THE LAKE IS LARGE; APPROXIMATELY 20 BY 10 MILES AND REACHES DEPTHS OF 300 PLUS FEET. IT IS LARGE ENOUGH TO CREATE ITS OWN MICRO ECOLOGY AND WEATHER PATTERNS. THE WEATHER AT THE LAKE CAN AND OFTEN IS DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT THAN IN RENO, NV WHICH IS ONLY 35 MILES TO THE SOUTH. THE LAKE IS ALSO UNIQUE IN OTHER RESPESCTS. THE WATER IS RICH IN VARIOUS MINERAL SALTS AND APPROACHES THE SALINITY OF THE OCEAN. THE LAKE IS ALSO NOTORIOUS FOR ITS RAPID CHANGES IN WIND DIRECTION AND VELOCITY.
WHEN THE LIGHTING IS JUST RIGHT DURING THE DAY THE PYRAMID ACTUALLY GLOWS AND IS VIEWED IN DRAMATIC CONTRAST TO THE SURROUNDING ROCK FORMATIONS AND THE HIGH SIERRA MOUNTAINS THAT RING THE LAKE. WHEN THIS EVENT OCCURS THE LOCALS SAY THAT THE “ROCK IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS” AND FOR WHATEVER REASON A “BITE” USUALLY BEGINS.
MY ADVENTURE TO PYRAMID BEGAN WITH AN INVITATION FROM GIL SANTOS AND COMPANION PAT, ANGLERS AND FRIENDS WHO FISH FOR JUNE STRIPERS EVERY FEW YEARS WITH ME IN THE MERRIMACK. GIL ALONG WITH 20 OR SO OF HIS ANGLER FRIENDS FROM THE SANTA CRUZ FLY FISHING CLUB HAVE BEEN DOING A “FISH OUT” TO PYRAMID FOR OVER A DECADE.
THEY CONSIDER THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO FISH FOR THE CUTTS AT PYRAMID TO BE FROM MID MARCH TO MID APRIL. DURING THIS TIMESPAN THE TROUT MOVE FROM THE DEPTHS AND COME CLOSE TO SHORE TO BEGIN STAGING FOR THEIR SPAWNING RUN WHERE THEY FALL WITHIN RANGE OF A WADING OR LADDERING, I WILL EXPAND ON THAT UNIQUE STYLE OF “ WADING “ LATER, FLYCASTER.
I LEFT BOSTON ON UNITED AIRLINES AT 6:15 A.M. AND ARRIVED IN RENO, NV AT 11:30 A.M. WHERE I WAS MET BY GIL AND ED WHO COLLECTED ME MINUS MY LUGGAGE, WAY TO GO UNITED, AND AFTER A STOP TO BUY SOME GROCERIES WE MADE THE 45 MINUTE DRIVE FROM RENO TO SUTCLIFFE, NV AND CROSBY’S LODGE ON PYRAMID LAKE. THERE WE MET UP WITH TOM WHO ROUNDED OUT OUR FOURSOME IN TRAILER #8. TOM HAD DRIVEN UP TO PYRAMID EARLIER IN THE DAY.
AFTER WHAT YOU COULD CLEARLY SEE WAS A WELL REHEARSED AND ORCHESTRATED MOVEMENT OF FOOD AND GEAR FROM THE TRUCK INTO THE TRAILER, WE WERE DRESSED, GEARED UP AND ON THE LAKE IN LESS THAN AN HOUR FOR SOME RECON AND FISHING. THIS INCLUDED FITTING ME OUT WITHN SOME WARM CLOTHING AND FLIES THAT SHOULD HAVE ARRIVED WITH MY LUGGAGE. FORTUNATELY I PACKED WADERS, RAINGEAR, A COUPLE OF REELS AND TWO RODS IN MY CARRY-ON. MY LUGGAGE DID ARRIVE THAT EVENING.
I WILL BE SHORT AND TO THE POINT. BRING A 6 AND 8 WGT 9 FOOT ROD, A CASTABLE 15 TO 30 FOOT SINKING TIP LINE, A FLOATING LINE, AN ASSORTMENT OF BLACK WB, BLACKISH MIDNIGHT COWBOY(WB), FOAM BEETLES IN WHITE/CHARTRUESE, BLACK FLASHBACK BEETLES SIZES 4 TO 8 AND COPPER JOHNS 10’S AND 12’S IN RED AND GREEN ALONG WITH AN ASSORTMENT OF SIZE 14 AND 16 RED AND BLACK MIDGES. THE FISH ARE NOT LEADER SHY AND 2X, 3XAND 4X TIPPETS WILL DO. B RING WADERS, THE USUAL OUTTER AND INNER WEAR AND FLY TYING MATERIALS. YOU CAN RENT LADDERS.
