Pyramid Lake
Spring is here. Look at the weather going forward and you will see warm, warm, warm. May is a month at the lake that is traditionally very tough. Even with the new techniques we are using it is tough. You have to have the weather. Wind, clouds, rain, whatever. If it is golfing weather, go play golf. Fish the first hour of the day for sure. Then go play golf. Seriously, if you’re going to the lake, nymphing with light tippet as in 6-8 pound test and size 14-16 midges and nymphs. Go to a place where you see some fish cruising. If you get there for the daybreak bite, then strip a Midnight Cowboy Wooly and a White Loco Tadpole slowly on the bottom. A Good Leader with a Dropper tied on a tag with strong tippet is a must.
The spawn and the effects of it are in full swing right now. May is a tough month at Pyramid Lake. At least for most of us. So much is going on at the same time that it just tends to make fishing seem impossible most days. 99% of the female trout in Pyramid Lake do not get to complete the spawn. They carry eggs around until they spew out in some older fish or they dissolve back into their systems eventually. The males are seen chasing them around for a month or more sometimes. During this time, they just don’t eat much. The males get skinny, and the females work off some extra weight. This all happens at the same time as the weather is tripping out. Warmer, longer days and increasing water temperatures after months of constant cold. The minnows are heading for their summer hideouts, and a lot is going on at the same time. As the fish settle back into their old selves around the end of May the bite will turn around fast and all of a sudden it will be on again.
Rivers and Streams
This is a very normal spring so far in the Reno Tahoe area. 100% snowpack followed by warming weather with some mixed in periods of a cold day or two. This will also be a very normal run-off year in the mountains. Popular rivers and streams are going to be affected by higher flows for the next month or more. Some of them will be blown out for a period of time, others just tough to fish and wade. The best advice I can give you for your next fishing adventure is not the exact fly but the best conditions and a water that maybe you are familiar with until the runoff subsides. Check the stream flows before you go and be prepared to fish the edges, use more weight while nymphing and probably there is no reason to start too early. The water in the streams is going to be cold for a while.
Lakes and Reservoirs (Not Named Pyramid)
The local stillwaters could be the answer for the next month, psst… that is where we will be. Warmer water sparks the bugs hatching and the fish feeding and the fun starting. There are so many stillwaters in both California and Nevada that fish well in May, especially Nevada. Some require some planning and a couple of days to fish and others can be done in a day.
Get Outside and Enjoy Yourself…
