Time: 11:00AM – 1:00PM

Location: Waterton Canyon

South Platte River 06/01/2026 Photo Album

I set several goals for my fly fishing expedition on Monday, June 1, 2026. First, I planned to get exercise, and this was fulfilled, as I cycled nine miles on my roundtrip to my fishing destination and back. Second, I hoped to see wildlife, and on my return trip down the canyon I encountered two bighorn rams and paused to grab some photos. Third, I hoped to avoid some serious thunderstorms forecast for the afternoon. I made it back to the parking lot, before overhead dark clouds produced rain or hail. And last, I hoped to catch a few fish.

I chose the South Platte River in Waterton Canyon, after I reviewed all the flows on all the Colorado Rivers that I frequent. Several surprising options appeared that required longer drives, and I was not up for that, so I focused on nearby alternatives. South Boulder Creek was flowing from Gross Reservoir at 142 CFS. That level is a bit high for my tastes, but I have successfully fished SBC at flows up to 180 CFS.

The fishery that jumped out at me was the South Platte River in Waterton Canyon. Releases from Strontia Springs Dam were reasonable at 130 CFS, and the drive to that destination was forty-five minutes. Reaching the upper special regulation water, however, required a bike ride, but I viewed that as an opportunity for exercise. I made the commitment to fish the South Platte River in Waterton Canyon. It had been at least two years since I last visited the waterway in southwestern Denver.

In addition to my normal checklist of fly fishing gear, I added a backpack and mountain bike. I threw everything in the back of the Telluride and arrived at the designated parking lot by 10:30AM. The sky was bright blue and nearly cloudless as I prepared to fish. I followed my normal routine, but when I arrived at putting on my waders, wading boots, backpack and frontpack, I packed them in my backpack. My fly rod and wading staff and reel and net also found a spot in my pack.

I maintained a moderate pace, as I cycled up the gradual grade of the dirt road that used to serve as a train bed. Eventually after 4.5 miles of pedaling I arrived at my chosen base camp spot, the Rattlesnake Pavilion, but another angler occupied my preferred spot. I performed a U-turn and found a picnic table next to the river just above a bridge. I cabled my bike to the picnic table and prepared to fish by pulling on my waders and wading boots and all the other gear that was required for fly fishing.

Downstream from Start

Once I was properly geared up, I hiked down the road for .5 mile, and then I angled down a short but steep bank to the river. The rest of this story is rather brief. I fished upstream from 11;00AM until 1:00PM through prime water, and I failed to catch a single fish. In fact, I never saw a fish. There were no rises, no fish darting from a clumsy wading step, no looks, no refusals and no takes.

130 CFS

I led with a tan chubby Chernobyl trailing an olive Pat’s rubber legs and bright green caddis pupa, but I quickly switched the caddis pupa for a black rubber legs. This setup matched that which delivered excellent results in recent outings. After the futility of the rubber legs, I swapped the black version for a beadhead hares ear. My results did not improve, and then I replaced the olive Pat’s rubber legs with an olive perdigon. I wanted additional weight for deeper drifts with a small footprint, and the perdigon met those requirements.

I sought the seams and deep runs at the tops of the pools as well as deeper pockets, but none of these locations yielded results. I hoped that these locations were less pressured, and the faster current spurred the fish to react without much time to study the flies. It was a solid thought, but it did not produce.

At one o’clock I was wading along the edge of the river, and I placed my right foot on a slippery angled rock. I leaned all my weight against my wading staff, which I believed to be solidly anchored, but suddenly the stick slid. I placed even more weight on the staff, and it was trapped beneath a rock ledge. I heard a snap, and the wooden rod broke one-third of the way from the top. The inertia of my lean continued, and I tipped over on my right side briefly, which allowed a small amount of water to spill over the top of my waders.

Snapped in Two

Had the fishing been average, I could have continued, but given my lack of success, I chose not to undertake the risky path of fishing without a wading stick. I was a bit wet, and some dark clouds were sliding across the sky just south of my position.

I gathered my rod and my broken wading staff and returned to my base camp at the picnic table. I quickly removed my gear and stashed it in my backpack, unlocked the bike, and coasted back to the parking lot. Along the way I encountered two rams on the side of the road next to the river. I assume they were making their way to the river for liquid refreshment. Up close they impressed me with their thick size and large horns. I took a movie and snapped a couple photos and moved on.

Back to Calm Along the Road

I finished loading the SUV before some drops of rain appeared on my windshield. When I returned home, I was met with the aftermath of a significant thunderstorm. Leaves were everywhere, and piles of marble size hail balls filled the raised beds and patio landscape. I quickly inspected the carnage in my garden, and it was not pretty.

After I unloaded the car, I began the task of replacing my wading staff. I had another wooden rod that I purchased at Home Depot, so I cut it to size. Next I drilled two large holes that could accept the nylon rope at the top of the staff. My final production step was to attach a rubber knob to the bottom of the wooden rod. Of course, I grabbed the the rubber knob that I miraculously recovered on a recent fishing trip. For this wading staff I attached the rubber knob with two wood screws instead of one. I am now prepared for another fishing trip, hopefully this week.

