Pyramid Lake has fished well through the first part of April. The our extended winter has kept fish close to ledges and drop offs while feeding on a variety of food sources. We are finally starting to see fish cruise along shallow areas as they prepare to spawn. Typically, this migration into shallow water occurs in the early to middle parts of March. This year that is not the case so tactics must be adjusted slightly to target feeding Lahontan Cutthroat Trout. 

Stripping flies has been effective and will continue to be as fish congregate in the shallow flats. The advantage to using this method is that you can cover a broad area with your flies. On shallow beaches, fish tend to be more spread out. While the indicator setup can work on these types of beaches, you are limited as to where you can present the fly. These beaches do not have a defined ledge or drop off, so there is no specific target area to cast to. As fish prepare to spawn, they tend to eat flashy attractor streamers like the Mopcorn Beetle or the Tadpole. These flies are bright with a lot of movement to get the trout’s attention in a hurry. Pairing a Beetle with another floating fly will help elevate both flies away from the bottom. This is especially helpful when vegetation and algae growth begin as higher sun angles penetrates the water to warm the lake bottom. Flies like the Booby will work great in this situation when paired with a Beetle.

On rocky beaches, chironomids and midges are still the fly of choice for many anglers. As fish move into the shallower areas, fly pattern will become increasingly more important. This time of year we will often fish Holo Midges or even river nymphs (with strong enough hooks, of course). Since the fish will see many flies given the number of anglers, try mixing it up and fishing different patterns. Try pairing flies like a Duracell in a size 12, Assassin in a size 14, or a Jigged CDC Pheasant Tail in size 14 with Holo Midges for a two-fly setup. 

Flies we Suggest:  Mopcorn Beetle, Tadpole, Pyramid Lake Beetle, Holo Midge, Duracell, Assassin, Jigged CDC Pheasant Tail