Revive - A Quarterly Fly Fishing Journal Winter 2016 | Page 14

In the middle of the high desert in northern Nevada lies the remnants of the Great Lake Lahontan, which covered most of the Great Basin at its most recent high stand between 15-17,000 years ago. The lake covered an area of 8,610 square miles. Now the largest body of water that is left is what we know as, Pyramid Lake. Although not the most eye catching at first glance,the longer you let your eyes and your mind explore you will start to take in its strangely unmatched beauty. Mesmerized by the vastness of the lake and the history of prehistoric giants that once swam these waters such as the Ichthyosaur, Native elders pass down stories and show petroglyphs of massive serpent like creatures, tales of spell casting mermaids, and the infamous water babies that drag people down into the abyss. Old native burial grounds, and many areas that are so sacred they are closed to all non tribal members in order to keep areas the way they should be, untouched. Who knows exactly what is or is not true, but anyone who's been out here can tell you with full confidence this place has a different feel, a strange yet enchanting spiritual aura unlike any fishery one can encounter.