The sun was just starting to go down as we packed up the last of the gear in the back of the truck on Wednesday evening. We turned on to the 93 and set our sites first on Vegas and then to Reno. The conversation was entertaining to say the least, but around 1am things got quiet and passengers started drifting off to sleep. We made good time and we positioned our ladders deep in the lake sand and were ready when the sun started to come up again.

Then we spent three days fishing in the howling wind and cold water of Pyramid Lake. The fishing ebbed and flowed as it normally does. We bounced around to different beaches, and ultimately found a couple spots that gave up some nice fish. No true 15 or 20 pound monsters came to the net, but overall we were pretty happy. Most of our fish came on heavy sinking line and beetles being stripped along the barren bottom of the lake.

What stands out more to me about this trip was the atmosphere. We had good food and laughed to the point of exhaustion. Couldn’t ask for much more than that. Here are a couple of pictures from my camera.

Also check out:

Alex Landeen Photos

Sleep When You’re Dead

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By our third day of fly fishing Pyramid Lake, we were settling into a rhythm. We woke early and were the first ones on our beach. With headlamps on we waded out chest deep and set our ladders in hopes of tying into one of the really big 10+ pound fish. Although we landed several nice fish along with many other regular Pyramid Lake Lahontans, the big ones proved elusive.

Around 10 we pulled our ladders in order to check out of Crosby’s, and after a quick bite to eat, we scoped out several more beaches before landing on one that had very few fishermen on it. With the day coming to a close we continued to bring fish to the net. With the daylight fading, we called it a day and broke down our fly rods. As we drove away, I realized why all the “Pyramid guys” talk the way they do. The lake is something pretty special and I cannot wait to get back up there and plop my ladder back down in the sand and start stripping flies for big cutthroats.

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Day 2 of fly fishing Pyramid Lake came very early. Based on what we had seen and experienced the first day, we headed out really early to get a spot on the beach. Ultimately, we found ourselves in the center of the action and began hooking up at first light. We found that during our time at Pyramid, stripping flies on heavy sinking lines was the ticket for consistant action. Fly fishing Pyramid Lake was unlike anything I had ever done before. I had worried on the way up that my small-stream-ADD-mentality would make the monotony of lake fishing unbearable, but hooking up on big, hard fighting Lahontan cutthroats was extremely rewarding.

We were able to hold some very respectable fish and left the water happy and satisfied.

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A few months back, my good buddy Kyle, who writes over at Sleep When You’re Dead, started putting the word out about a possible fly fishing trip together for Pyramid Lake. When everything finally shook out and the final preperations were made, the trip consisted of Kyle, Landon, Jake, and myself. We loaded up my Tundra with ladders, gear, and a healthy dose of optimism and left the Valley of the Sun around 6 PM. We drove steadily through the night, talking about the places we fished and the places we hoped to fish, and arrived at Pyramid Lake just as the sun was rising over the mountains. The growing sunlight exposed the dramatic landscape, and we quickly donned waders and layers of clothing to keep out the cold. We quickly rigged our fly rods and soon casting our lines into this monstrous lake.

Unbelievably, my indicator was the first to dip and pretty soon I was holding one of the beautiful Lahontan cutthroat trout that grow in Pyramid Lake. At first, we focused on drifting big flashy nymphs under indicators, but we soon found that stripping flies on heavy sinking lines to be more productive (and less boring).

We fought fatigue from our all night drive and after switching beaches, we were all on the board with multiple fish brought to hand. Although the goal at Pyramid Lake is to catch a fish over 10 pounds (all the way upwards of 20), we were exctatic to be pulling fish in the 20-27″ range.

We called it a day as the sun dipped behind the mountains, and after a dinner of corndogs and french fries, we crashed for the night in preperation for an early morning on the water.

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I found myself in Las Vegas for a good buddy’s bachelor party not long ago and amidst the turmoil of the weekend, I planned to get out and do a little fishing. My research had started a few months earlier and with the insight from some friends I found myself bouncing over a teeth-chattering, washboard road through the Nevada desert.

Fairly soon, the sage and joshua trees of the desert gave way to junipers and taller pines of the canyon. I drove over a small trickle of water that started to grow over the next few times that I crossed it. Before long I came to several large pools and rigged up the fly rod with a brown mini-hopper.

At the head of the first pool, I laid the bushy mini-hopper in the foam line and saw the splashy take of a hungry trout. I played my first Lahontan cutthrout to the bank took and cradled the fish for a quick picture.

After that first pool, I worked my way up the creek as the canyon started narrow and choke with brush. I found the small pool pictured above in which I could see several trout finning in the water. With no room for a normal cast, I used a bow and arrow cast to put a #20 sparkle parachute and was able to pull a couple trout to hand. With only a few hours to fish, I did not make it as far up the canyon as I would have liked. I turned back towards the mouth of the canyon, and once in the truck, I made my way back in to town. It really does not get much better than a fun weekend in Vegas with a little bit of small stream fishing thrown in as well.

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