Hat Creek continued from page 11
Over $2.5 million dollars have been received from foundations, individuals, and corporate donors to insure Hat Creek's recovery will be complete. This includes money for ongoing maintenence for at least ten years.
An early study had predicted that, left alone, the 50,000 cubic yards of sediment would wash out of the flatwater in 10 to 40 years. Now, at about the 30 year mark, it has passed beyond Wood Duck Island and into head of the 299 Reach. Another 10 years and it's likely it will have passed below the 299 Bridge and be approaching the beginning of the fast water, where it will move it quickly downstream to the fish barrier and into Lake Britton. The ability of Hat Creek to purge itself of this vast amount of sand is remarkable, the inexorable force on the water pushing the sand downstream grain by grain. The restoration plan will correct the damage the sand has done in passing. It will enhance the entire wild trout area for human visitors and native species alike.
One warm evening this past June, I walked the north bank of Hat from Carbon to Wood Duck Island, rod in hand, for the first time in many seasons. The sun had passed beyond the ridge of oaks and pines to the west and the dark water slid silently beneath the luminous sky. The weed beds glowed vibrant green. Here and there, a fish rose languidly to a tiny mayfly.
Along the banks, the new young trees planted during the first phase of the restoration stood as slender dark sentinels in their protective wire surrounds.
I thought back over the years I had fished Hat Creek, of notable fish and the many friends, old and new, with whom I had shared this special place.
I remembered the conversation I had with the old rancher as we sat in his pickup at Carbon Bridge and he recalled the years he and his family had grazed their cattle in the creekside meadows during the summer, how he'd grown up riding horseback in the meadows, swimming in the creek, and fishing along the banks.
I remembered the drug-addicted teen whose father brought him fly fishing in a desperate attempt to spark some new interests in him and the light in that boy's face when he landed his first Hat Creek trout.
I remembered the old gentleman whose left side had been paralyzed by a stroke, but whose determination to fish Hat Creek was strong. I had helped him into a little pontoon boat at Carbon. Hanging off the back of the boat in my waders, I had steered him within casting range of fish after fish as we made our way downstream, drifting over the weed beds and sand bars.
I thought of all who have loved this special place. The native people whose ancestral lands these waters flow through, who have lived and fished and hunted here for thousands of years. Young people from the tribe are doing the work to restore the stream banks and reconnecting with their tribal history in the process.
And I thought of the unique position in California fishery history that Hat Creek occupies and the origin of the wild trout concept. The first stream in the West to be managed exclusively for wild trout. The birthplace of California Trout.
As I sat by the lone Ponderosa pine that stands above the bend at Wood Duck Island, I saw a dimpling rise against the opposite bank. I knew that place, the overhanging oak branch, a prime lie. As I watched, the fish rose again. It's a long cast, with many swirling currents in between. I considered it, but settled back, content to simply sit in the magical half light and watch the fish to feed in its own quiet rhythm. There would be time to cast to trout as Hat Creek reemerges as a place of selective trout and quiet beauty. For now it is enough to watch and be patient.
Spot Check continued from page 31
Thanks to the Department and, luckily for us, Heenen is open to fishing for a short time in the fall. Heenen is only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday in September and October from sunrise to sunset. It is strictly catch and release. Only artificial lures with single barbless hooks may be used. You can launch a small water craft but, no gas powered motors are allowed and there is no boat ramp so crafts mush be small enough to lift off a truck or trailer and carried a short distance to the water. These stipulations and regulations help limit usage and keep Heenen healthy as a trophy trout fishery with the average LCT ranging from 16-22 inches and some as large as 30 inches.
Fishing Heenen can be good using gear and also very productive with flies. Heenen is not a very deep lake so a standard intermediate sinking line can get you into the zone in most of the lake. Additional depth can be gained using heavy flies or a bit of lead if need be. Trolling or casting and stripping wooly buggers, matukas, zonkers and leeches can produce nice fish. When I’m using a streamer, I like to also follow it with a nymph trailer. Usually, a pheasant tail, birds nest or prince in a 12 or 14 will do the job. I’ll typically run 10 to 12 foot leader tapering to 3x to my streamer and then 30 inches of 4x to the dropper.
A good method for consistently catching fish on each outing is to find what depth they are hanging in as it changes throughout the season. Do this by casting and counting while you let your line sink. Try a 10 count, then 20, 30, 40 and so on, until you start catching fish or hooking the weeds on the bottom. This method can help you locate the depth or thermo cline the fish are hanging in on any given day. Using a nymph rig on a dry line and experimenting with different depths can also achieve similar results. Good nymphs include chironomid patterns, like snow cones and zebra midge, or standard callibaetis imitations, like birds nests and pheasant tails.
Heenen is also known for its epic scenery. This year, however, there is more brown and black than usual. Last spring the large Washington fire burned through the area scorching some of the forest to the west of the lake and burning through the sage on the north end all the way up to the parking lot. Be careful in these burned areas and stay on the designated roads and trails. Have fun and we hope you catch some beautiful native fish and have a memorable experience.
Cheers,
Michael Wier
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