Chef Noelle Wright

Noelle Wright has served as chef at Clearwater Lodge at the Pit River since 2006, and the former Clearwater House on Hat Creek for 12 years prior. After taking a year off from cooking, she is returning with refreshed inspiration to continue to satisfy the appetites of the distinguished clients of Clearwater Lodge withher culinary talents. She is essentially self-taught and her cooking style is characterized by her remarkably creative menus, combining fresh seasonal ingredients and flavors in unique and imaginative ways. A selection of Noelle’s recipes are published in “The Wild Fish Cookbook” by Anna and David Kasabian.

Noelles’ culinary training started at an early age doing kitchen prep while helpingher mother during several events she catered at Noelles’ elementary school. Noelle cites her mothers’ cooking talents and years of restaurant work as a major influence on her love for food and cooking.

Chef/Guide Joshua Schwartz

Since Joshua was a little boy he was fascinated with fishing. As a child he used to spend his summers exploring the local ponds of his neiborhood in Pennsylvania. Catching Bluegill, Sunnies, and Smallies using jigs and bait became an obsession. When visiting his Grandmother on Long island she knew she could entertain him with fishing for flounder off a local pier.

As he grew older Joshua set his sights on following in his late Grandfathers footsteps as a Chef. Career driven he worked his way through some local restaurants on weekends and after school. After High school Joshua set out to sew his wild oats in Colorado. Winter was occupied with Snowboarding while summer was spent mountain biking and trout fishing. After receiving some pressure from his parents Joshua took the next step in his culinary career by applying to the New England Cullinary Institute in Vermont. The next few years were crucial for Joshua's path to becoming a Chef. He worked at some of the finest restaurants in the country starting out at the bottom and diligently working his way up. It was while waiting for a kitchen buildout for a new job that Joshua was permanently introduced to Fly Fishing. One of Joshua's friends invited him on a fishing trip to Hat Creek and the Pitt river, Joshua was so taken with the experience that he purchased his first Fly outfit on the ride home from The Fly Shop in Redding. Needless to Say he has been chucking bugs ever since.

Currently Joshua lives in St. Helena, California and holds the position of Executive Winery Chef for Del Dotto Vineyards. When not presenting food to guests he is presenting flies to fish.