Pyramid Lake 2020

February 2020

If you build it they will come. Pyramid Lake is a true success story. Through proper management and restoration of a unique strain of Lahonton Cutthroat Trout, Pyramid Lake has become a top destination for anglers seeking truly monstrous trout. I had been dreaming of making a trip for quite some time and it was finally happening. Joining me would be longtime fishing partners Camron Despain and Kevin Higgs. Also tagging along would be Derek Peterson, fellow big fish hunter and fly shop colleague. Kevin would be pulling his camp trailer over for us to stay in.

Camron and Kevin arrived a day earlier than Derek and I. Camron and Kevin set the camper up and did some exploring and fishing, but sadly no fish came to hand their first afternoon at the lake. 

By 4 am, Derek and I were on the road. When we arrived in Winnemucca, I was pleasantly surprised to see a hero shot of a nice Lahonton Cutthroat trout ding into my phone as we came into cell service. Camron and Kevin were on the board! The last couple hours of the drive seemed to drag on as our anticipation grew.

Derek and I met Camron and Kevin at a rocky point they had fished that morning. By 10 am the bite had ended, but they had each landed a fish. We all fished for a couple hours longer before deciding to move onto a recommended beach for the evening bite. The weather was very nice; too nice. Calm glassy waters and cloudless skies defined the afternoon. Everything we had read was that fishing at Pyramid was best when the weather was nasty. The worst part was that the forecast called for this weather the entire time we were there. Regardless, we set up our 4 ladders in a large gap between other anglers at a popular fishing beach. Ladders are a useful fishing platform at Pyramid, enabling anglers to stand higher in the water and still reach the drop-off that the fish cruise, just beyond waist-deep water.

We all started fishing double chironomids, or "chids" with indicators and it didn't take Camron long to tie into a fish.

We all hoped the chid bite would turn on, but as quickly as our excitement started, it faded as the afternoon wore on and nobody caught any more fish. Finally, Kevin switched to stripping a bugger with a popcorn beetle and hooked up. 

Other anglers around us slowly began to pick up a fish here and there, including Kevin who seemed to have the "hot hand", who landed 2 more fish by 5pm. 

I also finally hooked into my first fish shortly after. 

Soon it was dark and Kevin finished the day with 4, Camron 3, myself 1 and Derek sadly had yet to receive a sniff. 

We started the next day at the same beach. At first light, we placed our ladders near the drop-off and began casting and stripping. A few casts later I tied into a nice cutty. 

I apparently had the hot hand for the morning because I kept getting bit. Meanwhile, 30 feet to either side of me, Kevin hooked one but Derek still hadn't seen any fish. We were all using the same thing and retrieving our flies the same, yet I was receiving the love this morning. We had been warned that Pyramid could be like this. 

By the time the sun crested the mountains around us, the bite had ended. I finished the morning with 4 fish, while Camron and Kevin landed 1 a piece, and Derek still no love. 

We decided to do some exploring while the fishing was slow. We had heard that when the sun is out and the lake is calm, find some rocky areas near deep water and fish with indicators. We explored the lake and found areas worth trying and areas to avoid. But as the afternoon progressed with no fish, we found ourselves on another popular beach waiting with everyone else for the evening bite. However, this beach was so popular that we were forced to split up. Camron and Kevin squeezed into a spot in the North side of the bay while Derek and I squeezed into the South. As the sun fell behind the mountains, people began to catch fish, including Derek who tied into a feisty specimen.

We saw Kevin catch a few and the guy next to him landed a 13 pounder, but as it got later, Derek and I still hadn't seen anymore action in our neighborhood. Strangely enough, people were clearing out with plenty of daylight to spare, including a spot near Kevin and Camron. Derek and I quickly relocated our ladders and resumed flogging the water in a new neighborhood. Just before dark I hooked one, but that was it. 