Fish Landed: 0

Time: 10:30AM – 3:30PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 05/29/2026 Photo Album

I finally found myself with an open day on Friday, May 29, 2026, so I decided to log another day of fly fishing. As I surveyed my stream fishing options, I noted that Front Range streams were gradually rising and reflecting some level of run off. I settled on the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon, as the flows were running in the 220 CFS range. This level is higher than I favor as a result of moving water from Antero, but the fly shop reports were encouraging, and I knew from prior experience that 220 CFS was manageable.

I arrived at my chosen parking area at 10:00AM, and this enabled me to wade into the river to begin fly fishing by 10:30AM. The air temperature was in the upper fifties with quite a bit of cloud cover, so I wore my raincoat for warmth and in case of precipitation. As the day progressed, I wore my raincoat the entire time; and, in fact, I weathered three periods of brief rain showers. On several occasions I was actually chilled and contemplated returning to the car for my fleece.

Wide Section

The day actually broke down into three separate sessions. Between my start and noon, when I broke for lunch, I netted nine trout. During this time I utilized a dry/dropper set up with a leading tan chubby Chernobyl followed by an olive Pat’s rubber legs and then a black Pat’s rubber legs. This combination has been a recurring theme during my recent stream visits. In this case the approach worked but not as convincingly as was the case on South Boulder Creek and the Eagle River. Surprisingly, three of the trout crushed the chubby Chernobyl and four nabbed the black Pat’s rubber legs. Two consumed a beadhead hares ear nymph, after I swapped it for the black rubber legs. Two browns extended to twelve inches, and the remainder fell beneath the one foot standard.

Held Out for Display

After lunch a couple appeared thirty yards above me. They did not spot me at first. I worked up the river a short distance, until I was within twenty yards, and I landed two small browns in the process. I approached a spot where the river ran tight to the thick vegetation, so I exited and fought my way to the road and walked upstream a short distance, before I cut back to the river. I had some attractive water ahead of me, but I worked my way downstream to the top of the braid along the road assuming I would work my way upstream to the nice smooth side channel, where I normally encounter rising fish.

Inviting

Guess who made another appearance? Yes, the fishing couple stationed themselves in the area that I coveted. In a fit of disgust, I climbed the bank and hiked .2 mile back to the car. I moved the car back up the river to a pullout next to another section that I typically enjoy. There was a red Jeep SUV parked there as well, and when I started to walk down the bank, I noticed a female angler. I quickly reversed my direction and walked up the road a bit, before I cut back down to the river. I was set to cast, and I glanced downstream and spotted the male member of the fishing couple.

Deep Pocket

In a fit of frustration I once again climbed to the road, and continued upstream a short distance to a long pool section. I made some backhand casts to the pool with no results, but I discovered that I could cross to the opposite side by wading through some moderately deep but slow moving water at the tail of the pool. I completed the crossing, and that secured my fly fishing solitude for the remainder of the day.

Fine Rainbow

Between one o’clock and 2:30PM I progressed up the river and fished some very enticing pools. I abandoned the dry/dropper configuration in favor of a double dry that featured a peacock hippie stomper and a mole fly. The mole fly accounted for a few small fish, but a lull in action ensued, so I replaced it with a light gray size 16 deer hair caddis. The caddis gained some favor with the trout, particularly when I twitched or lifted the fly. The fish count elevated from eleven to eighteen during this double dry fly episode. A few trout clobbered the hippie stomper, but the caddis was responsible for the remainder.

Another Rainbow in the Net

Throughout the early afternoon I experienced showers. The second brief downpour actually caused rain droplets to bead on my new raincoat. Early in the afternoon I spotted a handful of blue wing olive mayflies, and this coincided with my success with the mole fly. Each time the sky darkened with heavy clouds, I noted a few mayflies in the air. In fact, I rarely saw a caddis, so perhaps the trout were taking the size 16 hackled caddis adult as a large baetis? Quite a few refusals were interspersed with the takes, so the downwing vs upright wing may explain the reluctance to eat my fly by some of the stream residents.

Long Pool Next to the Bank

By 2:30PM I suffered through another fish catching drought, so I reverted to the dry/dropper. Once again I opted for the chubby Chernobyl, but for nymphs I tied on a bright green sparkle pupa, and I added a salvation nymph on the point. I worked these flies through fishy runs, pockets and troughs and boosted the fish count to twenty-three. Movement was key, and several fish smacked one of the nymphs on the lift or twitch.

Pretty Pattern

At 3:30PM I neared another long smooth pool section, and I was reluctant to fish it with the dry/dropper setup, so I called it a day and found my old crossing point, before I returned to the car. Friday was a fun day. I landed twenty-three trout, although size was somewhat lacking. One rainbow extended to thirteen inches, and another three fish measured twelve inches with the remainder in the six to eleven in range. I am obviously spoiled by the Eagle River, but given the time of year and the onset of run off on many streams, I was pleased with the results. I managed to escape my nemesis, the fishing couple, and captured a bit of fly fishing solitude. The weather was quite variable, but I suspect the cloud cover was favorable for the trout.

