Ben Parker set the lake record for brown trout in 1962 when he landed a 23 pound, 5 ounce fish while tossing out a silver #1 Mepps spinner, according to Steve Vaughn of Vaughn's Sporting Goods in Burney. Although no fish approaching that size has been caught out of the lake since, Bill McAndless of Old Station nailed a 14.5 pound brown while soaking a nightcrawler at Baum in 1996. Big rainbows also lurk in the lake's rich waters. Val Watkins of Burney set the lake rainbow trout record in 1966 when he fooled a 17 pounder with a nightcrawler. However, a 14 pound rainbow was caught out of Baum in 1999. Matt Hawkins of McCarthur also landed a 9-1/2 pound rainbow while fishing a #20 midge pattern last December, according to Vaughn.

The DFG's Crystal Lake Fish Hatchery - located adjacent to Baum Lake - stocks 17,000 catchable rainbows and 2,000 German browns every year. In addition, holdover and wild trout are also found in the reservoir.

If the fishing is slow at Baum, adjoining Baum is another great fishing spot, the Cassel area of Hat Creek from the Cassel Forebay to Hat #1 Powerhouse. The middle section of Hat, including the Cassel area, is stocked with 14,000 catchable rainbows and 2,000 catchable brook trout every year.

For years I had been hearing about the top-notch fishing available at Baum Lake and the Cassel area from Vaughn, but it wasn't until Friday, May 25 that I was finally able to get up there to fish. After getting some tips from Vaughn - who gave us a map and showed us where to go - Tom Mulderrig and I stopped by the DFG's Crystal Lake Fish Hatchery to check out the rainbow, brook and brown trout being raised there.

We walked down to the main parking lot area of Baum, where only one person had been fishing. He reported good action on rainbows while fly fishing. As we watched trout swirl on the surface, we saw an osprey dive down to the water for one trout after another. I threw out a variety of baits and lures, but in spite of some tentative bites, couldn't get the fish to hit. "The only fishermen doing any good on trout is the osprey," commented Mulderrig.

Finally, I switched over to a nightcrawler under a bobber rig. As soon as I got my next bite, I set the hook and pulled in a fat, football-sized Pit River rainbow. I knew it was a Pit River-strain fish, due to the many spots that graced its belly, and released it back into the water. I repeated the same method and soon caught my limit of rainbows, all Pit strain, ranging from 1 to 2 pounds.

The key to hooking the fish was to set the hook as soon as I felt a bite, rather than letting the fish take the bobber all of the way down as is normally the most effective technique. If you waited for the fish to take it all the way, the trout would drop the nightcrawler.

After seeing me catch the fish, the fishing trio of Marcus Milazzo, Sanit Milazzo and Luke Milazzo came over to the inlet area of the lake. "What are you using?" asked Marcus. "A threaded mini-crawler under a bobber," I replied. "If you want to catch fish, you got to set the hook as soon as you get a bite." Before I left, each one of them had landed a fish each, along with missing a number of bites. "We've been catching limits of mixed brook and rainbow trout while fishing the Cassel area everyday this week, but the fishing slowed down a bit today," Marcus stated. He showed me a beautiful, square tailed wild rainbow that he caught at Cassel that morning.

The next morning Mulderrig and I went to the Cassel area and found solid trout action also. After getting no bites on a nightcrawler under a plastic bubble, I started tossing out a 1/8 ounce Panther Martin spinner and caught two brook trout in the 11 to 12 inch class, along with a 14 inch rainbow trout. My cousin also nailed a feisty brook trout with a nightcrawler on a Walker Rig.

Other anglers fishing the forebay and the canal section of Hat Creek reported mixed success, with one angler reporting catching and releasing lots of rainbows while drifting salmon eggs. However, the other four anglers only reported catching two rainbows all together.

Fly fishing can be very effective at Baum Lake and the Cassel area, since both spots feature numerous insect hatches. Vaughn recommends using an array of fly patterns, including PT's, blue wing olives, baetis, callibaetis cripples and midges. PT and prince nymphs and emergers will also produce fish.

However, don't get your hopes too high if you plan to fish Baum's other neighbor, Crystal Lake. "This lake is spring fed and extremely clear," said Vaughn. "Fishing is very tough since the fish, all wild rainbows and browns, are very excitable in the clear water. I know two locals who fish the lake sometimes; their strategy is to sit down with a lawn chair, a six pack of beer and throw out nightcrawlers with long leaders. After a few hours of fishing, they might catch one wild trout."

Lodging is available for anglers in nearby Burney or the Pit River Lodge, www.pitriverlodge.com. Groceries, gas and other supplies can be purchased in Burney.

Camping is available at Cassel Forebay, Lake Britton and Hat Creek. For campground information, contact Lassen National Forest, Hat Creek Ranger District, (530) 336-5521 or fax (530) 336-5758. For fishing information, call Vaughn's Sporting Goods, (530)335-2381.

Side trips include a tour of the Crystal Lake Fish Hatchery; bass, crappie and bluegill fishing at Lake Britton; fly fishing in the wild trout section of Hat Creek and the Pit River; and fishing and sightseeing above and below Burney Falls on Burney Creek. Other potential trips include a visit to Mount Lassen and Lassen Volcanic National Park and Subway Cave, a lava cave located near the town of Old Station.