The following morning we found ourselves once again at the same beach we fished the previous morning. Today the forecast had called for wind in the afternoon and this beach was supposed to fish dynamite with a strong wind. The morning progressed with a few hookups, but as the sun came out and the water calmed, we debated whether to stay and wait for the wind or do some more exploring. We decided to explore.

We found a nice rocky point where some ladies were hooked up on a nice fish. We walked over to see a monster of a cutty slip into the net. The fish ended up being 18 pounds! Camron and Kevin decided to fish in that area while Derek and I decided to drive to another point nearby. While Derek took a brief nap in the truck, I walked down to the water to find a spot to fish. There were anglers fishing the main rocky point, but just to the South I noticed a couple submerged rocks that I could wade to. Once out there, I would be nearly surrounded by deep, dark water. I tippie-toed out to the rocks and an optimistic smile came across my face; this water looked good! Next to where I stood, a bleached bone rested on the rock. I think I'll call this spot "bone rock". With my chids set-up at about 10 ft deep, I patiently stared at my bobber on the glassy water. Fort-five minutes must have passed and I was nearly day dreaming when suddenly a lone cloud passed over the sun. While I longed for the afternoon skies to fill with clouds, my bobber sunk. Luckily I was paying just enough attention to notice and set the hook. I felt significant weight on the end of my line and it was obvious I was dealing with a different caliber of fish. The fish battled hard as I pondered how I was going to land this fish by myself and get a picture. 
"Looks like you could use a netter!" I turned around to see Derek coming down the hill.
"Just in time man!" I replied.
After a great fight, Derek scooped the 27 inch fish into the net. We high-fived and took some photos of our first big Lahonton Cutthroat.

I had Derek wade out to the rocks and fish while I tried another area. Again, a cloud passed over the sun and almost immediately I heard Derek shout, fish on! I ran down to help him, but the large fish rolled and broke him off. Derek said he saw the fish when it rolled and he estimated it weighed in the teens! 

Derek continued to fish the "bone rock", with several more hook-ups. I texted Camron to see how they were doing. He had hooked a monster that had nearly spooled him and lost. Derek and I continued to fish the "bone rock" until the wind finally showed up. The once placid pond turned into the ocean with 2 and 3 foot rollers crashing into the bank. With newfound optimism we continued to fish with no luck. It was now getting close to sundown, so we packed up and headed back to where Camron and Kevin were fishing. 

They had slowly encroached on the ladies in the hotspot, taking notes as they continued to catch fish all afternoon. We fished this area until dark. Curious if the ladies would be fishing these rocks in the morning, I decided to go talk to them as they were packing up. These slightly "hippie-looking" girls lived in Tahoe and would be driving back that night. They were friendly and helpful, showing me how deep they were fishing and what flies they were using. We now had a game plan for tomorrow.

Before light we were at the "hippie-chick rocks", as we were now calling them. Kevin and I decided to fish the cove nearby and strip flies while Camron and Derek fished indicators off the rocks. At first light I set the hook on a substantial fish. It pulled hard and then made a run toward me. As it came near my ladder and into headlamp view, I caught a glimpse of the fish. 
"Kevin!" I shouted, realizing I would need some help.
The fished raced away and took all my fly line with it as I climbed down from my ladder to grab my net on the shore. Kevin slowly made his way down the beach just as the fish finally tired and I scooped it into the net. 
"Dang, that's a nice one," Kevin said. "I landed one up there but he was smaller."
We took some photos and measured the length of the fish: 30 inches.

The sun came over the hill as Kevin and I made our way back to the rocks. Derek had hooked 4 fish in the morning. The 4 of us lined the rocks and pounded the water for the next several hours. Camron and Derek had the hot hands as they landed several fish before lunch. 

