Old…http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/attachment.php?attachmentid=1571&stc=1&d=1240790403
New…http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/attachment.php?attachmentid=1572&stc=1&d=1240790496
It seems the old dudes are having more fun.LOL
What are the soda bottles used for?
Pyramid? Only place I’ve ever seen the ladders 
Wouldn’t it be easier just to bring a float tube???
The old school pictures are of “the stilt fisherman of Sri Lanka”.
The new school of Pyramid lake fisherman.
I would only be guessing as to the use of the plastic bottles and will leave that answer to the guys who fish Pyramid. They have been fishing this way for some time and I would be interested to learn of their technique and reasons for the ladders.
For further incite into the two oddities, try a google search of the images for “stilt fisherman” and " Pyramid Lake". It’s interesting.
I first learned of the stilt fisherman watching the GlobeTreker on a local PBS TV episode, and in my own weird way connected the Pyramid lake ladder fishers with them.
Anybody wants to jump in with some info, go for it.
They’re tied to the ladder with a string/rope so when the wind blows the ladder over (not that uncommon at Pyramid), you can use the line to pull the ladder up.
fcch Wouldn’t it be easier just to bring a float tube???
From what I have read it is a vast open lake that is usually extremely windy
Maybe the soda bottles are really big strike indicators:)
Jim Smith
Hi all,
Basically it boils down to being able to locate one’s platform as Whatfly stated. Casting platforms, ladders, milk crates etc. are often placed in deeper water than the object is tall, trying to locate yours after beaching a fish, etc, when the water is roiled can be a challenge and you definitely don’t want to go fishing around with your hands and arms in that water, in the middle of winter. However these past few days at Pyramid, as I often do, I ditched my platform and the huddling masses of combat anglers, opting instead to walk and sight fish the expanses of deserted beaches. Had a great time, thank you very much. ;^)
By the way, Casting platforms are not exclusively used at Pyramid. I saw a Steelhead guide using them on the Trinity river in California in the early eighties. I’ve used them in other lakes and in saltwater from time to time. They’re not just used to lift the angler out of uncomfortable water as some believe, but to enhance the ability to spot fish.
Float tubes and other personal craft are used at Pyramid, however one really needs to have a healthy respect for the winds there. Those winds are the reason I’m writing this post this morning.
Best, Dave
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/stilt-fishermen-kathaluwa/10309
The Stilt Fisherman don’t even use bait. They fish with a bare hook!
Oh !! … well that would be a pretty dangerous place for a float tube then !
i think your “new” should have been “older”
Tenkara has a long history. Fly-fishing in Japan is suspected to have been practiced as far back as the 8th or 9th centuries B.C.