - $350 depending upon your choice of accommodations and food. And don’t forget your contribution to The Fly Shop’s continuing success…Camping is also available (see below).
Cash price: The cost is $25 and you may pay by check or cash directly to the Club Treasurer within two weeks of registration.
If you do pay cash you will be put into "Pending Registration" until your payment is received within the two weeks. Late payments will require you to register once again if there is space still available.
Guest cost is $25 for non-family members and non-spouse family members above age 26. Guests must first register as Club members ($45 annual charge) before registering for this event. TVFF annual dues qualify you for a full 12 month membership and access to all Club events and full participation.
Credit Card price: The cost of $25.75 includes the payment by credit card with the 3.0% surcharge.
Guest cost is $25.75 for non-family members and those non-spouse family members above age 26. Guests must first register as Club members ($45 annual charge) before registering for this event. TVFF annual dues qualify you for a full 12 month membership and access to all Club events and full participation.
Fishmeister: Rob Farris, RFFarris@comcast.net, (925)286-5502
Accommodations and Food: Lodging is available nearby in Burney, CA which is inexpensive and about $125 per night. I recommend the Green Gables if you won’t be camping. It is rudimentary but quite clean and comfortable.
Camping is available in the area at several locations, including Burney Falls State Park (about 10 miles away) which is fully developed, Hat Creek Hereford RV Resort (between Baum/Hat Creek and Manzanita Lakes about 9 miles away, and my personal recommendation) and there is also camping at Baum Lake’s PG&E dirt campground (rustic); 4 miles south of where we will be accessing Hat Creek in the mornings. Rob will be camping at Hat Creek Hereford Ranch RV Resort, serving as the primary Club gathering location during our time. This campground offers grass campsites for both tent and trailers with on-site showers, horseshoes, basketball, volleyball, and a chargeable trout pond on premise, and suits itself very nicely for families (which are always welcome on Club trips).
Each individual is responsible for their own food and accommodations. Burney only has a few really good restaurants and most close before 9 pm, so if we are out late it will be a challenge that leads us to either the local steakhouse (more expensive), the local McDonald’s, the local Indian Casino (not much) or the bowling alley (pick your poison). There are also gas grills available at the Green Gables hotel which I have used before when I brought along food to cook.
Breakfast is available in town at a reasonable café that is good. Be sure to bring a lunch for each day as we will not be returning to town after leaving in the morning. There is a Safeway in town that does prepare their normal Signature sandwiches and salads unless you wish to bring your own lunches for the trip.
Gear and Tackle Recommendations:
Rod & line weights/types: 4, or 5 weight rods, reels and floating lines for Hat Creek. 5 and 6 weight rods for the lakes with both floating and sinking lines.
Leaders and tippet: Hat Creek: Fishing style dependent but normally I fish a 9’ 4X leader and adjust with added tippet of up to 4-6’ of 5 or 6X for the dry flies. Depending upon the weather we also hit a Trico hatch in early morning in which case you will need 7X for the #22-26 flies. Euro nymphing rigs (i.e. mono rigs) will also be useful in the riffles. The Lakes: usually a 8-10' 3X leader (for indictor styles) with 4X tippet should suffice, and a 4-6' 2 or 3X leader if you wil be pulling streamers.
Other gear: Note that no float tubes are allowed on Hat Creek in the wild trout section.
Flies: Flies to match and we will send out a more current list as we get closer to the dates and better understand how the weather and water are impacting the hatches. Typically you will need Salmonflies and Golden Stonefly dries and nymphs in sizes 8-12, various nymphs (complete list to follow), and an assortment of dry flies in sizes 14-18’s (list to follow as well). The fish are very picky and this is noted as a technical spring creek type fishing environment with dry flies, so fly matching with either dries or emergers is important, as are long leaders (up to 12 or 14’) with excellent presentation skills in the flat water. Euro nymphng is alos very successful in the Powerhouse riffles. The lakes allow for some dry fly fishing in the early morning on the shorelines, but mostly either indicators or streamers during the day with leeches, midges, and callibaetis patterns.
TVFF Cancellation Policy:
To sign-up for a TVFF Event that is currently open for registration and chargeable (as set by the Fishmeister), you must both register and pay online, or via check or cash, within two weeks of registering (sent to the TVFF Treasurer) whatever fee is described for that particular Event (trip) at the time of registration. There may be multiple payments required before the trip is actually taken (usually in the case of expensive trips), but it is necessary that you do make payment in the above timely fashion for the initial amount to secure your position on the trip. However, please note that you are still responsible for the entire amount of the trip if you should need to cancel.
Once you are registered, there are no refunds for chargeable Events and trips. In the situation that a member is, for any reason unable to attend, they may resell their registration slot to another TVFF member (by first pulling from the waitlist if one exists). New participants must come first from the waitlist in the order they signed up. The member cancelling is fully and solely responsible for contacting potential members to replace them and notifying the appropriate Fishmeister.
If an event/trip is fully registered and closed to registration, you may still sign up on the Wait List to be notified if there are any cancellations. In such a case of registering provisionally on the Wait List, you do not have to pay until such time that you clear the Wait List and are confirmed for participation.
Tri-Valley Fly Fishers
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Protocol
TVFF Outings Policy as of September 20, 2020
As a club, the Tri-Valley Fly Fishers have developed and agreed to a set of required guidelines, protocols and rules in order to help direct our members on ways to stay safe on one-day outings, multi-day outings, or individual “Tag-Alongs”.
These protocols were developed by the TVFF Board of Directors as well as input from other local clubs which included a member virologist, various safety committees, and member experts. We feel that these protocols and guidelines are consistent with public health information and experts. These protocols are assured, observed, and enforced by outing leaders as well as members themselves. Extra masks, spray disinfectant and sanitizer are available from the outing leaders.
Please note that the Tri-Valley Fly Fishers accepts no liability for inadequate protection or the transmission of Covid-19 among members or guests. Therefore, each member should review the following protocols that the Club subscribes to and make an individual decision of whether to participate in an activity or not, based upon their individual circumstances and personal safety.
TVFF Outings protocols are as follows:
- If you are sick with cold/flu symptoms then we ask you to please stay home
- We believe in social distancing and require that all members keep a full fly rod distance of at least 6’ distance between parties
- Everyone will be responsible for making, bringing, and consuming their own separate food and drinks
- All attendees should wash and sanitize their hands frequently
