Henry's Fork Rainbow Trout Hat

Henry's Fork of the Snake · Henry's Fork of the Snake fishing report

Five rainbows holding under the pines.

A split-view river scene of five rainbow trout below a pine shoreline, in teal, olive and rose pink, for days on the water.

Five rainbow trout hold in a clear teal river beneath pine-lined banks and a pale mountain. The scene is coloured in turquoise, olive and forest green, with a rose pink stripe on every fish.

Five rainbow trout in one river scene
Split view above and below the waterline
Rose pink stripes on olive backs
Pine banks and a pale mountain
Teal water over grey river stones

The cap

One design, four caps. The front panel is what the paint or the dye sits on, so it changes the hat.

Trucker
The house cap — structured mid profile, foam-and-mesh back, snapback.
Specs
Profile
Mid profile
Build
6-panel · Structured — buckram behind the front
Crown
3½ in (8.9 cm)
Visor
Pre-curved, 2¾ in (7 cm)
Closure
Snapback
Adjusts to
21½–24 in (54.5–61 cm)
Airbrushed on
Natural cotton twill
Sublimated on
White polyester foam
Rope cap
Structured five-panel with a near-flat brim and a cord across it.
Specs
Profile
Mid-high profile
Build
5-panel · Structured
Crown
4 in (10.2 cm)
Visor
Near-flat, 2⅞ in (7.3 cm), contrast rope
Closure
Snapback
Adjusts to
21½–23¾ in (54.5–60.5 cm)
Airbrushed on
Stone cotton twill
Sublimated on
White polyester twill
Dad hat
Soft, low and unstructured — washed cotton with a strap back.
Specs
Profile
Low profile
Build
6-panel · Unstructured — soft front
Crown
3¼ in (8.3 cm)
Visor
Curved, 2¾ in (7 cm)
Closure
Strap back, brass buckle
Adjusts to
21–23½ in (53.5–59.5 cm)
Airbrushed on
Washed khaki cotton
Sublimated on
White polyester twill
Five-panel camp
Flat brim, low crown, packs flat in a vest pocket.
Specs
Profile
Low profile
Build
5-panel · Unstructured
Crown
3¼ in (8.3 cm)
Visor
Flat, 2½ in (6.4 cm)
Closure
Strap back, side-release clip
Adjusts to
21½–23½ in (54.5–59.5 cm)
Airbrushed on
Field olive nylon-cotton
Sublimated on
White polyester

Fit

A cloth tape measure around the crown of a blank cap

Cap	Profile	Crown height	Visor	Adjusts to
Trucker	Mid profile	3½ in (8.9 cm)	Pre-curved, 2¾ in (7 cm)	21½–24 in (54.5–61 cm)
Rope cap	Mid-high profile	4 in (10.2 cm)	Near-flat, 2⅞ in (7.3 cm), contrast rope	21½–23¾ in (54.5–60.5 cm)
Dad hat	Low profile	3¼ in (8.3 cm)	Curved, 2¾ in (7 cm)	21–23½ in (53.5–59.5 cm)
Five-panel camp	Low profile	3¼ in (8.3 cm)	Flat, 2½ in (6.4 cm)	21½–23½ in (54.5–59.5 cm)

One size per cap. Run a tape around your head just above the ears, keeping it level — anything inside the range above will close on it.

Two finishes

The same design, made two ways. Pick one in the panel; the cap and the quantity are yours to choose too.

Hand airbrushed
$85 for one hat, on a trucker
Painted to order — would ship in about 2 weeks
How it is made
How it is made
Sprayed by hand through this design's own stencils, one layer at a time, each left to dry before the next mask goes down.
How it looks
Soft gradients and hand-cut stencil edges. Every cap is a little different.
What it sits on
On a natural cotton twill front.
Durability and care
Water-based paint, heat set and sealed. It takes rain and a season on a boat; spot clean with cool water, never a washing machine.
Sublimation printed
$32 for one hat, on a trucker
Printed to order — would ship in 5–7 business days
How it is made
How it is made
The design is printed in dye onto transfer paper, then pressed with heat so the dye soaks into the polyester fibres.
How it looks
Full colour edge to edge, and identical every time.
What it sits on
On a white polyester foam front — sublimation only takes on white polyester.
Durability and care
The dye is in the fibre, not on it, so it will not crack or peel. Gentle wash, air dry.

The artwork

Five rainbow trout swim through teal water, each one wearing a rose pink stripe and a cream belly. Above the waterline, dark pines lean in from both banks and a pale mountain sits in the sky. Olive weeds sway up from a bed of grey stones.

Wear it on the drive to the river, at the boat ramp, or in line for coffee after the evening hatch. People see the fish first, then catch the forest and sky above them and lean in for a second look.

