Time: 11:00AM – 3:15PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 08/31/2026 Photo Album

My last fly fishing outing was last Tuesday, so I was itching to visit a Colorado stream again during the week that began with August 31, 2026. The weather forecast played a role in my choice of destination, as the probability of afternoon storms was in the 50% range in most locales. I decided to make the drive to the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon, because the road runs along the river, and I would not be far from shelter should a storm roll in.

Breaking in the New Net

I arrived at my chosen pullout by 10:30AM. I was surprised by the number of cars in pullouts along the road, as I drove toward the dam, but I found a favorite section unoccupied. The temperature on the dashboard was 58 degrees, as I prepared to fish, so I slid into my raincoat for additional warmth. I suspected that I would remove it during my stay on the river, but it never came off, as heavy clouds blocked the sun for most of the day. There was a sunny stretch, when I felt excessively warm, but I waited it out, and more clouds blocked the sun’s rays for the remainder of the afternoon.

Nice Pool

The flows were 66 CFS, and the river was very clear. I chose my Sage R8 four weight, since wind was not a factor, and I did not expect to tangle with many trout in the fifteen to twenty inch range.

A Trout Came from the Side Pool

During the morning I opted for a light dry/dropper configuration. I began with a peacock hippie stomper trailing a sunken trico. The South Platte in Eleven Mile is known for its summer trico hatch, and I thought perhaps I could cash in on some straggling sunken spinners, but the strategy failed. Between eleven AM and 11: 50AM I managed to land four small trout. Two gobbled the hippie stomper, and one snatched the salvation nymph, after I replaced the sunken trico, The fourth landed trout nabbed a gray size 16 comparadun, after I replaced the sunken trico and nymphs. Three were small rainbow trout and the other was a sub twelve inch brown trout.

Beast Brown Trout

Brown Grabbed Hopper in the Froth

After lunch, since the hippie stomper was attracting refusals, I swapped it for a large deer hair caddis, and I retained the gray comparadun on a long leader behind the caddis. These flies were relatively easy to track, and as I mentioned previously, a small rainbow grabbed the comparadun. I did have a few refusals to the caddis and a couple very momentary connections. It seemed the fish were interested, but something made them very tentative.

Orange Border on the Tail

Run Next to Boulders Delivered

I grew weary of tracking the flies in the glare for minimal return, so I shifted my strategy once again. I went big with a tan pool toy hopper and trailed an olive perdigon for weight and followed that with a salvation nymph. The move paid huge dividends, when a sixteen inch brown trout smashed the hopper in the froth of a deep but short pocket in the middle of some fast water.

Another Brute

Hopper Eat Below the Round Left Side Boulder

For the remainder of the afternoon I worked my way up the river at a steady pace, and I boosted the fish count from five to ten. The second five to visit my net were quality trout with a couple thirteen inch rainbows, two thirteen inch brown trout, and another hopper crusher in the form of a fourteen inch brown. Catching these fish required an abundant number of casts and a lot of wading, but I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. The action was frequent enough to hold my interest, until I called it quits at 3:15PM.

Pool Toy Hopper

Before I returned to the car, I pulled out my new stream thermometer (my old one went through the wash, and the mercury sank, so that the scale was off by 30 degrees). I glanced at the scale before submerging, and the air temperature was a cool 66 degrees. After one minute in the river, I extracted the cylinder, and the new reading was 57 degrees. I thought the water felt warm, but that was in comparison to the relatively cool air.

Monday was a fun day on the South Platte River. Dry fly action has slowed compared to earlier visits in July, but I discovered that persistence with a hopper/dropper and nymphs could be rewarding. Perhaps I can return in September for some blue wing olive activity.

Fish Landed: 10

Time: 9:45AM – 1:00PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 07/20/2026 Photo Album

Monday was an open date for fly fishing, so I took advantage of the opportunity. The high temperature in Denver was forecast to reach 102 degrees, so my choice of destination was crucial. I had an outstanding day on the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon on 07/07/2026, so that became my choice. The flows were steady at 108 CFS, but the high temperature was projected to reach the eighties. I decided to start early, and in all likelihood end my day early.

My early start enabled me to arrive at my chosen destination by 9:15AM, and after I geared up with my Sage R8 four weight, I was positioned next to the stream ready to cast by 9:45AM. The air temperature at the car was 71 degrees, so I knew it was going to be a hot day.

Inviting a Cast

I began my day with a yellow Letort hopper size 10 and trailed a size 16 olive-brown deer hair caddis. The hopper initiated some refusals, but the caddis yielded a decent twelve inch brown trout that smacked the dry fly, as I began to lift it to cast in the upstream cushion in front on an exposed rock.

Ooh. Looks Good.

I was not impressed with the fish attracting capability of my dual dry fly combination, so I modified my offering. I removed the Letort hopper and replaced it with a size 14 yellow stimulator. For the trailing second fly I added a size 16 light gray comparadun. I was imitating yellow sallies and pale morning duns. I noticed a few yellow sallies fluttering up from the river as well as a couple pale morning duns.

