Pyramid Lake fishing Chair
For anyone who has ever looked into fishing Pyramid Lake located in Nevada, they soon realize that Pyramid Lake is no ordinary trout fishery. For starters, this lake grows big cutthroat trout. No, I mean huge world class trout. Next, is the scenery which makes this desert lake unique. The shoreline is ruffly 99 percent treeless. In the water and along the shoreline, Pyramid Lake offers countless geological formations sprinkled in amongst miles of sandy shoreline.
Because of miles of sandy shoreline a unique fishing system has grown in popularity over the last 3 decades. Due to the nature of the sandy beaches, there is very little structure for the predator fish to hide and attack bait fish along the shoreline. The main structure is often a drop off which can be located up to 150 feet off the shoreline. In the beginning, anglers fishing around the shore were wading out into chest deep water to get near a shelf or drop-off. This worked well in calm water conditions but when the wind blew and it often does in the deserts of Nevada, the waves would bounce the angler around like a pair of pants in the washing machine. Another obstacle was the icy cold temperature of the water. Wading around in cold temperatures could chill a person to the bone.
So just like our ancestors have done throughout history, we build things to make our lives easier and in this case, fishing easier.
The Milk Crate
The first attempt made to get out of the frigid water was by using a simple milk crate. The angler would wade out into chest deep water and place the crate into the water, using the crate as a step stool in order to gain an extra 1 1/2 foot in height. The problem with the crate is that they would get stuck in the sand and were difficult to retrieve. It didn’t take long before the Tribe outlawed this method completely.
The Common Ladder
The question still remained how to get near the shelf and stay out of the water. The common household ladder came into the picture which worked out wonderfully. Any aluminum ladder having 3 to 4 steps to a 6 foot ladder can be used. There is no need to go much taller than 6 feet because the height is overkill and cumbersome. The only downside to a standard ladder is that the legs were designed for a solid foundation. They slowly sink into the sand. Modification of the design is needed in order to fish from a ladder on a regular basis. A crossbar attached to the front and back legs will keep the legs from sinking in to the sand. However, a common unmodified ladder still works fine for first timers using this system.
Ladder Chairs
Ladder chairs are basically ladder with seats mounted on the top step of the ladder. There are many unique designs for ladder chairs. Some can even be folded for travel purposes in a car.
Platforms
Although the blueprint for platforms change slightly from builder to builder, they all share some common features. Most include some sort of casting deck, although smaller they are similar to the bow of a bass boat where you can comfortably stand and safely move around. There is also a comfortable seat mounted on top of the platform.
Add ons
Fishermen have added many accessories to their fishing structures including rod holders, net holders, tackle bags, drink holders, and even side scan sonar to see where and how far away are the fish.
None of the above.
The use of wading is still arguably one of the best techniques for fishing the shoreline of Pyramid Lake. Some of my good friends still prefer wading and yes, they catch plenty of cutthroats. The advantages of wading into calm water is the easier ability of setting the hook and having better line control. Also by only having a few feet of body above the waterline they cast a smaller shadow and potentially spook less fish.
There is no perfect chair/ladder/platform system no madder which option you choose because you are still going to look like an idiot to the out-of-towners who see you for the first time out on in the Lake.