Fish Landed: 23

Time: 11:00AM – 2:30PM

Location: Deckers

South Platte River 05/12/2026 Photo Album

After a long day on Monday, I was reluctant to tackle another long drive on Tuesday. Flows on the South Platte in Eleven Mile were elevated perhaps due to transferring water from Antero Reservoir to downstream dams, so I was averse to making that my destination. The South Platte below Cheesman Dam, however, was chugging along at 100 CFS, so that settled it. I decided to visit the South Platte at Deckers, even though my track record for that stretch has been abysmal over the last several years.

Bringing Up the Rear

Tuesday was a gorgeous day with temperatures poking above eighty in Denver. This translated to seventies in the Deckers area. I fished with no layers, and I was actually quite warm at certain times in the early afternoon. I rigged my Sage R8 for the first usage in 2026, and by eleven o’clock I was poised next to the stream.

I began my quest for trout with a tan size 8 pool toy hopper, a salvation nymph and an orange scud. Years ago when I fished the South Platte in the Deckers section I enjoyed considerable success with a pheasant tail nymph, so the salvation was a close approximation. Likewise, the orange scud was a winner in the May time frame, thus that choice. I fished the three fly combination for forty-five minutes, until I broke for lunch at 11:45AM, and I failed to land a single fish. In fact, I saw no evidence of fish in the section that I covered. Along the way I swapped the orange scud for an olive perdigon, but that move had no impact.

Nice Deep Run Near the Start

After lunch I progressed a bit above where my car was parked, and the futility continued, so I stripped in my line and threw my rod in the car along with my gear and drove to the catch and release section close to Deckers. I was shocked by the number of cars occupying pullouts and the number of anglers present in the prime fishing spots.

Finally I spotted a pullout just before the last bridge before reaching Deckers, and I grabbed it. With my rod already rigged and my waders in place, I was prepared to fish in a short amount of time. I crossed the road and hiked along a well worn path to an area that offered some gorgeous long glides and troughs. I made a short cast to get some line out of the guides, and I was shocked to witness a decent fish, as it slowly finned to the surface just below my pool toy hopper. I think it actually pressed its nose against my fly, but then it descended without eating. This only exasperated an already slow day. At least I saw a fish.

Looks Fishy

I resumed fishing, and I spotted a decent number of tiny caddis buzzing about as well as a very occasional blue wing olive. The perdigon was simply dead weight, so I replaced it with a beadhead hares ear nymph. The salvation and hares ear did not click. Having seen caddis I replaced the salvation with a bright green caddis pupa. Again action was non-existent. Finally in desperation I swapped the hares ear for a beadhead classic RS2, since I saw a few BWO’s, and the sky clouded up a bit. All my efforts were futile.

Fish Rose Just Above the Last Point on the Right

I reached the bridge and crossed over the road and replaced the RS2 with an ultra zug bug to imitate egg laying caddis. For the next thirty minutes I prospected the pockets and runs on the north side of the river. At a spot next to a vertical rock wall, I noted a rise to the hopper and set the hook. I never felt weight, but when I brought in my line, it was devoid of flies. I suspect that I reacted to a refusal, since there was no weight, and the trailing nymphs snagged on something causing the bad knot to unfurl. The nymphs were constantly snagging in green moss, so in addition to not catching fish, I was constantly picking slime off my flies.

I had enough by 2:30PM and decided to make an early departure for my return drive. My confidence is at an all time low, and I will not be returning to Deckers in the near future. Why were there so many anglers there, if the fishing was so slow? Were they doing something different? I plan to take a break until next Monday. I have a guided float trip on the calendar for next Tuesday, so hopefully that will allow me to escape my slump.

Fish Landed: 0

Time: 10:30AM – 4:00PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 04/22/2026 Photo Album

As I considered options for Wednesday, April 22, 2026, I reviewed weather, flows and fly shop reports. Very quickly I became aware that high winds were forecast across all of Colorado. I chose to visit the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon, because I felt the south to north flowing river would be sheltered more from the wind than the East – West flowing Arkansas River and Eagle River.

The Pool Beckons

I departed Denver at 8:00AM and made the drive to Eleven Mile Canyon without incident. The flows were in the 63 CFS range and low and clear. I arrived at my chosen parking location by 10:15AM, and the air temperature registered 59 degrees on the dashboard display. The weather app forecast wind speeds in the 15 to 18 MPH range, and I immediately felt the impact of the wind, as I prepared to fish. I chose my Sage One five weight to combat the wind, and I wore my raincoat as a windbreaker. Both moves proved to be solid choices.

Decent Fish

I hiked down the dirt road for .2 miles, and then I cut to the river and began fishing with a peacock hippie stomper and an olive perdigon on a four foot dropper. Because of the low, clear conditions I chose a smaller and lighter top fly and a single nymph with a tungsten bead to quickly get deep drifts.

Boulder Searching

Between 10:30AM and noon I progressed upstream and managed to land two small trout. The first one was a brown trout less than twelve inches, and it darted to the surface and smacked the hippie stomper. Number two was an even smaller rainbow that nipped the olive perdigon.

