This storm cycle has really kicked up the bite at Pyramid Lake with lots of snow, wind, and cloud cover. Fish are keying largely on midge patterns along the sharp dropoff zones as well as the shallower beaches on the right day. When the wind is stirring up the lake, waves have been pretty big- resulting in fish feeding tight to the bank or dropoff. 

In the mornings, fish have been caught at only 3-4 feet of depth with these conditions. They tend to wander deeper and further from the bank as the day goes on and settling into the 8-12’ depth zone by afternoon. During this part of the season it is really important to give your flies plenty of space so you can cover different parts of the water column. As a general guide, we usually like to space our flies 2-4 feet from one another. By spacing your flies more, you get fewer snagged fish as their bodies regularly cross the 30” mark. Long tags are helpful when rigging in that they let the top fly move freely and allow a fish to get their mouth around it. 

Fly choice is largely up to you with each angler having success on a variety of patterns. The Holographic Midge in 49er, Brown/Red, and Albino Wino are good choices regardless of weather conditions. On days with a lighter breeze, The Micro Holographic Midge is a good choice in similar variations. The next month or two can produce some of the best midge fishing of the season.

Stripping flies can also be effective this time of year. Shallower beaches in the 5-8’ depth range are your best bet. Ideally, the beach you are stripping on is sandy and void of rocks or tufa structure. Floating flies like the Pyramid Lake Beetle and Booby Fly suspend just slightly above bottom and give great movement. Try these in either White/Chartreuse or Black/Red or Black/Purple.

For those of you tying your own Pyramid Lake flies, we have a wide variety of tying materials. Some of the hot materials this time of year include ASB sheets, Brown Metallic Beads, Red Metallic Beads, and chironomid hooks. These can be purchased in store or online and shipped to your front door.