The rose pink stripe is what makes these fish read as rainbows. Keep it a thin, soft band along the flank, laid over the olive back and stopping short of the cream belly, so each trout keeps its shape.

The water it was painted from

Henry's Fork of the SnakeEastern Idaho · ID

River: Henry's Fork of the Snake, Eastern Idaho
States: ID
Fish: Rainbow trout, Brown trout
Water type: Spring creek

What arrives

The hat
A care card
On a hand airbrushed hat, a numbered tag naming the water it was painted from, when the design names one

A cap being spot-cleaned with a soft brush

Looking after it

Hand airbrushed

Spot clean with cool water and a soft brush. Never a washing machine.
Keep it out of a hot car for long stretches — heat-set paint is tough, but a dashboard in July is not a test worth running.
Reshape the brim by hand while damp.

Sublimation printed

Spot clean, or gently hand wash in cool water. No bleach.
Air dry. Do not iron the print.
Reshape the brim by hand while damp.
The dye is in the fibre, so the print will not crack or peel.

Details

Airbrush palette

Colours: sky blue, forest green, teal, turquoise, olive, slate grey, rose pink, charcoal, cream

Details

Subject: rainbow trout
Style: illustrated split-view river scene

Make it yourself

A hat-painting bench with a blank cap, stencils and an airbrush

AdvancedAbout 4½ hours at the bench, plus curing10 layersYou'll need an airbrush, a cap jig and 9 colours

The palette

Sky blue
Forest green
Teal
Turquoise
Olive
Slate grey
Rose pink
Charcoal
Cream

The layers

10 layers, in this order. Each mask comes off and the paint has to dry before the next one goes down.

Sky
Pines
River body
Surface
Weed beds
Stones
Trout backs
Stripes
Spots
Highlights

The kit's stencil set is cut from these layers; with the cutter (12 hats and up) you cut your own from this design's layer files.

How to mix each colour

Sky blue
1 part blue to 4 parts white, a drop of green so it does not drift purple
Forest green
2 parts green, 1 part black, a drop of blue to cool it
Teal
2 parts blue, 1 part green, a touch of white to lift it
Turquoise
1 part blue, 1 part green, 2 parts white; a drop of yellow if it looks too cold
Olive
2 parts yellow, 1 part black, a drop of red to warm it
Slate grey
White with blue and a touch of black, about 4 : 1 : ½
Rose pink
1 part red to 4 parts white, a drop of blue if it looks salmon
Charcoal
1 part white to 3 parts black, a drop of blue
Cream
White with a drop of yellow and the smallest touch of brown

Setup

Ventilation or a spray booth. Water-based paint still throws a fine mist, and you will be breathing it for hours.
A half-mask respirator rated for paint mists. A dust mask is not one.
A compressor with a moisture trap, set and tested on a card before you start: wet air spits water into the paint.
Reducer and a cleaning pot within reach, so a clog is a ten-second fix instead of a ruined panel.
Spray a test card for every colour before it touches the cap. Colour reads differently wet, dry and on twill.

Prep

Lint-roll the front panel. Every fibre left on it prints as a speck in the paint.
Mask the mesh, any seams you want clean and the whole visor, underside included, with low-tack tape and paper.
Stretch the crown over the cap jig so the front panel is taut and curved the way it will be worn. Spraying a slack panel flat distorts the design when it is worn.
Spray one light coat of transparent base so the colour sits on the fabric instead of soaking into it.

