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Finding Treasure in the form of big Lahontan Cutthroat Trout at Pyramid Lake,
Nevada (continued)
Be
ready to lose a few fish out at Pyramid, as conditions need to be right for fish
to commit completely. Sometimes the fish will follow the bait and swipe at it
rather than fully strike, and there are other times when the fish will pin their
mouths shut by absolutely inhaling lures. Regulations require that all barbs be
pinched down so it is important to keep tension on your line at all times to
prevent shake offs.
This AC Plug special pattern has
caught many big fish for Mark in the past
I wouldn’t say that
Lahontan Cutthroat Trout are the hardest fighters, and most battles are short
runs or a quick spat of head shakes. While you still don’t want to muscle these
fish in they are easier to control than other fish of their size. Should you
hook into any fish over ten pounds I am sure this is a different story, and on a
fly these fish will almost certainly put up a spectacular fight.
The reason pyramid Lake attracts
anglers from all over the nation
As the day went on Cal and
I proceeded to catch more fish while Mark remained utterly committed to the big
baits. Because he had fished Pyramid many times before he was more interested in
quality over quantity, while Cal and I were perfectly happy to land as many fish
as possible on our first trip here. We fished for a total of seven hours and
averaged just over a fish an hour at the end of the trip, with the biggest just
under eight pounds. I caught the most fish, Cal got the most quality fish, and
Mark stuck to his guns but unfortunately wasn’t able to land a lunker this time
around. Mark was right about the flurries, whenever we got one bite there were
many others behind it, and while we got a number of short strikes, we were
pretty content with the quality fish we did manage to land.
Cal and mark fish across from the
famous "Pyramid"
Fight Corrosion:
It is important to rinse off all your gear after fishing in Pyramid as the salt
content is so high that within minutes of drying off you can see the spots on
your reels, rods, and waders. If left unattended rust will build up on terminal
tackle and reel components in a matter of hours. We used bottled freshwater to
quickly rinse off reels, and it is a good idea to bring some just in case you
can’t get your reels under a tap or hose anytime soon. We learned our lesson
this time as some of our reels got an extra dose of “durability” testing, and we
lost one HD camera to rusting on connectors.
Pyramid Lake has a fantastic
Lahontan Cutthroat Trout fishery, and you can be sure that we will be back to
target these gorgeous fish
Conclusion:
Pyramid Lake is a jewel in the Nevada high desert, and the treasure here comes
in the form of big trout quite unlike those found anywhere else. The Lahontan
Cutthroat Trout is native to the region, and though once almost completely wiped
out, the fishery at Pyramid continues to be on the rebound thanks to a first
class hatchery program run by the Paiute tribe. Both the Lahontan Trout and the
lake itself are captivating, and landing a fish here is the stuff that dreams
are made of for both conventional trout anglers and fly fishermen. Pyramid Lake
is so much fun that it has definitely made it into my list of top fishing
destinations here in the West, and you can be sure that Cal and I will be back,
only next time we are going to be bringing the boat and fly rods.
Looking for customized AC Plugs? Check out the
AC Website and contact the
company for special orders
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