Tail Sag

As I munched my lunch next to a gorgeous pool, I decided to switch things up. I replaced the stomper with a size 8 gray chubby Chernobyl and beneath it I added a 20 incher and a hares ear nymph. From 12:30PM until 2:30PM I tossed the three fly dry dropper, and I landed two trout that snatched the 20 incher. One was a respectable thirteen inch brown and the other was an eleven inch rainbow trout. I covered a huge amount of stream real estate in the process of landing these two fish. Clearly the action was very slow, and I attributed the lack of results to the wind and the absence of insect activity. I cycled through several additional flies on the point including an orange scud, sparkle wing RS2 and a supernova PMD. None of these flies found favor with the South Platte River trout.

Along the Rock Wall

At 2:30PM I arrived at a wide pool, and I spotted a few sporadic rises in a run near the far bank. My nymphs were not yielding much in the way of results, so I removed the three fly system and shifted to a double dry fly arrangement. The front fly was the peacock hippie stomper, and I trailed a mole fly behind it. I tossed these flies for the remainder of my time on the river, and I upped the fish count from four to seven. I landed one brown from the area, where I first spotted rises. Surprisingly the brown was fooled by the hippie stomper.

Hard Earned

Number six emerged from a deep and short pocket in the middle of the river, and this rainbow trout of fourteen inches was easily the best fish of the day. I was about ready to quit, but I decided to visit one more nice pool, and I stood fifteen feet back from the bank and lobbed a cast to the slow moving shelf near the bank. By now I had swapped the mole fly for a soft hackle emerger. I allowed my flies to sit motionless, and suddenly out of nowhere a twelve inch brown trout emerged and sipped the soft hackle emerger.

Productive Spot

I continued fishing the double dry for another ten minutes, but the wind was gusting, and I was weary, so I called it a day. Wind was the overriding factor on Wednesday, April 22. Casting was a chore, and I had to frequently wait for gusts to end in order to cast upstream. I spotted a few blue wing olives, when I observed rises, but I suspect the adults were rapidly blown off the water and not available to the trout for any significant amount of time. For some reason nymphs were mostly ignored. Wednesday was a tough day, and I probably should have given more credence to the wind forecasts.

Fish Landed: 7

Time: 11:00AM – 4:00PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 03/30/2026 Photo Album

After a stellar day on March 24, I was anxious to return to a stream on Monday, March 30. The Arkansas River was my first choice; however, forecast wind speeds in the high teens deterred me. In addition, the 24 Fire forced the closure of CO 115, and this extended my drive time to lower Bighorn Sheep Canyon by thirty minutes to nearly three hours. Instead I chose the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon. Wind speeds were predicted to be in the low teens, and I knew from previous experience that the north/south orientation of the canyon offered some amount of protection.

Early Action in This Section

I arrived at my chosen starting point by 10:30AM, and the dashboard thermometer registered 45 degrees. This was colder than I expected, so I pulled on my fleece hoodie and added my rain shell for wind protection. I rigged my Sage One five weight, and that meant that I used the same rod for every fly fishing outing in 2026.

Prime Shape

To begin, I chose a peacock hippie stomper and an olive perdigon. I went light because the river was tumbling along at 60 CFS and clarity was excellent. I began just above a bridge, and I was shocked, when a thirteen inch brown trout grabbed the perdigon within the first ten minutes. In the same run but higher up, two rainbows snatched the perdigon, and I was off and running. By the time I broke for lunch at around noon the fish count was perched on six, and this included a thirteen inch rainbow and a few more trout beneath twelve inches. All the trout nabbed the olive perdigon. My confidence was sky high, and I anticipated an afternoon olive hatch.

Pleased with This Catch

For the remainder of the day I continued with the hippie stomper and the olive perdigon. At 1:30PM I noticed a couple baetis fluttering about, so I added a classic RS2, and I eventually cycled through a sparkle wing RS2, and a sniper baetis. I hooked a fish momentarily with the classic RS2, but that was the extent of my success with BWO nymph imitations. For the last half hour I swapped the sniper baetis for a beadhead hares ear, and the shaggy nymph produced two trout.

Wide Moderate Depth Riffle

Head Shot

The star of the afternoon was the hippie stomper. In quick succession I prospected two moderately attractive riffles, and two fat fifteen inch brown trout responded. I have no idea what they mistook the attractor dry for. These two fish were numbers seven and eight. The hippie stomper then produced a 14 inch brown and two robust thirteen inch rainbows. I spotted five spawning rainbows, while I ate lunch, but I did not bother them. Apparently not all the rainbows were in  reproduction mode, as I landed the two hippie stomper eaters after lunch.

A Brown Emerged from This Hole

Monday was a rewarding day in Eleven Mile Canyon. I avoided the wind for the most part, and I landed fifteen trout including five in the thirteen to sixteen inch size range. The air temperature reached the upper sixties, and I was comfortable for my entire tenure on the river. March continues to be superb.

Fish Landed: 15

South Platte River 03/13/2026 Photo Album

Two months in a row offering a Friday the 13th is a rare occurrence. Is the number thirteen lucky or unlucky? I tend to think it is bad luck, so was a day of fishing a good idea? After experiencing a stellar opener on Monday on the Arkansas River, I was excited to give fly fishing another try.

