Pyramid Lake Bamboo

[fisheye444]

Heading out to Pyramid Lake for my first time chasing those monster Lahontan cutts. I'm bringing a 9wt. switch bamboo and an 8wt. graphite backup if that does not do the trick. I would imagine that the drag on the reel has as much to do with landing these fish as anything. Advice for a first timer would be great.

Just wondered if anyone here has gone after these leviathans on bamboo. Looks like it would be one hell of a sleigh ride.

[/URL]

[norcal_1]

somebody on here made a rod using a Dennis Stone 8'6 7/8 wt Gillum blank for just that.....and in that same thread there are lots of ideas for steelhead bamboo rods which are similar

viewtopic.php?f=65&t=79496#p620741

least costly option would be the Orvis impregnated rods....Orvis 8.5' Battenkill 9 wt or Shooting Star

Carmine Lisella's latest Fall 2016 catalog (Jordan Mills) has an Orvis Shooting Star as well as a 9 ft Battenkill I think both in Ex++ condition for ~ $400 each,,,a steal

[bluesjay]

Hi Guys, WOW! And, ya gotta love the step ladders.

Jay Edwards

[BigTJ]

Used to fish pyramid a lot. The bulk of the fish are 18-22"....the gear you are bringing is way heavy. Really only need to cast 40-60 ft but do it in windy conditions (can be calm but don't count on it). An 8'5" 7 wt, like a Payne Canadian Canoe, would be perfect- not too heavy and can handle bigger fish. In graphite my go-to was a 10' 6 wt. The water is pretty salty, leave your Hardy at home.

Spent a lot of time on a ladder...but much preferred fishing out of my drift boat.

-John

Ps the fish do not fight that hard. There is no current. I have fought pyramid cutts in the 35" +/- range on my 6 wt graphite with no issues.

[BigTJ]

Unfortunately the original strain is functionally extinct.

100 lbs is an exaggeration. Although some think weights of 60 lbs was possible the all time record is 41 lbs caught in the 20's.

[rsagebrush]

I fished it a few times while I lived in Reno. First time out I got 2 about 25 to 30 inches long off Popcorn point, rather sluggish fighters but they were very tasty due to the water. Went a few more times and caught several more but rather boring fishing in my opinion. Plus the weather has to be atrocious and windy for the fishing to be good i guess. Kind of like work.

I used my Winston WT 8wt and it was probably overkill for the fish but not the wind. Make sure you wash your gear thoroughly after fishing there, very alkaline water.

You will love it if you like crowds and standing on a ladder heaving flies out into the lake and dragging them back. Actually if I was doing it again I would just use conventional gear.

Keep the fish, their planters and are very scrumptious do to the water.

[dshx]

Fortunately the original race of lahontans in Pyramid were recently discovered in Utah and successfully reintroduced to the lake: http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2 ... trout.html

[KLNC]

Ok, I guess I'm not very intuitive--what is the point with the ladders?

[bluesjay]

Hi Guys, Here's another 'rediscovery' article:

http://www.utahcutthroatslam.org/other- ... t-in-utah/

Jay Edwards

[rsagebrush]

KLNC, Shallow beach and you walk out as far as possible and set up your ladder, climb on, and cast out into the lake. It's okay for entertainment a few times, and the fish are generally large(r), better than trolling.

Don't speed on the Reservation or even look like you might like to speed, or big fat ticket; that may have changed though but I heard it was real bad one year.

[Holdover]

Ok, I guess I'm not very intuitive--what is the point with the ladders?

You gain distance on your cast from the higher vantage point AND it gets you out of the chilly waters. Not a small thing when your casting from the same spot for hours at a time..

