After reading many fly fishing articles on the giant Lahontan cutthroat trout of Pyramid Lake, Nevada I knew one day I would get my chance. My wife suggested we fly to Reno for a holiday and I stated my case that we could go if I got 2 days to ply the salty waters of the high desert. I ran to the magazine archives in the basement and reread all the articles I had, tied some flies and packed my 8 weight fly rod.Reno, Nevada at first glance is a clean and wide open city with great roads. After getting a rental car I drove off into the desert in a morning snow flurry, not really knowing what to expect. I arrived at the lake and there was something mystical about this place as the sun poured on the mountains above me. The aromatic smell of the wet sage and the sound of waves crashing up on the beach were sensory over load. Coupled with my excitement to wet a line I almost fell scaling the steep bank to the water.My first couple dozen casts were met with no action and my mind started playing tricks on me “there’s no fish here”, “you are going home skunked with a sore casting arm”, “you should have went shopping at the new Orvis shop”. Then as I brought my rod tip up to cast again I saw a crimson sided slab follow my fly inches from the beach and turn away. Making sure not to make sudden movement I made a quick flip cast to the right of the fish and twitched my fly and he ate. I was into the biggest cutthroat of my life and I was giving him the business when the barbless fly flew back at me.Talking to myself aloud I said “well they’re in here!” My next several dozen casts were met with no takers. I changed my fly franticly to try to find the one that would work. I finally went back to a brown and black size 4 woolly bugger with barbell eyes.The very next cast I counted my fly down to 30 seconds as my rocket sink tip crashed for the 40 foot bottom. On the retrieve up the drop off my line tightened and I fought a nice fish for minutes until he was beached. Some spin fishermen helped me with a few pictures and he was release. The spirits of Pyramid Lake shone upon me five times during my two days fishing and I happened to out fish every spin fisherman in sight. I was fortunate to land a 7 pounder and several over 3 pounds but on my visit to the new Cabelas store my sights were set higher by the 41 pound state record replica on the wall. I hope the fish will await my return.