The weather forecast was mostly auspicious with a high in Denver in the seventies. Unfortunately, the fly fisherman’s four letter word, wind, was raising its ugly head. I checked out the weather in three possible destinations, and finally settled on the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon. Why? The temperatures on the lower Arkansas were more favorable, but the wind was severe, and I knew from experience that wind in the wide open canyon running west to east was not something to confront. I briefly entertained the option of visiting the Eagle River, but the temperatures were in the low fifties, and wind was an existential factor there as well. Wind in Eleven Mile Canyon was expected to peak in the 14 – 16 MPH range, but I knew from previous trips that the river flows from north to south, and the canyon actually shelters the angler to some degree.

Very Pleased

I took my time and arrived at my chosen spot by 11:10. I discovered that the rates for entering the canyon were raised once again to $11, and I had the foresight to stash a pair of quarters that allowed me to pay my fee of $5.50 using my 50% senior discount. The temperature was 50 degrees, as I prepared to fish, so I pulled on my insulated long sleeve undershirt, light down North Face coat and my new raincoat as a windbreaker. These remained in place throughout the day.

Emerged from in Front of the Large Exposed Rock

Eleven Mile Canyon on this day had a completely different aura than Big Horn Sheep Canyon on Monday, and although I was hoping for a day that approached my opener, I immediately sensed that was not going to be the case. A fair amount of snow remained along the eastern banks, and the narrower canyon shaded much of the water in the morning and early afternoon. The air felt exceptionally dry as the wind whipped across the water.

Goodbye Rainbow

I rigged my Sage One five weight in order to combat the wind, and I hiked down the road a ways, until I encountered a very narrow section with whitewater chutes. That became my starting point. I rigged with an amber ice dub body chubby Chernobyl, a 20 incher and a silver bullet nymph. I began casting at 11:30AM, and by the time I broke for lunch at noon I netted two fine trout. The first was a fifteen inch brown that grabbed the stonefly imitation, as it swung in front of an exposed boulder. The fourteen inch rainbow emerged from a nice riffle of moderate depth, and it also snapped up the 20 incher. I was very encouraged by my thirty minutes of success in the morning.

Rainbow Was From This Run

After lunch I continued up the river prospecting with the dry/dropper, although I swapped the silver bullet for an olive perdigon. The sky continued to vary between large clouds and brief periods of sun, but the wind chill reinforced my decision to wear several layers.

Pointed Back

In the two hours after lunch I covered a significant amount of river real estate, and I managed to increase the fish count to four. One of the landed fish was a spunky thirteen inch rainbow, and the other was a thirteen inch brown trout. These fish preferred the olive perdigon, but I executed an abundant number of casts and carefully waded through quite a few very attractive pools and runs in order to net two trout. This was the slow going I expected, when I arrived and felt the winter-like conditions.

Nice Section Ahead

By 2:30PM I reached another whitewater chute area, so I exited and hiked back to the car and moved downstream .5 mile to an area that I was familiar with from some trips last summer. I liked the structure of the canyon in this locale, and I was convinced that it would yield better results.

Nice Chunk

It did. In the last hour, before I called it quits, I landed two nice trout in the thirteen inch range. One was a rainbow and one was a brown, and ironically they emerged from the same nice long pocket and run along the west bank. Both of these fish showed a preference for the olive perdigon. This bit of good fortune improved my confidence, so I persisted for another thirty minutes, but I once again experienced only futility.

Two Trout Came from This Area

Was Friday’s fly fishing an unlucky Friday the 13th outing? It was actually fairly decent for winter conditions in the early season. Did it match Monday? No, but Monday was surely an outlier for early March, and I did not expect a repeat. I will, however, keep my eye on the weather over the remainder of March and look for an opportunity to return to the Arkansas River. Another week or two of mild weather will probably elevate Eleven Mile and the Eagle River into consideration for March fishing trips.

Fish Landed: 6

Time: 10:30AM – 3:15PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 09/19/2025 Photo Album

After a decent day on Wednesday, I had an open calendar on Friday, and the weather report was very favorable, so I logged a second day of fly fishing during the third week of September. I reviewed the usual options and settled on the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon. The high at Lake George was projected to be in the low seventies, and the flows were steady at 123 CFS. The heavy rush hour traffic lengthened my drive a bit, but I arrived at a pullout next to the river by 10:00AM.

What Lies Ahead

I quickly geared up including my Sage R8 four weight, and I shuffled down the road a short distance to begin my day of fly fishing. After walking less than .1 mile, I encountered a young man sitting next to the road, and he appeared to be waiting for another fisherman. I surveyed the river farther downstream, and I spotted the wide-brimmed hat of another angler, so I reversed direction and cut down a short bank almost directly across from my car.

Another View

Hit That Slick

To begin my search for trout I selected an amber ice dub body chubby Chernobyl, an olive perdigon and a classic RS2. The total length of my offering from the chubby to the RS2 was around three feet. I began prospecting the deep pockets and runs around a series of exposed boulders, and it was not long before I connected with trout. I steadily worked my way upstream, while prospecting the seams and deep slides, and by the time I broke for lunch at 11:45AM, the fish count rose to eight. Two of the eight were quite robust rainbows in the thirteen to fourteen inch range, and the best of the two mashed the chubby Chernobyl. Unfortunately in the process of attempting an escape, the angry rainbow broke off the two trailing nymphs including my valuable olive perdigon. It is valuable because the tungsten beads are expensive and because I have a limited backup supply to last through the remainder of the season.

