Hat Creek and Pit River 2009 Trip

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I spent five days and four nights in a rented cabin in the Burney area of California (about 1.5 hours northeast of Redding) on a fishing/golfing/photography vacation. Went with my Dad and two of his buddies (Mike Gorski from Portland and Russ La Hive from Pleasanton). All were pretty mellow guys, so it made for a very fun, relaxing trip (especially consider how insane my job has been with the H1N1 outbreak response).

Primary fishing locations were along Hat Creek (The Meadows and The Barrier Dam) and the Pit River (Powerhouse #3 and #4). The first night we fished Hat Creek about 100 yards from our cabin. Got a few small ones. Second night, my compatriots fished The Meadows while I photographed. Few fish caught, but tons of fish rising. I got some good shots. We also saw a mountain lion on our drive out. He dropped to a crouch as we rounded a bend in the road, the leapt off the road and disappeared. Amazing moment for all of us.

I fished one day at the Pit River Powerhouse #3, then photographed one day. Very productive place, but only room for a few people to fish. We caught a number of fish between 8 - 15 inches. If you fish there, be prepared to lose a lot of rigs, as there are numerous hazards underwater.

We spent two evenings fishing the Barrier Dam on Hat Creek. Beautiful place with a lot of insect activity just at sunset. I chose to take photos instead of fishing. Russ spent 30 minutes at sunset on the first night landing a 20 inch rainbow. We were starting to think he'd been eaten by the mountain lion we'd seen previously (or had gotten lost). The second trip was where I stumbled across (almost literally) a 4 foot bull snake which I photographed. For the squeamish, you may want to close your eyes after the lizard photos.

Spent one morning golfing at Fall River Mills Golf Course. Great course and fairly inexpensive. Highly recommend it to golfers. I managed to shoot 116 after not playing for 5 years (and that was 3-4 putting each hole).

Overall a great trip with a great bunch of guys. Highly recommend this area for fly-fishermen, golfers and photographers alike.

Mike's Recommendations (if you decide to visit):

• Where to Stay: We stayed a small rental house in the tiny town of Cassel. As soon as I get the info from my dad, I'll post it here. Many fishing lodges in the area.
  


• Prettiest Fishing Spot: Prettiest fishing place is The Meadows at Hat Creek. You won't catch anything, but you'll see tons of fish rising and the scenery is incredible, especially at sunset.
  


• Most Productive Fishing Spot: Most productive fishing spot was at the base of Lake Briton Dam (aka Pit #3 Powerhouse). Not very attractive and can only fish about 3 people max, but consistently catch fish here, and decent size ones.
  


• Best All Around Fishing Spot: The Barrier Dam is the best all around fishing spot, in terms of beauty, wildlife and good fishing.
  


• Golf: If you're a golfer, I highly recommend Fall River Mills Golf Course (see link below). Great local course and relatively cheap ($45 incl. shared cart and lunch). Plus the waitress at the club house was way cute.
  

Enjoy the photos and let me know if you have any questions!

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Click Here For Full Screen Slideshow (recommended)

Individual Photos (94 photos)

Driving Directions (courtesy of Google Maps)

Map to Powerhouse #3

Map to The Meadows on Hat Creek

Map to the parking area for The Barrier Dam on Hat Creek (Barrier Dam is downstream 0.5 mile northeast)

Angelina's at The Rex (Very good, but pricey, food in downtown Burney)

Fall River Mills Golf Course

Clearwater Lodge

Burney Mountain Guest Ranch

Burney Falls (Visited during a previous trip - amazing waterfall!)

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