Pyramid Lake is the land of giant cutthroat trout. Lahontan cutts are huge, predatory and voracious. I don’t do much of the background research for our team (me, Aimee and George) I mainly do logistics and how to catch fish, but Aimee mentioned that Lahontan cutts grow about 4 pounds a year once they are released into the lake. That is ridiculous.
We got 2 fish during our stay in Nevada that were in the 10lb class, the smaller one, which we measured, taped out at 28.5†long and 14.5†around, for a river trout that would be about 8lbs, but these giant fish have shoulders and the deep bodies typical of lake fish so who knows what he actually weighed. We found out midway during our stay that if we filled a cooler with water and carted our fish up to Crosby Lodge and had it weighed we could have gotten a pin if it tipped the scales at over 10lbs. Since we don’t have a cooler that would fit a fish that size I guess I’ll just have to dream about the pin.
Anyways, I digress, the point is that we fished once or twice a day during the week, and at least 5 hours each weekend day and we left with 2 fish around 10lbs and 10 fish total. Considering we were there for 2 weeks that is a lot of fishing and a lot of work for few results.
Was it worth it? Heck yes it was! We can go back to the lake anytime and have confidence the we can catch fish, we know the patterns and the set ups used by locals and tourists alike and we can chuck shooting heads from the tops of ladders for miles. Regardless of our low catch rate we learned new skills and honed skills we already had. I wouldn’t trade that for anything (well, maybe for a few fish over 20lbs….). Just kidding. Seriously I can’t wait to try a popcorn beetle in my parent’s lake – those sunfish don’t stand a chance!
We did manage to find one local micro brew during our stay. Wild Horse Ale by Great Basin Brewing is considered an Alt Amber and Great Basin is touted as the original craft brewery in the Reno area. This beer consistently hit the spot, whether we had a fishless day or not, it is easy drinking with a smooth finish. If you can find it you should check it out!
Appearance: Clear caramel. Could also be called copper. Small foamy head that dissipated quickly
Smell: Sweet malts. Hints of caramel.
Taste/Mouthfeel: Very bubbly, slightly thick feeling. Nice malty sweetness, not overdone, but nothing bitter about it.
Overall: I like it. Nothing earth shattering about it, but a very drinkable, tasty amber. Thicker than most, but the whole taste package is nice.
3 out of a Six Pack ©
ABV: 4.8%
Brewery: Great Basin Brewing Co., Reno, NV