Aiming Back

Productive Section

After lunch I persisted with the dry/dropper, and I managed to boost the fish count to ten, but the difficulty factor ratcheted up. The two fish landed in the early afternoon also crushed the chubby Chernobyl, and for some reason it seemed like the fish turned away from nymphs in favor of surface feeding. One of the rainbows was the longest of the day at around fifteen inches, but it barely fought and appeared to be in a sad state of health. It was very slender, and I feared that it would not recover, but eventually it slapped its tail and returned to the faster water in the river. In addition to the landed trout, the chubby also attracted quite a few refusals,

Lovely Colors

After fifteen minutes of futile casting, I decided to take a cue from the trout, and I converted to a double dry configuration. I removed the three fly dry/dropper combination, and I tied on a peacock hippie stomper and a size 14 olive body deer hair caddis. The move paid instant dividends, as I temporarily hooked up with a fish on a downstream drift through a deep trough, and then a brown trout attacked the caddis.

Submerging

I continued my upstream progression with the double dry and increased the fish count from eleven to fifteen. Another very healthy rainbow trout of fourteen inches was among these catches, and it crushed the caddis almost before it landed on the water. I was feeling pretty smug about my switch to the double dries, but then a wave of refusals took over followed by an hour of no action. During the period when the caddis was taking fish, I noticed a sparse number of very small mayflies, likely blue wing olives, but the fish never responded with rises. The thin hatch did, however, coincide with the period of effectiveness of the olive caddis. I am not sure there was a connection other than the fact that the trout were tuned into food availability on the surface.

Some Attractive Slicks

Caddis Smacked Here

The one hour of futility convinced me that it was time to call it a day. I considered reverting to the dry/dropper, but I concluded it was too late in the day to undertake the conversion. Friday was a fun day. The section that I fished was delightful, as I prospected the many likely fish holding spots and met with reasonable success until the last hour. The weather was gorgeous. and after the initial encounter, I never met another angler. Three respectable rainbows highlighted the day, but I also netted three brown trout in the twelve inch range. It was a success on a late summer day in September.

Fish Landed: 15

Time: 11:00AM – 3:00PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 08/11/2025 Photo Album

I planned to drive to Amy’s condo in Carbondale for two days of fly fishing, but the Lee Fire had other ideas. It made little sense to drive into the county, where the fire was raging and growing, so I changed my plans and stayed in Denver. Hopefully the firefighters will gain control, and I can make the trip next week.

Instead of driving to fish on the western slope, I turned my attention to the Front Range. I already made plans to fish South Boulder Creek on Tuesday or Wednesday with my son, so I shifted my attention south to the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon. I was pleased to note that the flows at Lake George were in the 125 CFS range, so I made that my destination. The high temperature in the canyon was projected to reach the low seventies, and that was advantageous for the fish and the fisherman.

Short but Fat

I arrived at my usual pullout along the canyon road by 10:30AM, and after I assembled my recently repaired Sage One five weight and hiked up the road a short distance, I dropped to the edge of the river. I planned to focus on the faster pockets around boulders and devote minimal casts to the large pools, unless I spotted rising fish. I adhered to this strategy throughout the day, as no significant hatches drew the fish to the surface.

I anticipated a trico hatch, but I never really observed evidence of such an event. On two occasions I spotted a very sparse emergence of tiny size 22 mayflies, but they were not tricos. I also noted a few random caddis and a yellow sally or two, but these aquatic insect appearances were so random, that I did not attempt to imitate them with my offerings.

Full Length

To start the day, I configured my line with a peacock hippie stomper, a size 22 RS2 and a sunken trico. The trico ploy was insurance in case a hatch and spinner fall occurred early, before I arrived. I suspected that I would see some lingering spinners in slow eddies, but this was not the case.

I Stepped Closer

In the forty-five minutes, before I broke for lunch at 11:45AM, I landed four trout This included a thirteen inch brown trout and a similar sized rainbow. The other two fish fell beneath the one foot length. The RS2 duped the first fish, the rainbow; and the hippie stomper accounted for the other three fish. The stomper also instigated quite a few refusals, and in several cases I foul hooked the fish with a trailing nymph.

Big Bow Was to the Right of the Exposed Rock

The sunken trico was totally ignored, so after lunch I replaced it with a beadhead PMD supernova. The supernova picked up a decent fish, but soon thereafter it broke off, while I battled a fish that slurped the hippie stomper. I added a new length of tippet and replaced the supernova with a size 18 pheasant tail nymph. The stomper, RS2 and pheasant tail remained on my line for most of the early afternoon, and the pheasant tail was the favorite of the South Platte River trout between 1:00PM and 2:30PM.

Another Plump Rainbow

The action slowed considerably by 2:30PM, so I made a significant change to my lineup. I swapped the hippie stomper for a size 8 tan body pool toy hopper, and I replaced the RS2 with a hares ear nymph while maintaining the pheasant tail. The makeover was ineffective, and I ended my day at 3:00PM after logging ten landed fish.

