10-pound cutthroat trout caught on a fly at Pyramid Lake last Friday

By Don Quilici

BLUE LAKES, CALIF. AREA: Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930) said, "We had a very quiet weekend and it is snowing real good, right now (Monday morning). I've had no reports on Blue Lakes."

CAPLES LAKE, CALIF: Doug Busey of Douglas County reported about 5-6 feet of ice. He said that you will need an extension on your ice auger to get through that much ice.

DAVIS LAKE, CALIF: The area got over a foot of fresh snow, last Sunday morning, with more forecast for that evening.

FT. CHURCHILL COOLING PONDS, NEV: The season opened Feb. 12. Elmer Bull of the Nevada Department of Wildlife said that the fishing has been on the slow side. The fishing pressure was almost non-existent due to the weather. Last Tuesday, two fishermen reported they caught one bass and lost it. The catfishing has been slow.

FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF: Wiggin's Trading Post at Chilcoot, Calif. (530-993-4683): With the rain showers and warmer afternoons, the ice is unpredictable. Use caution and fish early in the day. It's possible that there are some areas with open water. Snow is melting quickly and roads are a little more accessible with four-wheel drive on the east side.

HINKSON SLOUGH, NEV: Elmer Bull reported a pretty fair number of fishermen on Saturday with a few fish being caught.

Fishing was generally slow but some fish were being caught on Roostertail lures.

Around the end of the month, NDOW will stock the slough with some 1-2 pound brooders from the Gallegher Hatchery in Eastern Nevada.

INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR. CALIF: The paved road from the airport is not plowed. There are only about 3-4 inches of ice on the water. Do not venture out on the ice, as it is too dangerous.

LAHONTAN RESERVOIR, NEV: Missy Swain at Burke's Market at Silver Springs (775-577-2750) reported: "We had a great bunch of guys in yesterday (Monday), who said that they were going out to catch the record Wiper of the year. They never reported back, so I guess that they didn't.

The water level is still rising, we are over 130,000 acre feet, and there is no problem in launching a boat.

When we finally get some warm days, the fishing should be phenomenal. All we need right now is some more fishermen. And if they catch anything, tell them to come to the store so we can take their picture."

PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Doug Ouellette at the Gilly Sporting Goods Store in Sparks (358-6113) reported: "It has started to pick up between the storms.

The fly fishermen are using purple or black Woolly Bugger, Woolly Worm or foam Beetle flies, with the best fishing at "The Nets."

The spincasters are using the usual TOR-P-DO type lures.

The boaters are trolling with Lyman or U-20 lures.

The jiggers are jigging with Gibb's Minnows or Maribou Jigs.

Steve Williams of Reno caught a 10-pounder on Friday at the South Nets. He was fly fishing with a size No. 6, Popcorn Beetle with a white dropper.

PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Andy Moore of Carson City said that "It was slow fishing from our boat over the weekend."

RED LAKE CALIF: Doug Busey reported that are at least 3 feet of ice on the lake.

SACRAMENTO RIVER, CALIF: Kirk Portocarrero of Outdoor Adventures Sport Fishing, Redding, Calif. (800-670-4448) said:

Redding to Anderson: Water release is 3,700 CFS.

As weather allows, fly fishing for rainbows is producing some nice catch and release trout in the Redding to Anderson area.

PT's, and Micro May Fly patterns have been working well.

SMITH RIVER, CALIF: Kirk Portocarrero reported that they have been fishing for nice bright Steelhead trout, 8-12 pounds.

Averaging 2-5 fish hookups per day. Some days are better than others.

Fishing from the Forks of The Smith down to Social.

Using Sparrone Steelhead eggs, first in the morning.

Also bouncing roe.

LAKE TAHOE - North Shore:

Mickey Daniels of Mickey's Big Mack Charters (800-877-1462) said: "We've been catching our Mackinaw trout early in the morning and tagging and releasing the smaller ones.

We're catching nice fish but we're not catching anything big.

I troll in the deep-water area in front of Carnelian Bay and King's Beach with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades with live minnows or large Apex lures."

LAKE TAHOE - North Shore:

Gene St. Denis of Blue Ribbon Charters and Tahoe Trophy Trout at South Lake Tahoe, Calif. (530-544-6552): " Cal Neva Point has slowed down for Mackinaw trout, but we are catching limits. The Macks are averaging 4-6 pounds, with an occasional 7-9 pounder.

We are trolling with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows at depths of 160-240 feet, along the edges of the drop-offs. Agate Bay has been producing Macks, up to 10 pounds, in deeper water."

LAKE TAHOE - South Shore: Gene St. Denis: "Ski Run Shelf and Camp Richardson continue to be good for Macks.

We are trolling with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows at a depth of 160-280 feet.

The larger Macks seem to be in the deeper water at a depth of about 280 feet.

Ski Run Mound has also been good for jigging with 2-ounce White Star or Squid Jigs tipped with a minnow, early in the morning."

LAKE TAHOE - East Shore: Gene St. Denis: "Fishing as been good for Macks 2-7 pounds, when trolling silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows at a depth of 150-240 feet.

The Macks are running 2-5 pounds with an occasional 7-8 pounder.

The local guys are toplining at the Cave Rock Shelf for Macks and rainbows and catching mostly Mackinaw.

They are toplining in 20-40 feet of water with silver/black, No. 11 Rapala lures or No. 9 Count Down Rapala lures."

TOPAZ LAKE: Chuck Fields at Topaz Lake Marina (775) 266-3550 reported, "It's completely overcast with a light drizzle (Monday morning).

Nothing really new to report because the weather forecast scared most of the fishermen away.

We actually had sunshine on both days of the weekend.

There were a few fishermen but not many.

The shore fishing is still slow.

The boaters have been doing OK.

The boaters are mostly trolling with gold-colored Needlefish, Kastmaster and Jake's Spinner lures, plus black/gold Rapala lures. "

WILDHORSE RESERVOIR NEV: Dennis Dunn at the Wild Horse Resort (775) 758-6472 said, "We had over 200 people on the lake, both Sat. and Sun., for our President's Day Weekend trout fishing derby. We had people from six states on the ice.

Sat: Longest fish: 21 inches, Second: 20.5 inches, Third: 20 3/8 inches, Smallest: 12 inches.

Sun: Longest fish: 20 7/8 inches, Second: 20 inches, Third: 19 3/4 inches, Smallest: 11 7/8 inches.

Jim Rice from Meridan, Idaho had three trout that weighed a total of 11.8 pounds.