West Branch Brown Trout Hat
by @john
Two browns holding low in clear water
A naturalistic river scene of two brown trout over cobbles, in olive, teal and forest green, for days spent on or near moving water.
Two brown trout cruise left over a bed of rounded river stones, with green wooded banks rising behind the water. The scene is painted in golden olive and umber fish, river teal water, slate grey cobbles and dark forest green.
- Two brown trout swimming side by side
- Rounded river stones in slate and sand
- Teal water under green wooded banks
- Golden olive flanks with black, red spots
- Ten colours, background to highlight
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
| 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
Two brown trout slide across the design, gold bellies, umber backs and dark spots running down each flank. Under them sit round grey stones catching a little light. Behind, the water goes teal and the banks fill with green trees.
It reads well from across a parking lot or a boat ramp: two fish, clear water, green woods. Wear it to the river, the fly shop or the diner after, and the people who fish will spot the brick red dots before anyone else.
Spot placement makes or breaks a brown trout. Keep the black spots bigger and looser on the back, then tuck a few small brick red ones low on the flank, each sitting slightly apart.
The water it was painted from
West Branch of the DelawareCatskills · NY, PA
- River
- West Branch of the Delaware, Catskills
- States
- NY, PA
- Fish
- Brown trout, Rainbow trout
- Water type
- Tailwater
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
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
- forest green, river teal, moss green, slate grey, warm sand, golden olive, umber brown, black, brick red, cream
Details
- Subject
- brown trout
- Style
- naturalistic painted river scene
Make it yourself
The palette
- Forest green
- River teal
- Moss green
- Slate grey
- Warm sand
- Golden olive
- Umber brown
- Black
- Brick red
- Cream
The layers
10 layers, in this order. Each mask comes off and the paint has to dry before the next one goes down.
- Frame
- Water
- Banks
- Streambed
- Stone light
- Trout bodies
- Backs and fins
- Dark spots
- Red 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
Forest green
2 parts green, 1 part black, a drop of blue to cool it
River teal
2 parts blue, 1 part green, a touch of white to lift it
Moss green
2 parts yellow, 1 part green, a drop of black to deaden it
Slate grey
White with blue and a touch of black, about 4 : 1 : ½
Warm sand
4 parts white, 1 part yellow, a drop of brown; a drop of green for khaki
Golden olive
2 parts yellow, 1 part black, a drop of red to warm it
Umber brown
Equal parts red, yellow and blue, then a drop of black to deepen it; or burnt umber straight from the bottle
Black
Black from the bottle, sprayed in light passes; a heavy coat bleeds
Brick red
Primary red from the bottle; a drop of yellow warms it, a drop of blue cools it
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 · Frame — 0.5 mm · 25–30 PSI
forest green — a dark wash around the top and both sides
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Forest green — 2 parts green, 1 part black, a drop of blue to cool it
- 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 · Water — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
river teal — the open pool behind the fish, lighter toward the middle
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour River 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.
3 · Banks — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
moss green — trees, trunks and leafy far banks above the waterline
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Moss green — 2 parts yellow, 1 part green, a drop of black to deaden 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 · Streambed — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
slate grey — rounded cobbles 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.
5 · Stone light — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
warm sand — sunlit tops and edges of the cobbles
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Warm sand — 4 parts white, 1 part yellow, a drop of brown; a drop of green for khaki
- 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 · Trout bodies — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
golden olive — two fish swimming left, one above the other
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Golden 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.
7 · Backs and fins — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
umber brown — dark backs, fins, tails and gill lines
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Umber brown — Equal parts red, yellow and blue, then a drop of black to deepen it; or burnt umber straight from the bottle
- 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.
8 · Dark spots — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
black — scattered spots along both flanks and the eyes
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Black — Black from the bottle, sprayed in light passes; a heavy coat bleeds
- 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 · Red spots — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
brick red — small spots low on each flank
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Brick red — Primary red from the bottle; a drop of yellow warms it, a drop of blue cools 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.
10 · Highlights — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
cream — belly light, eye glints and soft ripple lines in the water
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 outer edge of the design area, then spray forest green around the top and sides. Start around 20 PSI, a 0.5 mm needle, 15 cm away; treat all settings here as a starting point and adjust to your paint.