Just in Front of the Rock on the Right

The quality of the fish on Monday was actually a bright spot. In the afternoon I brought a pair of fat fourteen inch rainbow trout to my net along with a thirteen inch brown trout. A couple twelve inch rainbows were also among my catch.

Submerging

My strategy of targeting the faster runs and pockets among structure proved effective, although the fishing on Monday was steady rather than fast action. Twice I actually saw the side of a fish flash which prompted me to set the hook, and then I discovered that I was attached to a decent fish.  I never tested a double dry, although the frequency of refusals to the hippie stomper suggested that perhaps that may have been a productive approach. I encountered only a few anglers, until I bumped into a group of four near the end of my time on the river. I also notched three or four long distance releases, so the action extended beyond the ten landed fish. Given the lack of insect activity, I felt fortunate to record double digits on August 11.

Fish Landed: 10

Time: 10:30AM – 2:30PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 06/18/2025 Photo Album

Baby sitting duties prevented me from fly fishing last Wednesday; however, I salvaged a fun day on a lake on Friday, June 13. Hurdles to the pursuit of chasing trout continued to plague me, as I contracted an illness that took me out of action late on Fathers Day through Tuesday; however, by Wednesday morning my energy was back. One nuisance symptom of my condition remained, but I felt well enough to embark on a fishing trip.

But where should I go? I eagerly tracked the receding flows on the freestones I love to frequent, as run off wanes, and I was surprised to see that the Arkansas River was already within the range of edge fishing. The Yampa River in Steamboat was actually prime for edge fishing, but the long trip made that option unworkable. I was nearly settled on the Arkansas, but when I checked the flows on Tuesday, I noticed a distinct spike in flows at the Salida and Nathrop gages. I was concerned that heavy rain on Tuesday caused the sudden increase, and perhaps this was accompanied by a loss of clarity. It was too late to call a fly shop.

Next to the Large Rock on the Right

When I checked again early on Wednesday morning, the spike leveled out at 1800 CFS at Nathrop, but I was reluctant to risk the long drive, and I wanted to leave before the fly shops opened at 8AM, so I defaulted to the South Platte River at Lake George. The graph of flows there was nearly an unending straight line in the 85 – 90 CFS range. I had decent success on my last visit there on 06/10/2025, and I assumed that conditions would be similar. I made the drive to Eleven Mile Canyon.

Very Respectable

By the time I arrived, geared up and assembled my Sage R8 four weight, it was 10:30AM. I began my day with a peacock hippie stomper trailing a size 16 olive-brown body deer hair caddis on an eighteen inch section of tippet. As I stood on the bank making my first couple casts, a trout rose next to a rock, and it was no more than five feet away from me. I dropped the flies in the current without even casting and allowed them to drift along the rock, and on the second pass, a very respectable thirteen inch brown trout aggressively smacked the caddis. It was quite an auspicious start to me day.

Early Beast

I added a second small brown, as I advanced up the river, but then the fly fishing gods exacted their payback for my early good fortune. First, I set the hook into nothing and launched the flies into a tree limb high above the river. After some persistence and an excessive struggle, I was able to bend the branch tip down to the river, where I was able to unravel and rescue the flies. Next I failed to pause to allow the flies to straighten before making the forward cast, and this error along with some gusting wind, caused the flies to confront me in a massive snarl. It was so bad that I had to cut off both flies and dispose of the tangled leader that connected the stomper to the caddis.

Fine Looking Area

After these two time consuming disruptions to my karma, I made a thirty foot cast across the river to a nice riffle next to some overhanging branches. I really thought it was a futile effort, but much to my amazement a decent fish smacked the hippie stomper. I raised the rod and connected and in the process lifted the nose of a decent-sized rainbow above the surface, but in a flash the fish was gone. I stripped my line in and discovered that both flies broke off, and I suspect I scarred the knot on the hippie stomper in my efforts to unravel the tangle.

Nice Rainbow

What else could go wrong? One more thing. I finally settled into a rhythm and began prospecting likely trout lairs, when another angler appeared and waded into the river no more than twenty yards above me. I was dumbfounded. I fished out a remaining attractive section, and then I climbed the bank and moved upstream. As I passed the angler, I told the invader that I assumed he did not see me, and that explained his presence in my space. He said that was the case, and then uttered “life can be hard”. I was again dumbfounded and simply shook my head. There was no apology or offer to move somewhere else. I hiked along the road a good distance, offering him a courtesy he did not extend to me, and then I cut back to the river.

Pleased

By now at least an hour had elapsed, but I began to fish my double dry in earnest, and the results were outstanding. I spotted very sporadic rises, and small caddis dapped the surface occasionally, and my hippie stomper and deer hair caddis seemed to be of interest to the river inhabitants. I boosted the fish count from two to fifteen, before I paused on an exposed mid-river rock for lunch. Among my catch were a couple twelve inch rainbows and four browns in the twelve to thirteen inch range, and one seventeen inch cutbow. Yes, you read that correctly. The beast rose and crushed the hippie stomper at the very top of a long pocket. I was shocked by this outlier.

