The Land of Giants

Wednesday 10:00 PM

Loaded up, fueled up, and ready to make the 7.5-hour trek from Salt Lake City to the Pyramid Lake reservation approximately 35 miles northeast of Reno, NV. Sleepless all-night commutes seem to have become the norm as of late.  The obsession to chase some of the baddest trout in the West surely leads to an amount of windshield time that raises questions about your sanity from your coworkers back home.

They just don’t get it. Sometimes the road trip leads to just as many memories as the destination.

This would be my fourth trip out to the so-called “Land of Giants”, and each time I find myself even more excited than the time before.  It makes you feel like a kid on Christmas Morning,  giddy with anticipation waiting to catch that first glimpse of this monstrosity of a lake.  Thoughts of holding the largest trout of my life make it difficult to get any rest on the drive out. You never forget fish like this one below from my first trip out to the Mid.

Thursday 5:00 AM

I’m not sure if it’s the exhaustion. Maybe it’s the excitement. Perhaps it’s the copious amount of caffeine that you and your buddies consumed across the great state of Nevada.  But whatever it is,  you get this strange feeling when you finally roll up to the lake’s edge. A mixed feeling of euphoria and curiosity. Curiosity as you gaze out and think about what may be lurking under those moonlit ripples. You become even more curious as you ponder what leviathan may have roamed these waters in the past. Time to rig up!

The first thing you notice is the numerous headlamps already beginning to line the shoreline. What is this madness? It’s a melting pot for trout – obsessed fishermen like myself, and in my opinion,  you’d be hard-pressed to find a better group of people anywhere.

Seriously, the people are awesome.  I usually spend the majority of my time back home trying to get away from other anglers and fish in total solitude.  It’s just different here.  Some of my best memories of this place are geeking out about fly fishing with total strangers.  I’ve met some great people that have become instant friends of mine.

Finally, time to fish…

It’s windy,  it’s cold,  and I’m thinking my sleeping bag might have been a better option.  The sun had just peaked over the mountain when I felt that first surge of power on the end of my custom Flut 8 weight and I was instantly ready to grind it out through the weather.  Ahh! It’s just a 21-incher! I always laugh a little and think of just how lucky I am to be in a place where an itty bitty 21-inch cutty is average.  Believe me,  it’s hard to imagine it but this trout is a nice bite-sized snack for many inhabitants here.

The rest of the day was pretty steady with fish regularly coming to the net.  We gave them a steady diet of chironomids, buggers, and beetles. Although,  it didn’t seem to matter what fly you had on as long as you presented it at the correct depth.

The highlight of the day for me came about an hour before sunset when this absolute slob hit my fly about 10 feet out!

 Didn’t even feel the need to fish after releasing this stud. Just sat and admired the sunset.

Finally, time to get some sleep.  But not before stopping in for a quick bite at Crosby’s. I never can just quickly stop in there without walking around and imagining myself catching every single fish they have to hang on the walls.  I always admire how unique the colors and patterns are and how each one looks different than the last.

Friday 4:30 AM

Time to get back at it.  It’s so hard to get out of the nice warm bag, but ya gotta do it! We met an awesome group of seriously fishy people and posted up next to them for the majority of our trip. They had something figured for sure. I had never seen so many big fish in one place! I think between our group and our new friends we met on the water, there were eleven  30+ inch trout caught during the trip.  It was incredible! We were just as excited to see what was at the end of the line of those around us as we were with our own trophies.

A seriously great day

Amanda making us jealous with this trip maker.

 Witnessed one of the more intense battles I’d seen when Alex brought this one in.

The hot streak continued through Saturday and Sunday morning before it was time to head home.  The only downside to Pyramid is the feeling of depression that comes over you when you realize it’s time to get back to real life.

Another adventure in the books and it’s time to start planning the next one. I broke the 30″ mark twice and witnessed many more. The fish are amazing, the scenery is spectacular, but the good company is what really sticks with you. This place really is better with friends and you always end up leaving with more than you came with.

Dyson is a 25-year-old troutbum born and raised in the great state of Utah. Fueled by the outdoors and jalapeño potato chips, his desire to chase trout in beautiful places takes him on some of the most spectacular adventures. Sleepless nights and empty bank accounts are worth the memories we make in this great sport! Find more content from Dyson on Instagram @dysonmorgan