I decided to hike back up to "bone rock" and fish for a while for a change of scenery. Once again the sun and glassy waters marked the weather for the day and after a couple hours of no fish, I returned to the "hippie chick rocks". The rest of the guys had caught a couple while I was gone but it had slowed. The guys commented on how they had seen a couple fish cruise in close to the bank. I let my flies drift in a tad closer than previous casts and my indicator took a dive. I set the hook and once again knew I had a significant fish. In the clear water we could see it was another very large fish. Camron filmed the entire battle on his go pro and after scooping the fish into the net, we weighed it: 12 pounds and 30 inches! Unfortunately, when I lifted the fish for a picture it shot out of my hands and back into the deep water. 

A little while later I brought in another mid 20 inch fish and so did Camron.

We finished the day like we had started it; Camron and Derek on the rocks and Kevin and I returning to the beach to strip flies. At last light, I hooked into a 26 inch gorgeous colored up male. Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of this fish either because my phone was dead and so was Kevin's.

We decided to finish out our last morning at a popular beach and rocky spot that we'd observed people fishing well over the last several days. Not having scouted this area, we made our way down in the dark to the rocks hoping to find a good spot. Camron and Kevin decided to strip flies on the beach. Right away, we could tell there were lots of fish nearby because they were rolling all over. I had just enough light to see my indicator, so I started fishing. I missed several take-downs before hooking into a scrappy fish. I quickly shook it free and resumed fishing the magic hour. I tied into another smaller fish and quickly released it as well. Fish were rolling all over. My indicator took a plunge again just as the sun was coming over the hill. After a great fight, Derek gave me a hand in netting and taking a picture of a 27 inch fish. 

Now that the sun was on the water, the morning magic faded and Camron and Kevin appeared. They had each landed one on the beach. The fish stopped rolling, but our neighbors a few rocks down began putting on a clinic catching big fish. We could tell these guys were jaded because they were releasing high 20 inch fish without even taking pictures. Envious, Kevin went over to talk to them and see what they were doing. Kevin gathered the "skinny" for next time, but unfortunately it was time for us to pack it up and head back home. 

Pyramid Lake had challenged us but also offered up some love. Despite tough conditions, we managed a few fish and a few nice ones at that. We all had some rough days and some days where it seemed one of us just had the special hand. We learned a ton about a unique fishery. I can honestly say I'm hooked and can't wait to return!  

The Owyhee's

May 2019

The annual Owyhee trip was upon us. Our crappie supply in the freezer had dwindled just in time for the hot crappie bite that comes only once a year. In addition to hitting the reservoir, we would camp on the river and fish for brown trout in the mornings and evenings. This year we brought the float tubes, hoping to access the slower stretches of river where wading is difficult. 

The spring weather this year had been dicey at best. Storm after storm had been through the area and temperatures were much colder than normal.

"I bet this cold rainy weather has made crappie fishing tough." I said to the gal at the Owyhee Grocery store as we bought our Oregon license's.

"Nope. They are taking them out by the buckets right now. I'm jealous I'm not up there!" She replied with sincerity.

With a report like that we rushed up the reservoir to partake in hopefully insane crappie fishing. The weather had other plans though. Rain came down in buckets as we tried to ready the boat to launch. Despite the weather, Katie was chomping at the bit to get on the water. Katie LOVES catching crappie.

When the rain subsided slightly we launched the boat, motored over to some nearby rocks and began fishing. On my first cast, the indicator sunk and seconds later I was lipping a 9 inch black crappie. 

We made our way back into a popular cove where many bank anglers had fished. The flooded bushes were decorated like Christmas trees with jigs and bobbers. A kaleidoscope of different colors could be seen dangling here and there. I worked around each bush to "clean up" the litter, gathering all kinds of jigs and bobbers.

We fished that afternoon for several hours and landed nearly 100 crappie and several bass. 

We didn't keep any crappie. This evening had been a recon trip to establish what size crappie we could keep the following day. Nine and half inches would make it on the stringer.

