The Giant Trout of Pyramid Lake, with Mike Anderson

Can you really catch giant cutthroat trout in the desert? Are they truly a native species? And do they really fish with ladders? You'll find out in my interview with Orvis-endorsed guide Mike Anderson [45:23], who guides for the Reno Fly Shop. In the Fly Box this week, we have some wonderful comments and thought-provoking questions, including: I can keep the knots in my rubber legs on hopper patterns. How do you do it? What common fly-tying materials can I get from animals I have harvested, what parts should I use, and how to you prepare and store them? What is the advantage of going from 140 denier tying thread to 70 denier and when and why should I use it? A listener explains why he welcomes new people to the sport. I just got an intermediate line for fishing in lakes. Will it be useful in streams? I have an old rod with a loose ferrule. Is there any way of fixing it? Is my 9 ½ foot 6-weight rod too light to throw big articulated flies for bull trout? I know trout lie in seams in a river. Will steelhead be in seams as well? Can I use sewing thread for tying flies? My double surgeon's knots keep breaking. What am I doing wrong? Are there special fighting techniques when you hook a fish on a downstream drift? Why do people tell me to fish at high tide, when I can walk out farther at low tide? Can I swing a streamer in salt water? Do changes in air temperature affect fish in the ocean as much as in fresh water? What do I do to take my trout fishing to the next level? What should I concentrate on? Why are bamboo rods typically shorter than graphite, and how do I travel with a two-piece bamboo rod? I am losing more fish with large flies than I do with small flies. What is the issue?