Cut a mask for the pool and spray river teal, keeping it lighter in the centre. Around 18 PSI, 0.5 mm needle, 12–15 cm.
With a bank stencil in place, spray moss green trees and leaves above the waterline. Around 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 8–10 cm for crisp trunks.
Mask the lower band and spray slate grey cobbles in loose rounded shapes. Around 18 PSI, 0.5 mm needle, 10 cm.
Shift the cobble stencil up slightly and dust warm sand on the stone tops. Around 15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 8 cm.
Lay the two trout masks and fill the bodies with golden olive. Around 18 PSI, 0.5 mm needle, 10 cm, building in thin passes.
Using a back-and-fin stencil, spray umber brown along the backs, fins, tails and gill lines. Around 15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 6–8 cm.
Place the spot stencil and add black spots and eyes. Around 12–15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 4–6 cm, short bursts only.
Switch to the small-spot stencil and add brick red dots low on each flank. Around 12 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 4–5 cm.
Freehand or stencil cream on the bellies, eye glints and a few ripple lines. Around 12 PSI, 0.2–0.3 mm needle, 3–5 cm.
Let the paint cure fully per the paint maker's guidance, then heat set if your paint calls for it and finish with a light clear topcoat.
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
- Spots in neat rows look like a pattern, not a fish. Scatter them and vary the size.
- Heavy cream highlights flatten the scene. Use short, light passes and stop early.
- Spraying too close with dark colours causes spidering. Drop pressure and back off a few centimetres.
- Skipping full cure before the topcoat can cloud the colours. Give it the full drying time.
Tips
- Spray the teal pool before the fish so the water sits behind them and the trout edges stay clean.
- Test every colour on scrap first; golden olive can shift green or yellow depending on what sits under it.
- Keep the two fish slightly different in size so they read as near and far.
- Let each layer dry to the touch before laying the next mask, or the stencil will lift paint.
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$9
Stencils
- Pre-cut mylar stencil set for this design — 10 layers$18
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 2 oz — one per colour in this design$48
- Transparent base and reducer, 4 oz$7
- Low-tack masking film and ¼ in tape$8
- Matte fabric sealer, 4 oz$12
Equipment
- Starter airbrush set — 0.3 mm dual-action gravity brush, mini compressor, braided hose$129
- Cap jig — holds the crown taut while you spray$24
Guide
- Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded
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$78
Stencils
- Desktop stencil cutter, 12 in — the "stencil printer": cuts mylar from this design's layer files$299
- Stencil mylar, 7 mil, 12 × 12 in$22
- This design's layer files, every layer (SVG)Included
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 4 oz — one per colour in this design$112
- Transparent base and reducer, 16 oz$16
- Low-tack masking film$18
- Matte fabric sealer, 16 oz$28
Equipment
- Dual-action gravity-feed airbrush, 0.3 mm$135
- Quiet compressor with tank and moisture trap$179
- Cap jig and two spare crown forms$64
- Tabletop spray booth with exhaust fan$149
- Cleaning pot, brushes and a half-mask respirator$99
- Heat gun for curing$35
Guide
- Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded
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$756
Stencils
- Stencil cutter-plotter, 24 in — the production "stencil printer"$649
- Stencil mylar, 7 mil, 12 × 12 in$85
- This design's layer files, every layer (SVG)Included
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 32 oz — one per colour in this design$384
- Transparent base and reducer$49
- Low-tack masking film$54
- Matte fabric sealer$89
Equipment
- Two dual-action gravity-feed airbrushes, 0.3 mm$270
- Production airbrush, 0.5 mm, for base fades$95
- Twin-piston compressor with tank and two regulators$329
- Production spray booth, two fans$289
- Three cap jigs$192
- Cleaning station, respirator and spare cartridges$139
- Cap heat press for curing$279
- Drying rack, 24 caps$65
Guide
- Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded
The creator
Remixes
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
trucker hat · made
0 — nothing entered the score yet, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- brown trout
- trout
- fly fishing
- trucker hat
- river
- west branch
- river stones
- streambed
- fishing hat
- trout art
- green
- teal