[BigTJ]

Know about the pilot peak cutthroat the discovery was almost 40 years ago and usfw has been working with the strain for as long as Ive been fishing the lake. It's a great story with promise, but it's not the same as it was...the lake conditions have changed, as have the conditions in the river with the dams not just derby but all the way to Tahoe. Ok so they are spawning in the river finally but there's too much internreeding with rainbows (Truckee wild fish are actually cuttbows IMO). The article does not discuss the dozens of failed attempts to reintroduce Lahontans to the Truckee nor the genetic disposition of the naturally spawned offspring which are almost certainly not genetically pure. For these reasons the pilot peak fish being put in the lake for all intents and purposes are destined for the foreseeable future to be hatchery fish. Lake levels have dropped 100+ ft too. With all these factors together I don't believe it will ever be the same as it was. There's no question that the original, unaltered (i.e wild with no hatchery influence) genetically pure fish are gone forever. The pilot peak fish have gone through multiple generations in hatcheries. This is a long winded explanation of what I meant when I said the original strain is functionally extinct.

Still doesn't change the fact that the bulk of the fish you are going to catch are way more fun on a 6 or 7 wt. I would feel totall over gunned with a clunky heavy 9" bamboo salmon rod. As far as the wind goes fish in March and April when the weather is right, when the wind is up its not a fun place to be. And it's a myth the fishing is only good in bad weather. Seen some spectacular 60+ fish days when the lake is dead calm.

[BigTJ]

Re: ladders you are still in the water on a ladder. It's uncomfortable, cold, and you often get cramps in your legs I hate fishing off them. However it does get you closer to deeper water / drop offs. Personally I don't think they are necessary they tend to push the fish off the beach however if you are at the nets or Pelican or any other crowded beach and you don't have one you won't get out far enough because EVERYBODY will be fishing off one.

One thing I have seen that are much better are custom fishing platforms with rails. They are safer and keep you out of the water. If I were a die hard pyramid guy I'd make one. The thing is that at least for me Pyramid is not the kind of place to spend too much time at. It's often crowded unless you drive a ways, there can be a lot of boat and jet ski traffic with the associated noise, and the fishing is repetitive. However it's that fish of a lifetime possibility that keeps people going back.

[Trout120-1]

How far drive time is the lake from Reno ? Any places to stay ?

What's the temperature range of the water ?

Thanks

[BigTJ]

It's 45 mins from Reno without traffic. There are loads of places to stay. Water temps vary widely in the winter I thinkn it gets down into the 40's in the summer the water can be pleasant to swim in.

[BigTJ]

Here is the NFWS webpage on the hatchery. The Nevada Division of Wildlife (there isn't a Nevada fish and game dept) does not run the hatchery it's run by the Feds.

https://www.fws.gov/lahontannfhc/

Despite wishful thinking and folklore, there's no concrete evidence to suggest 100 lb lahontans ever lived in Pyramid or ancient lake lahontan.

IIRC there were one ir two other unique cutthroat sub species that inhabited Lake Tahoe and possibly the upper and or lower Truckee that met their demise due to introduction of non-native species and possibly market fishing.

I spend a lot of time in central Nevada and marvel at the strand lines that still ring the valleys at and below that last lake high stand elevation.

[winston59]

I fished the lake three times using graphite, 9' 5 wt and 7 wt for streamers. The majority of fish I caught were 24-28 inches and this was in March. Cold morning temps in the mid 30's with afternoon high around 45.
My best two fish were just over 30 inches and I was using my Z Axis 5 weight, 7-10 feet of water fishing nymphs.



It's true windy nasty weather can best. Too choppy on the water for my taste, waves can be 2-4 feet with winds blowing you across the lake in pontoon or float tube. Dangerous wave action because of the size of the lake.

First trip stayed in Reno, fun to check out the casino. It is a long drive to lake, with low speed limits. You will be on the reservation and you better obey posted speed limits. There is a lodge at the lake with trailers and restaurant, store.

[oldtrout]

ASAP after fishing Pyramid: clean your rod, clean your reel, clean your line.

[reelytrout]

There is a article on Pyramid Lake in the Autumn 2016 issue of Fly Rod and Reel magazine.

[winston59]

Sage advice no matter where one fishes.