A number of local fishing seasons are opening or closing

By Don Quilici

If you're a fisherman or fisher woman, here are a number of local fishing seasons that are opening or closing:

• Season Opening:

Pyramid Lake will open on Oct. 1 for its 2004-2005 Lahontan cutthroat trout fishing season.

To reach the lake, take U.S. 395 north from Carson City to I-80 in Reno.

Then, take I-80 east to the Pyramid Way Exit in Sparks.

Take a combination of Pyramid Way and the Pyramid Lake Highway north for about 30 miles to the lake.

You can fish from shore, with chest waders, a float tube or a boat.

From shore: Try Warrior Point, Spider Point or Pelican Point, all on the northwest side of the lake.

With chest waders: At any of the above locations, plus at "The Nets" at Sutcliffe.

From a float tube: At the same locations as with chest waders.

From a boat: Troll the area in front of Pelican Point, the area between Pelican Point and Warrior Point or if your boat is large enough, travel across the lake to troll at places such as "Hell's Kitchen," Anderson Bay, the Pyramid, etc.

You'll catch Lahontan cutthroat trout, up to about 10-15 pounds. However, the majority of the cutthroat trout will be under 16 inches in length or between 19 and 24 inches in length. These trout are known as "Shakers," and must be release unharmed.

Special regulations:

You must fish with artificial flies or lures only, and there is a two-trout possession limit.

You can keep two trout which are 16-19 inches in length or you can keep one trout 16-19 inches plus one trout over 24 inches. These are known as "Keepers."

Special Note: You will be fishing on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation, and will need a special Pyramid Lake fishing and boating permit.

The cost is $7 for a one-day permit for a fisherman or boat or $50 for an annual permit for fishing or your boat.

Those permits can be purchased at locations such as the Gilly Sporting Goods Store in Sparks, or at the small store just after you enter the Reservation on the Pyramid Lake Highway or at the Pyramid Lake Marina at Sutcliffe on the west side of the lake.

You do not need a Nevada fishing license or a Nevada Trout Stamp.

Special Advisory: If you are fishing from a boat, watch the far north end of the lake. If you see dust beginning to fly, immediately return to your launch area and get off the lake. Pyramid Lake is extremely dangerous and life-threatening for boaters when the wind is blowing.

For information, call the Pyramid Lake Tribal Office at (775) 574-1000 or the Pyramid Lake Marina at (775) 476-1156 or the Pyramid Lake Store at (775) 476-0555 or the Gilly Sporting Goods Store in Sparks at 358-6113.

• Season closures:

The Fort Churchill Cooling Ponds and the fishable waters (Hinkson Sough, Bass Pond, Crappie Pond and North Pond) on the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area will all close to fishing on Sept. 30.

To reach the Fort Churchill Cooling Ponds, drive east on U.S. 50 to Silver Springs. Take Alt. U.S. 95 south toward Yerington. One mile past Wabuska, take Sierra Way, a paved road on your left. Drive east to the cooling ponds, which are owned by Sierra Pacific Power Co.

To reach Hinkson Slough, Bass Pond, Crappie Pond and North Pond, take the first dirt road on your right, before reaching the Fort Churchill Cooling Ponds parking area. Drive south on that dirt road to the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area Headquarters Building.

At the headquarters, there will be a large information board, with a map directing you to the other waters.

Special Note: North Pond has been drained dry to rid it of carp, it is being re-filled and is unfishable.

Hobart Reservoir, a small, high-mountain lake located in the Sierra Nevada between Carson City and Lake Tahoe, will close to fishing on Sept. 30.

Normally, to reach the reservoir, you would drive on the very rough, four-wheel drive dirt road in Ash Canyon, on the west side of Carson City.

You would drive to a chain across the road, which marks the boundary of the Nevada State Parks System vehicle-prohibited area. From that chain, it's about a one-mile hike downhill to the reservoir.

However, this year, people are being requested not to travel in that portion of the country devastated by the recent Waterfall Fire. So, please take heed of that request and do not go there.

Topaz Lake, which is located on the Nevada-California Stateline, along U.S. 395, will close for the 2004 fishing season on Sept. 30.

To reach the lake U.S. 395 south from the Carson City area for about 40 miles.

You can fish equally from shore or from a boat. You'll catch mostly rainbow trout and some German brown trout.

The lake limit is five trout, 10 mountain whitefish and 15 warmwater game fish, of which not more than five may be black bass.

The area within a 100-yard radius of the Topaz Marina is closed to fishing.

Heenan Lake, which is located in Alpine County, Calif. will close to 2004 fishing on the last Sunday in October.

To reach the lake, take a combination of U.S. 395, Nevada S.R. 88 and California S.R. 88, south to Woodfords, Calif., a distance of about 30 miles.

At Woodfords, take S.R. 4 and S.R. 89 to Markleeville, a distance of about seven miles. Then, drive through Markleeville to the Monitor Pass Junction.

At that junction, take S.R. 89, east toward Topaz Lake. Heenan Lake will be on your right, about seven miles from the Monitor Pass Junction.

Once you're at the lake, you should preferably fish from a float tube, inflatable raft, canoe or small boat. You can fish from shore, but you'll have much better success out on the water.

You'll catch Lahontan cutthroat trout.

Be advised that there are a number of special regulations as follows:

It is open to fishing only from the Friday before Labor Day through the last Sunday in October, each year.

It is open only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during that period of time.

The limit is zero fish. This is a "catch and release" lake.

You can only use artificial flies or lures, with barbless hooks.

The daily fishing hours are from sunrise to sunset.

You must park your vehicle outside the locked gate at the lake.

Gasoline boat motors are not permitted on the lake.

Remember: You must wear your California fishing license where it is readily visible above the waist.

• Bet Your Favorite Pigeon

Bet your favorite pigeon that he can't tell you where we plan to be on Oct. 1.

If he grins and says, "Don and Elaine plan to be fishing at Pyramid Lake in their chest waders," he could be one of my fishing partners.