I've also received some other decent early winter fishing reports, from the expected spots. Intrepid fly-fishing explorer Jeff Keyser of South Lake Tahoe recently visited Pyramid Lake and the Rosachi Ranch trophy portion of the East Walker River in Nevada. He waded Pyramid and threw woolly buggers on a full-sink line, catching and releasing several Lahontan cutthroat to over twenty inches. The world will probably never see another cutthroat the size of the world-record, 41 pound fish caught here in 1925, but ten pounders are quite common, so skip the light tippets and brandy in your coffee.

The East Walker is fishing well as always. Jeff reports that slush and ice floating downstream in the near-frozen river early in the morning effectively blocked his fly-presentation, but once the sun warmed the water, this dissolved and he was able to dead drift nymphs along the bottom for decent numbers of rainbows and browns, topped by a four pound rainbow. His fish came on small beadhead Prince Nymphs and San-Juan Worms. This fishery is strictly catch-and-release in the Rosachi Ranch section, with only single hooked, barbless artificial lures permitted. The numbers of trout here are mind-boggling, with plenty of large fish scattered among the ubiquitous 10 to 16 inch rainbows and browns. The river is extremely low and clear in winter, and fishes like a small stream. A stealthy approach is critical; there's nothing more disheartening when wading into a pool to fish than to see dozens of good trout shooting downstream in a panic. The upside is that low water has reduced the fishes' habitat, concentrating them in the best channels and pools. If you sneak up from the tail of a pool and quietly cast small nymphs upstream, you can catch a half-dozen trout from one position.

Jeff says the whitefish have not started hitting well yet, but he did land one in the three-pound range. I know people treat the "poor-man's grayling" with disdain, throwing them on the bank to rot, but they fight well, fill in the action between trout, and are native, having always been in eastern sierra rivers. They lived originally alongside native cutthroat, and now thrive in the presence of the introduced rainbow and brown trout. You'd have a hard time convincing me that the trout fishery in the Walker is suffering due to the whitefish, either, so I say let's enjoy them for the off-beat gamefish they are, or ought to be.

Finally, I've heard that ice fishing has already begun on little Red Lake in Alpine County, with 9 to 12 inch brookies coming on nightcrawlers near the dam. This spot is also known for some nice cutthroat caught through the ice. Caples Lake has been slower to freeze, and will probably not be safe for a couple weeks. For those that can't sit still except in a moving boat, remember that Topaz Lake, on the California-Nevada border south of Tahoe, opens to fishing on January first. Heavily stocked and with many large holdovers, this water is productive for trollers and shore anglers all winter, and it's a great way to start the new year. I have to laugh when non-fishing friends ask "Isn't the fishing season over?"

"What fishing season? What OVER?" Around here it's NEVER over! Ha Ha Ha!"

I mean Ho Ho Ho. Happy holidays; I'll see you out there.

Until next time!
Mark (Never stand in a canoe) Wiza