WE DROVE TO PELICAN COVE TO CHECK OUT WHAT AS GOING DOWN THERE AS THAT AREA OF THE LAKE HAD BENN FISHING WELL A WEEK EARLIER WITH BOTH STRIPPED FLIES WITH A FAST SINKING SHOOTING HEAD OR DROPPING A BRACE OF NYMPHS DOWN OFF OF A STRIKE INDICATOR. WE FOUND THE AREA RIPE WITH POWER BOATS, JET SKIS AND OTHER ANNOYING DISTRACTIONS. DESPITE THE GOINGS ON WE DECIDED TO FISH ANYWAYAND I MANAGED THE FIRST TWO CUTTS OF THE TRIP BOTH OF WHICH CAME ON A WHITE/CHARTRUESE FOAM BUG AND BLACK WOOLY BUGGER COMBO. THIS IS WHERE I WAS INTRODUCED TO THE LADDER FISHING METHOD DEVELOPED ON THE LAKE FOR ALLOWING AN ANGLER TO KEEP MOST OF HIS BODY OUT OF THE COLD(50 F) WATER AND ALSO ELEVATE THE ANGLER OFF THE WATER TO DECREASE THE CHANCE OF SLAPPING THE WATER ON YOUR BACKCAST. LONG CASTS, 60 TO 100 FT, ARE CONSIDERED A PLUS WHEN STRIPPING FLIES. MOST OF THE NYMPHING IS DONE WITHIN 40 FEET OF YOUR LADDER.
THE NEXT STOP WAS AT “THE SOUTH NETS”. THIS AREA IS SOUTH OF THE “HATCHERY” WERE EGGS ARE COLLECTED FROM THE FEMALES AND FERTILIZED WITH THE MILT FROM THE MALES. THERE IS A STREAM THAT RUNS THROUGH HATCHERY AND INTO THE LAKE AND THE WATER IS SCENTED TO ATTRACT THE SPAWN STRUCK ADULTS.
THIS AREA WAS VOID OF OTHER ANGLERS AND GIL AND I SET OUT OUR LADDERS.
WE BOTH FISHED A WOOLBUGGER AND BEETLE COMBO DREDGING THE RIPPLED SAND BOTTOM. THE LAKE HAD A MODERATE RIPPLE ON THE SURFACE WITH THE WATER TEMPERATURE BEING IN THE LOW 50’S AND THE AIR TEMP AT 6 P.M. BEING 65 F.
I MANAGED TO TAKE 6 FISH FROM 4 TO 7 LBS SPLIT BETWEEN THE WHITE POPCORN BEETLE AND THE BLACK FLASH BACK BEETLE.
GIL DREW A BLANK; HE WOULD MORE THAN MAKE UP FOR THE DEFICET
DURING THE WEEK.
WE HEADED BACK TO BASE CAMP AT 7:30.
MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY PROVED TO BE THE MOST PRODUCTIVE DAYS OF THE WEEK FOR MOST ANGLERS.
THE WIND BLEW OUT OF THE NORTH/ NORTHWEST, ENOUGH TO PRODUCE ENOUGH BUT NOT TOO MUCH WAVE ACTION.
THE PRESENCE OF WAVES PRODUCES SEVERAL POSITIVE EFFECTS .
THE CHOPPY SURFACE MAKES THE FISH LESS WARY, THE SLAPPING OF THE WAVES AGAINST THE SAND SLIGHTLY STAINS THE WATER AND THE BOUNCE OFFERS THE ANGLER THE OPTION OF GREAT NYMPHING.
ON THE OTHER HAND ONE NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF INCOMING WAVES SO THAT YOU DON’T TAKE A WAVE AT ABOUT EAR HEIGHT (YOURS TRULY).
MOST OF ANGLERS IN OUR GROUP MANAGED BETWEEN 20 TO 30 FISH IN THE 4 TO 8 LB RANGE ON BOTH STREAMERS AND NYMPHS.
ED M. TOOK A 10.5LB (WEIGHED AND RELEASED) LIT UP BUCK.
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WERE BLUE BIRD DAYS WITH CLOUDLESS SKIES AND DEAD CALM WATERS.A 6 FISH DAY IS CONSIDERED A GOOD ONE GIVEN THOSE CONDITIONS.
I HAD A GREAT TIME AND ENJOYED FISHING WITH A FINE GROUP OF ANGLERS, A UNIQUE STILLWATER FISHERY ALL IN AN UNUSUAL SETTING ; I WILL GO BACK THERE ANYTIME I AM INVITED. IT IS A RARITY WHEN I CAN FIND MYSELF ON A FISHING TRIP WHERE ALL I HAVE TO DO IS “SHOW UP”.
MY SINCERE THANKS GOES OUT GIL, ED, TOM, WARREN, THE TWO RALPH’S, DOUG, PAUL, JOE AND THE REST OF THE FINE FLYFISHERS OF THE SANTA CRUZ FLYFISHING CLUB.
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