Productive Water Ahead

After lunch at 1:00PM the game changed. The fish stopped responding to my double dries. I spotted a light yellow body mayfly slowly ascending toward the sky, so I swapped the caddis for a pale morning dun. Nothing. By 1:30PM I decided to replace the comparadun with a light gray deer hair caddis, and while paused to make the changeover, I pulled out my stream thermometer. I submerged it for more than two minutes in a spot with some depth along fast moving current, and it registered 66 degrees. Before I plunged it into the water, it displayed 77 degrees, so I knew it was functioning properly. 66 degrees represents the threshold of when one should stop fishing in order not to harm trout by playing them in elevated stream temperatures.

Cutbow Monster

It was only 1:30, so I decided to drive up the river toward the dam with the hope that the water temperature would be lower near the bottom release. I parked where I normally stop on early spring outings, and I hiked to the same sections that I was familiar with. I made some casts at the top of a nice long entering run to a medium sized pool, and this provoked a splashy refusal. Next, however, I once again tested the water temperature, and I was surprised to learn that the thermometer continued to register 66 degrees. I used my better judgement and called it quits at 2:30PM. The air temperature on the dashboard display was 80 degrees, as I began my return journey.

Fifteen trout landed in two and a half hours of fishing is very respectable, and quite a few were above average beauties. This was accomplished in spite of a series of time consuming disruptions. I fished only dry flies, and the fish were quite receptive to my offerings. The hot spots were the cushion in front of large exposed boulders, and quite often the trout grabbed the caddis, as I began to lift in front of the boulder to make another cast. Slight twitches and movement seemed to instigate trout predator behavior. The warm water temperatures were a disappointment, and I am concerned with a heat wave in the forecast for the remainder of the week. Could the water managers increase the flows? I am thankful that I carry a stream thermometer.

Fish Landed: 15

Time: 10:30AM – 3:00PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 06/10/2025 Photo Album

With Ireland and jet lag in the rearview mirror, I was anxious to return to Colorado waters. Run off was in full swing, so my choices were limited to tailwaters or lakes. I checked the flows on the South Platte River at Lake George, and I learned they were in the 88 CFS range, and my choice became a no brainer. I love Eleven Mile Canyon, and flows in that range were a bit low but well within my desired range. Air temperatures were projected in the upper seventies, and that reinforced my desire to visit the canyon tailwater.

Prime Water

I arrived at my chosen pullout by 10AM, and as I geared up at the tailgate of my car, another angler ambled by on his way to fish the section that I chose. This irked me a bit, but it was open water, and he got there first. I wore only my fishing shirt and stuffed my raincoat in my backpack. My rod choice was my old Sage four weight. I was in a position to begin casting by 10:30AM, and my line displayed a size 14 peacock body hippie stomper and a beadhead hares ear nymph. In the early going I managed a pair of relatively small brown trout, and the hares ear accounted for both; however, spots that looked very attractive failed to produce. The hippie stomper was attracting attention in the form of looks and refusals, so I concluded that the fish were looking toward the surface for their meals.

Looking Up the Canyon

I removed the long dropper leader and the hares ear, and I replaced them with a one foot tippet with a size 14 olive-brown body deer hair caddis. Cha-ching. This pairing clicked, and I moved the fish count from two to ten before I broke for lunch at noon. Credit goes to Max of Charlies Fly Box who posted an Instagram video that recommended caddis in the riffles for fast action. His advice was accurate.

Olive-Brown Deer Hair Caddis on Its Nose

After lunch I continued my advancement through pocket water and riffles, and I increased the fish count to fourteen by 1:00PM. By now the sun was bright and the air temperature was in the upper seventies, and it seemed that these conditions placed the trout in a state of lethargy. The double dry suddenly failed to attract interest, so after a long dry spell, I returned to the dry/dropper methodology. I spotted one solitary golden stonefly, so I chose a tan body mini-chubby Chernboyl as my top fly. Beneath it I brought back the hares ear, and then I added a second nymph in the form of a salvation nymph. The length of the leader from mini chubby to salvatoin was around four feet.

Pockets to Pick

I cast to all the likely spots, but it was as if the river was a victim of a recent fish kill. I removed the salvation and replaced it with an olive perdigon. After an enormous amount of casting and moving, I managed to land two nice rainbow trout in the final two hours. One bow snagged the hares ear, and the other clamped down on the olive perdigon.

Promising

On the day I landed four rainbow trout with one chunky specimen approximating thirteen inches in length. A brown trout stretched the tape to thirteen as well, and the other rainbows were around twelve inches in length. The remainder of the catch were less than a foot long.

Another Fine Rainbow

While both dry flies were working, the deer hair caddis was preferred over the hippie stomper. I estimate that the ratio of caddis dry fly takes to hippie stomper takes was seven caddis for every three stompers. Moderate depth riffles and medium depth and long pockets were the most productive river structures. The big deep pools were a waste of casting energy.

Run Near the Bank Delivered

A sixteen fish day, while most of the waterways were blown out with high water, was appreciated greatly. The last two hours were tough, but the morning action was fast and very entertaining. Perhaps another visit to the South Platte is in my future.

Fish Landed: 16