Pyramid Spring 2012

I have just returned from a long sojourn to the emerald waters of Pyramid Lake Nv. This year is unlike any that I have experienced out there. Tough fishing conditions were the name of the game with some days yielding a handful of grabs and others providing consistent action. Stories abound as to why the fishing is as tough as it is but I have no real answers. All I know is it is not what we have grown accustomed to. The nice thing is crowds are light and most beaches are ghost towns.

Onto the good news...I got this 8.5 # buck on my last night at the rocks at Pelican.

Usually I don't spend a whole lot of time on the rocks, but this year I found it to be a good place to fish and warm up in the afternoons. I caught fish there midging but it was never red hot action for me.


Even though the fishing was not very good, the friendships forged in the wind and waves of the big lake will be carried with me a life time. I am itching to get back to the stark beauty and fiesty cutthroat.

Happy New Year! and a Pyramid report

Happy 2011 to all! The new year has started out well!
After another stellar semester at FRC and a busy holiday season I have finally caught my breath and have been able to get in a little fishing.The best available option locally has been Pyramid Lake. Over the past 2 weeks I have had a great run, landing 33 of 35 hooked over three outings.Yesterday I went 15 for 16 with 2 fish in the 26" range.Most fish were caught on a rootbeer midge and a Trojan midge.

All in all, Pyramid is fishing very well for this time of year.There are fish in good numbers at the Nets right now.I am concentrating my efforts there until things change.Water temps have dropped to 44* but the fish are still very active.Once temps get below 41* expect the fishing to slow down a bit.Fish to 12lbs have been landed over the past few weeks from shore and a boater recently landed an 18lber!


I haven't had the chance to fish the Truckee lately, so I have no first hand knowledge how fishing is over there.Check out Gilligan's blog at http://gilligansguideservice.blogspot.com/ for up to date Truckee River reports.

I am giving a talk to the Delta Fly Fishers on the 12th, the Granite Bay Fly Fishers on March 11th and also to the Santa Cruz Club in May. If anyone else is interested in having me speak about fly fishing opportunities in the Northern Sierra's please let me know!

I wish everyone a prosperous 2011!

Fishing my brains out...

It has been a while since my last post.I have been very busy with life,guiding and fishing.Now for the good ,the bad and the ugly!

Lake Davis has finally started to fish well,although the damsel hatch has been pretty slow to get going at this point.We have been having good success fishing Sano's Rootbeer midges and blood midges under a bobber in about 10' of water.Fish have also been caught on Rickard's stillwater nymphs,sheeps creek specials and wiggle tails fished on an intermediate line.


Client Doug Haut caught this monster on a blood midge yesterday! Guideline rep Tim Loomis also caught a nice fish but for the most part the fish were cookie cutter 14" specimens.



Water temps are hovering in the low 70's and I will be guiding the river and the Lakes Basin until the water temps come back down in the fall.

Last week I had the pleasure of guiding Al Delco and Charlie S from the Merced Fly Fishers. After picking up a fish here and there we finally got into fish around 5:30 pm and for the next hour we just hammered them.Rootbeer midges were the hot ticket.



The Middle Fork Feather River has dropped into shape around the Graeagle area.I had the pleasure of guiding the Reber's from the Bay area last week.We had plenty of opportunities throughout the day both nymphing and with dries.There was a nice Little Yellow Sallie hatch in the early afternoon that had fish looking up and chowing on small elk hair stonefly patterns.



The Reber's were a great,fun family to fish with and I look forward to future trips with them.




With the wet cool spring we experienced the river should fish well this July for small wild trout.The Lakes Basin lakes will be fishing nicely as well.I will fish Lake Davis for another week or so until temps get into the mid 70's then I will not be back until the fall.

Come on up the fishing is FINE!