Layer by layer

1 · Sky — 0.5 mm · 25–30 PSI
sky blue — a pale sky and a soft distant mountain above the waterline
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Sky blue — 1 part blue to 4 parts white, a drop of green so it does not drift purple
Needle
0.5 mm (a 0.35 mm works, it just takes longer)
Pressure
25–30 PSI
Distance
6–8 in from the panel
Passes
3–4 light passes, building the colour
Dry
10 minutes, or 60–90 seconds with a heat gun on low, before the next mask goes down
Tip Fade wet to dry and never lay one heavy coat: twill wicks paint sideways and the edge blooms.
2 · Pines — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
forest green — pine trees crowding both banks and the far shore
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Forest green — 2 parts green, 1 part black, a drop of blue to cool it
Needle
0.35 mm
Pressure
20–25 PSI
Distance
4–6 in from the panel
Passes
2–3 passes
Dry
10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
3 · River body — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
teal — the underwater fade, deeper toward the bottom
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Teal — 2 parts blue, 1 part green, a touch of white to lift it
Needle
0.35 mm
Pressure
20–25 PSI
Distance
4–6 in from the panel
Passes
2–3 passes
Dry
10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
4 · Surface — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
turquoise — the bright waterline band and light just below it
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Turquoise — 1 part blue, 1 part green, 2 parts white; a drop of yellow if it looks too cold
Needle
0.35 mm
Pressure
20–25 PSI
Distance
4–6 in from the panel
Passes
2–3 passes
Dry
10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
5 · Weed beds — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
olive — weed stems and grass rising from the riverbed
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Olive — 2 parts yellow, 1 part black, a drop of red to warm it
Needle
0.35 mm
Pressure
20–25 PSI
Distance
4–6 in from the panel
Passes
2–3 passes
Dry
10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
6 · Stones — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
slate grey — rounded pebbles along the bottom
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Slate grey — White with blue and a touch of black, about 4 : 1 : ½
Needle
0.35 mm
Pressure
20–25 PSI
Distance
4–6 in from the panel
Passes
2–3 passes
Dry
10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
7 · Trout backs — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
olive — the backs and fins of five trout
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Olive — 2 parts yellow, 1 part black, a drop of red to warm it
Needle
0.3 mm
Pressure
18–22 PSI
Distance
3–4 in from the panel
Passes
2–3 passes per tone, light to dark
Dry
10 minutes between tones
Tip Light tones first: a light colour over a dark one needs many coats, a dark one over a light one needs two.
8 · Stripes — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
rose pink — the lateral stripe and gill plate on each fish
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Rose pink — 1 part red to 4 parts white, a drop of blue if it looks salmon
Needle
0.35 mm
Pressure
20–25 PSI
Distance
4–6 in from the panel
Passes
2–3 passes
Dry
10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
9 · Spots — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
charcoal — spotting on backs and tails, eye pupils
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Charcoal — 1 part white to 3 parts black, a drop of blue
Needle
0.35 mm
Pressure
20–25 PSI
Distance
4–6 in from the panel
Passes
2–3 passes
Dry
10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
10 · Highlights — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
cream — bellies, eye rings and glints on the surface
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour Cream — White with a drop of yellow and the smallest touch of brown
Needle
0.2–0.3 mm
Pressure
12–15 PSI
Distance
1–2 in from the panel
Passes
Freehand, in short controlled strokes
Dry
10 minutes, then check it before you cure
Tip Low pressure, close in and moving: stop the stroke before you release the trigger.

Step by step

Mask the upper sky band and spray sky blue at about 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 15 cm away, fading lighter toward the waterline. Treat all settings here as a starting point and adjust for your paint.
Lay the pine mask along both banks and the far shore. Spray forest green at about 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 10 cm away, building darker at the tree bases.
Cover the sky and pines, then spray the river body in teal at about 22 PSI, 0.5 mm needle, 15–20 cm away, heavier toward the bottom for depth.
Mask a thin band at the waterline and mist turquoise at about 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 15 cm away, letting it bleed softly into the teal below.
Use a weed stencil along the bottom and spray olive at about 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5–8 cm away, flicking upward for each stem.
Mask the pebble shapes and dab slate grey at about 15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 8 cm away, leaving darker edges where stones meet.
Place the five trout masks and spray olive on backs and fins at about 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 6 cm away, keeping the belly area clear.
Use a stripe mask on each fish and spray rose pink at about 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5 cm away, running a thin band along the flank and over the gill plate.
Spray charcoal spots through a dot stencil, or freehand, at about 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 3–4 cm away. Add the pupils last.
Spray cream on bellies, eye rings and surface glints at about 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 4–5 cm away. Keep it crisp.
Let the paint cure at least 24 hours at room temperature, then heat set or seal following your paint maker's directions.

Cure

Heat set at 300°F / 150°C. Water-based textile paint is not wash-fast until it is heat set.
Cap press: 3–5 minutes with a teflon sheet over the design.
Or heat gun: 2–3 minutes per panel, keeping it moving 2–3 in off the fabric so it does not scorch.
If you have neither, air cure for 72 hours before the cap touches water.

Seal

Two light coats of matte fabric sealer, UV-resistant, from 8–10 in, 15 minutes apart.
Leave it 24 hours before the cap is worn.
Never a gloss sealer on cotton twill: it shines, cracks along the creases and looks like a sticker.

Clean-up

Flush the brush with water, then airbrush cleaner, until it sprays clear.
Strip the needle and wipe it toward the tip, never away from it.
Never soak the brush body overnight.

Common mistakes

Spraying rose pink too wide turns the fish pink all over. Keep pressure low and stay close for a narrow stripe.
Letting olive weeds cover the fish bellies muddies them. Mask the trout before the weed layer or spray weeds first.
Heavy charcoal spots can blot and spread. Use low pressure and short bursts, letting each dot dry.
Removing masks before paint sets lifts edges. Wait until each layer is dry to the touch.

