Bob Norman’s Riverbend Adventures

Bob Norman fishes the Pit River and Hat Creek out of Fall River Mills as part of a wild trout programme that runs from March through November. He describes the Pit as the longest tributary that flows into Lake Shasta, rugged and very scenic, where the wild rainbows reach trophy size and are some of the hardest fighting trout an angler will ever catch; nymph fishing is the most productive method there, though casting a streamer into the deeper runs and pools will consistently take bigger trout, and stonefly, caddis and mayfly dries fish well with the caddis and mayfly hatches happening all season and terrestrials good through the warmer months of summer. Hat Creek he calls the place the term selective trout probably originated, an ideal stream on which to learn the art of fly fishing because it demands close attention to fly selection, delicate casting and constant line management to achieve the drift. All fishing on Hat Creek is done from the banks and wading only. A full day is eight to ten hours starting between seven and eight in the morning at $550 for one or two anglers with lunch, tackle and flies included; half days are $350 and Hex trips $300, each with drinks, tackle and flies.