Making New Fish Memories
by Tim Loomis
Another full moon on the rise and it can mean only one thing...time to write my monthly article!
Countdown to Pyramid Lake is on with our scout party of Betty Rentz and Jim Hall recently returned bearing good news of fishing around the "nets". Bad news is that the "nets", both north and south are closed to fishing until May 15th. If you are going up to Pyramid and have entertained ideas of fishing alternative sites on the lake, now is the time. News is that the Paiutes are financially strapped from implementing the new restrictions. Wish I could be more clear on the restrictions other than the "nets" closure. Anyway, crowding shouldn't be a problem this year.
I checked out my gear and found that I need new flies. Time to tie more Midnight Cowboys, White, Chartreuse Beetles and a couple of new patterns that the scouts saw in use. One is a sparse midge pattern - black w/red wire ribbing and a white bead head. The other is a smaller, black, foam beetle with a purple underside. Need to make sure my running lines are in good shape and all my shooting heads are handy.
There is a new indicator making the rounds. It's a takeoff of the balloon indicator that the Green River guides have used for years, called a "thingamabobber". It's just a small colored plastic ball with a rubber loop on one end to tie the tippet on to. The plastic material will give it a longer life than the standard party balloon.
While trying to go to sleep I recounted the strikes and fish landed from past Pyramid trips. A couple are worth remembering; the one fish that took my dropper fly only to take the lead fly on its release creating a record time in the "how fast can you catch the same fish twice" category. Another was Harry Petrakis's "double" last March and of course Joe Bigas's enormous fish on his last day a few years back that graces page 10 of the 2006 membership roster.
What matters now is how many fish stories do I have to remember before I am able to finally nod off? Maybe if I try to envision new takes of 10 pound Lahonton cuts, runs that take me deep into my backing and 15 minute battles, just maybe I can fall asleep.
Fish On.