Tips

Test each colour on a scrap panel first, especially rose pink over olive, since layered colours shift.
Build the teal in two or three light passes for a clean fade into depth.
Keep the waterline perfectly level across the design; a tilted horizon breaks the split-view effect.
Vary the spot size slightly from fish to fish so the five trout feel alive, not stamped.

An airbrush, compressor, moisture trap, six colour bottles and a cleaning pot. — The kit

Every kit size

Trucker · kit for 1 hat

$229

Bought separately $255 · you save $26

Includes Starter airbrush set · Cap jig · and 7 more

Every item in this kit · 9 items

Blanks

Trucker blank, natural cotton twill front$91

Stencils

Pre-cut mylar stencil set for this design — 10 layers$181

Paint & masks

Water-based textile airbrush colour, 2 oz — one per colour in this design$482 oz × 8
Transparent base and reducer, 4 oz$71
Low-tack masking film and ¼ in tape$81
Matte fabric sealer, 4 oz$121

Equipment

Starter airbrush set — 0.3 mm dual-action gravity brush, mini compressor, braided hose$1291
Cap jig — holds the crown taut while you spray$241

Guide

Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded1

Trucker · kit for 12 hats

$1,085

$90.42 a hat

Bought separately $1,234 · you save $149

Includes Dual-action gravity-feed airbrush · Quiet compressor with tank and moisture trap · Cap jig and two spare crown forms · Tabletop spray booth with exhaust fan · and 11 more

Every item in this kit · 15 items

Blanks

Trucker blank, natural cotton twill front$7812

Stencils

Desktop stencil cutter, 12 in — the "stencil printer": cuts mylar from this design's layer files$2991
Stencil mylar, 7 mil, 12 × 12 in$2210 sheets
This design's layer files, every layer (SVG)Included1

Paint & masks

Water-based textile airbrush colour, 4 oz — one per colour in this design$1124 oz × 8
Transparent base and reducer, 16 oz$161
Low-tack masking film$181 roll
Matte fabric sealer, 16 oz$281

Equipment

Dual-action gravity-feed airbrush, 0.3 mm$1351
Quiet compressor with tank and moisture trap$1791
Cap jig and two spare crown forms$641
Tabletop spray booth with exhaust fan$1491
Cleaning pot, brushes and a half-mask respirator$991
Heat gun for curing$351

Guide

Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded1

Trucker · kit for 12 × 12 hats

$3,165

$21.98 a hat

Bought separately $3,724 · you save $559

Includes Two dual-action gravity-feed airbrushes · Production airbrush · Twin-piston compressor with tank and two regulators · Production spray booth · and 13 more

Every item in this kit · 17 items

Blanks

Trucker blank, natural cotton twill front$756144

Stencils

Stencil cutter-plotter, 24 in — the production "stencil printer"$6491
Stencil mylar, 7 mil, 12 × 12 in$8550 sheets
This design's layer files, every layer (SVG)Included1

Paint & masks

Water-based textile airbrush colour, 32 oz — one per colour in this design$38432 oz × 8
Transparent base and reducer$491 gal
Low-tack masking film$543 rolls
Matte fabric sealer$891 gal

Equipment

Two dual-action gravity-feed airbrushes, 0.3 mm$2702
Production airbrush, 0.5 mm, for base fades$951
Twin-piston compressor with tank and two regulators$3291
Production spray booth, two fans$2891
Three cap jigs$1923
Cleaning station, respirator and spare cartridges$1391
Cap heat press for curing$2791
Drying rack, 24 caps$651

Guide

Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded1

The creator

John

@john

Tight line, quiet feet, zero slack.

See everything by @john

Remixes

No remixes yet — make your own version.

Where this came from

trucker hat · made September 16, 2026

0 — nothing entered the score yet, at the Derby's published weights, since September 16, 2026. Views are not counted.

rainbow trout
trout
fly fishing
henry's fork
trucker hat
river
underwater
split view
pine forest
mountain
teal
rose pink

The cap

Trucker

Rope cap

Dad hat

Five-panel camp

Fit

Two finishes

Hand airbrushed

Sublimation printed

The artwork

The water it was painted from

What arrives

Looking after it

Hand airbrushed

Sublimation printed

Details

Airbrush palette

Details

Make it yourself

The palette

The layers

How to mix each colour

Setup

Prep

Layer by layer

1 · Sky — 0.5 mm · 25–30 PSI

2 · Pines — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI

3 · River body — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI

4 · Surface — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI

5 · Weed beds — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI

6 · Stones — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI

7 · Trout backs — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI

8 · Stripes — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI

9 · Spots — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI

10 · Highlights — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI

Step by step

Cure

Seal

Clean-up

Common mistakes

Tips

Every kit size

Trucker · kit for 1 hat

Trucker · kit for 12 hats

Trucker · kit for 12 × 12 hats

The creator

Remixes

Where this came from