Feb. 10-11 and Feb. 17-18 are the dates for Pyramid Lake Derby

There is a two-weekend fishing derby waiting for you at Pyramid Lake on the weekends of Feb. 10-11 and Feb. 17-18.

If you are a fisherman, you will have the chance to have fun fishing and also have a chance to win bragging rights and some nice prizes if you catch a trophy.

That 20th annual derby is sponsored by the Crosby Lodge at Sutcliffe on the west side of the lake.

Here is all kinds of info for you:

Registration is $75 per person.

You can sign up at the Crosby Lodge in four different ways:

1. Through the U.S. Mail.

2. Faxing your information to (775) 476-0401.

3. By going to the Internet at website www.crosbylodge.com.

4. By calling (775) 476-0400.

Or you can also sign up at Sportsman's Warehouse at 3306 Kietzke Lane in Reno.

There will be cash and prizes for the 20 largest fish (In case of ties, the tie breaker is the first fish entered). First prize is $4,000 and there will be a total of $15,000 awarded in cash and prizes.

Wow! $4,000 for being the champion! That can buy lots of "goodies" at a sporting goods store!

Door prizes will be awarded on both Saturday Feb. 10 and Saturday Feb. 17, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. You must be present to win a prize.

This will be the first year that there will be a Fisherman's Reel of Fortune to spin for the door prizes.

Dinner will be provided on Saturday Feb. 17 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. for all registered entrants. There will be a cost of $8 for dinner for all non-registrants. Entertainment by Bobby Dee on Feb. 16-17 at 8 p.m.

You must fish with artificial flies or lures only. No bait! There is a two-trout possession limit. Cutthroat trout that are under 16 inches in length or between 19 and 24 inches in length must be release unharmed (these are known as "Shakers"). 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").

You will be fishing on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation, and you will need to have a special Pyramid Lake fishing permit.

The 2006-2007 cost is $10 for a one-day permit for either fishing or boating.

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

One fish per day per person can be entered in the derby. A total of two Lahontan cutthroat trout can be entered in the fishing derby.

Abiding by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe regulations, only one fish over 24 inches can be entered per day by each contestant.

All rules and regulations of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe apply. It is your responsibility to know and follow those rules (slot limits, regulations, fishing licenses, boat permits, camping permits, etc.)

The final weigh-in will be on Sunday Feb. 17 (6 p.m. sharp) at the Crosby Lodge.

Hours of operation at the lodge for the derby weekends will begin at 5:30 a.m. each day.

Sign up before 12 noon on Feb. 10 to be eligible for both weekends.

If you sign up after 12 noon on Feb. 10, you can not enter a fish until the weekend of Feb. 17-18. If you sign up on Sunday Feb. 11, you can not enter a fish until the weekend of Feb. 17-18.

If you are not familiar with fishing at Pyramid Lake, the world record 41-pound Cutthroat came from Pyramid Lake in 1925. The Modern Day record is 24-pound, 12-ounce (33.5 inches in length) Cutt caught on Feb. 27, 2005.

My educated guess is that you will have to catch a "Double Digit" (10 pounds or more) Cutthroat to be a prize winner.

And, as I always remind you, if that should happen, be generous to the one (me!) who gave you all of this good information.

Good luck to you on either or both weekends at Pyramid Lake.

Here are some "Don Q" tips, if you've never fished at Pyramid:

If you fly fish, try large, black or brown-colored Woolly Bugger or Woolly Worm flies.

If you jig, try large, black or purple-colored Marabou jigs.

If you spincast, try rainbow, Chartreuse/black dot or yellow/black dot-colored No. 2 TOR-P-DO lures.

If you troll, try the same TOR-P-DO lures as above, but in size No. 3, or with large Apex, Flatfish, Kwikfish or Rapala lures.

For information, call the Crosby Lodge at (775) 476-0400 or FAX at (775) 476-0401 or go to website www.crosbylodge.com.

-- Bet Your Favorite Pigeon

Bet your favorite pigeon that he can't tell you about my best-ever success at Pyramid Lake.

If he grins and says, "Two years ago, Don and Elaine were spincasting lures while standing in the water in their chest waders, near Warrior Point, and they stopped when they had each caught and released 25 cutthroat for a total of 50 fish for the day," he could be one of my regular fishing partners.

-- Don Quilici is the Outdoors editor for the Nevada Appeal.