That night the rain came down in buckets again. We chickened out on fishing the river in the evening at camp, and when I woke up in the morning, it was still raining. Regardless, the brown trout were calling my name. While Katie slept, I wadered up and made my way to the river. I started with a nymph rig; a frenchie trailed by an egg pattern. It worked well, and in short order, I was netting a 15 inch brown. 

A few casts later, it produced another nice fish.

I landed 4 fish on 4 different flies by 8 am. No hatches had materialized, so subsurface was the game. 

I came back to camp and Katie and I got ready to fish the reservoir. As soggy as it had been the previous day, Katie and I wore our waders this time. Once on the water, fishing was again excellent!

We ended that day with loads of fish caught, but only 19 crappie were large enough to make it on the stringer.

Back at camp the rain came down in buckets, forcing us to retreat to the safety of the tent. Our gear was being tested in this weather. Everything was beginning to get soggy, including our outlook on the following day of fishing.

I awoke the next morning to clouds, but no rain. I quickly wadered up and readied the float tube to fish the pool at camp.

I fished the famed "Spiller's Diver," with no luck. I then switched to a black cone head wolly bugger. On my first cast, the rod was nearly jerked out of my hands. Slow to the take, I missed several fish before connecting.

Once I found my groove, I began to connect with at least half of the takes I was receiving.

The browns were absolutely crushing my wooly bugger this morning. I couldn't wait to get Katie out in the tube to partake in this action.

I landed 8 browns by 8 am. I woke Katie up to see what she wanted to do.

"Let's catch more crappie!" She said with a smile. "Maybe if it gets sunny later we'll try the river."

Back up to the reservoir we went. As we crested the dam, the image before us looked like a scene from Jurassic Park. The green mountains disappeared into the clouds like those of Isla Nublar. Although not raining at the moment, rain was clearly in the future. 

We launched the boat and took off up the reservoir to some coves we've hit in the past. Although we found crappie nearly everywhere, Katie and I found one rock pile that was loaded with them! Tons of bigger ones too. Almost half of the crappie from this location ended up on the stringer.

We must have caught at least 30 crappie off this one rock pile! 

We fished on, making our way into a nice cove. I knew there would be some bass lurking in the back, so I tied on a Spillers Diver and sent it in. The diver plopped down on the water. As I started chugging the diver toward me, a large shadow materialized behind the fly. I paused the fly for 5 seconds. The shadow slowly crept closer until it sat centimeters away. Then it opened its large mouth, the fly instantly disappearing into a swirl of bubbles. I set the hook hard, momentarily feeling the weight of a large bass. Then my rod went slack as the fly broke off. I cursed my poorly and hastily tied knot; something I rarely do. With barbless hooks, you'll often find the fly floating back up in the area, but no such phenomenon was seen. I tied on another diver and sent it back in. My fly hung up on a piece of stick or weed. I quickly drug it in to find a very unusual surprise: my fly! How I managed to place a blind cast directly onto my broken off fly, which I didn't even see, and bring it in is a miracle. 

It must have been destiny. The next cast back into the cove produced a nice largemouth. Not the whopper from before, but still a really nice bass.

We fished on. Catching many more crappie and bass. Every time we'd reach a "bassy" looking area we'd throw the diver with success. Even the crappie were coming up for the diver!

The weather was highly variable, with sun at moments and more rain mixed in. The fishing however wasn't. It was non-stop action!

The scenery in the Owyhee's is also second to none.

In the early afternoon we could see darker, threatening clouds brewing. A wall of water approached us faster than we could escape. 

We fished through the rain and hail, but we knew it was about time to call it quits. Before we could take off though, a carp decided he needed to be caught.

With well over a hundred and fifty fish caught, and nearly 40 crappie on the stringer, it was time to head home. We filleted our crappie as the rain continued to come down. The heavy rain made our decision to float and fish the river an easy one; some other time. 

The annual Owyhee trip was again a success. It may take several days to completely dry out, but it was worth it!