By Luke Harris.

Located just outside of Lassen National Park , Hat Creek is northern California 's premier fishery. The scenery alone makes this area great but the fishing makes it heavenly. The water is world famous among spring creeks everywhere.

The hatches here include stoneflies, salmon flies and caddis. You'll find luck with imi tat ions of any of these both in wet and dry flies. Bring a variety of terrestrials and the traditional nymphs. I like a size 16 hare's ear best for nymphing in this stream. Bring a light rod and thin tippet.

The section from Lassen National Park to Bridge Camp is fast flowing and there are no regulations on the fishing. You will find crowds here. This area gets fished hard especially in the summer. This stretch is heavily stocked so you'll probably catch fish but your odds of catching a big fish are low. Scenery in this section is spectacular. Your eye will bounce from Lassen Volcano to the forest and mountains surrounding it. Trails run everywhere along the creek in this section; you'll have the chance to find a decent spot and at some points leave the crowd behind.

The middle section of the creek from the town of Cassel to Baum Lake offers quiet water and good sized fish. You'll want to try terrestrials here especially on windy days. Fish undercut banks and below fallen tree limbs. It's essential that you make a good approach here. The still water makes the fish critical of sloppy presen tat ions. I've learned that you have to stalk these fish. Make a sneaky approach. Keep your shadow off the water and be a stealthy wader. One of the best features this section offers is the thrilling rise of big browns. Your heart will stop when you see the violent splash of a hearty trout as it gulps down a dragonfly.

You'll find the best fly-fishing in the lower section. This 3.2 mile stretch allows barbless flies and lures only with a two fish limit and 18 inch minimum per fish. There is a good chance to catch 5 pound plus trout here. This section exists independently of campgrounds and crowds and this is what makes the fishing so good. You'll enjoy the riffles here as they'll be more forgiving of your fly's approach. I've had some great evening luck here with good fish greedily devouring my elk hair caddis and other dries.

There are plenty of campgrounds and cabins nearby, and Hat Creek is only a few hours drive from San Francisco and Sacramento .

I'm not alone in calling this stream my favorite spring creek in the west. I've had some great days out here and the scenery is unbelievable in this area. For my friends and I this is a fly-fishing pilgrimage we make every year.