Dry Fly Eater

The changeover provided some success, as I landed a nice brown trout and rainbow trout. The brown trout rose to the stimulator and the rainbow sipped the comparadun. The fish count was at three, as I broke for lunch at 11:45AM. The pace of action lagged significantly compared to my visit on 07/07/2026. The trout were being very picky, and I was perplexed by that development.

I Love These Sluicing Runs on the South Platte

After lunch I approached a narrow section of the canyon that exhibited faster water and deep plunge pools. I decided to give a dry/dropper a test. I removed the double dry flies and replaced them with a tan mini chubby, a size 16 PMD supernova, and a sunken trico. Although I covered quite a few attractive spots with no results, I did land three nice trout on the subsurface offerings. Two trout snatched the sunken trico and one nabbed the supernova. I was very pleased to note that my sunken trico ploy yielded positive results. One of the brown trout was a fourteen inch beauty and my best of the day, and a thirteen inch rainbow grabbed the sunken trico. I actually saw the fish move to the fly and set the hook before the mini chubby showed any movement from the take.

Tucked in the Net

After the flurry of action on the subsurface flies, the river went dead. The sighting of yellow sallies prompted me to substitute a beadhead hares ear for the sunken trico, and this move paid dividends, when I landed a small brown trout to bring the fish count to seven.

Trough

By now the time was approaching 1:00PM, and the action stalled, so I decided to convert back to dry flies. At one spot along the bank I noticed at least five blue body damsel flies flitting about. I tied some adult damsels in blue three or four years ago after encountering a dense damsel infestation on a lake, but I never had an occasion to use them. I decided to try a few casts. I flicked the damsel to some nice current seams with no results, but then I turned my attention to a nice deep run along the far bank that ended in a small eddy in front of a large exposed boulder. On the fourth drift a mouth appeared, and the damsel disappeared! I executed a swift hook set and saw the side of a nice brown trout, but within three seconds the brown twitched its mouth, and the damsel fly released. In spite of losing the fish, this was my favorite moment of the day. It was an excellent example of observing what was happening on the river and then reacting to it.

Deep Pocket Surrounded by Structure

At one o’clock after another futile fifteen minutes I decided to take the water temperature. I dug out my stream thermometer, and the air temperature read 82 degrees, before I submerged it. I held the thermometer against the streambed in two feet of water for more than a minute. When I extracted it, I checked the scale and it read 68 degrees. I instantly halted my angling efforts and returned to the car.

A Rainbow Joins the Count

Monday was an average day, as I landed seven fish in three hours. A fourteen inch brown and thirteen inch rainbow visited my net, and I was thankful for the good fortune that they embodied. Catching two trout on sunken tricos, and connecting briefly with a trout while using my blue damsel adult were superb highlights in my book. I am considering taking a break from fishing during the heat wave, although I have one more option to test. Stay tuned.

Fish Landed: 7

Time: 9:30AM – 2:30PM

Location; Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 07/07/2026 Photo Album

For the week beginning on Monday, July 6, 2026 my calendar was open for Monday through Wednesday. Guess what I did? I went fly fishing on Tuesday. The weather forecast suggested hot temperatures with highs in the nineties in Denver; however, Monday was the hottest of the three days. I played pickleball on Monday morning and remained inside handling chores for the remainder of the day.

Tuesday was forecast to be moderately less hot, so I made it my first fly fishing day of the week. I decided to make a longer drive and chose the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon. Flows out of Eleven Mile Dam were in the 105 CFS range, and I was optimistic that these bottom releases would be enough to buffer the warm air temperatures. As an insurance policy, I prepared thoroughly the night before, and this enabled me to depart by 6:45AM, and the early departure in turn delivered me to my chosen pullout along the South Platte at slightly after 9AM.

Starting Run and Pool

The air temperature was in the upper sixties, as I geared up and fit together my Sage R8 four weight. For the first time I wore a hooded sun shirt that my son and daughter-in-law gave me for Christmas. As I pulled on my wading boots, I discovered the one glitch of the day. The cable lace on the BOA system had broken, and I was unable to tighten the left boot. I had no choice but to tolerate the loose fitting boot, and I now faced the task of repairing the lace on Tuesday evening for a day of fishing on Wednesday.

Stunning Rainbow Trout

The river looked amazing, as it chugged along at 106 CFS, and it was very clear. To begin my day, I deployed a double dry fly system with a peacock hippie stomper and a size 14 light gray deer hair caddis. I began casting at 9:30AM, and my earlier than usual start paid dividends, as I landed three brown trout in the first thirty minutes. Two trout nabbed the caddis and the other one smashed the hippie stomper.

Poised Torpedo

Unfortunately the hippie stomper began to provoke refusals and tentative bites, so I moved the caddis to the forward position, removed the hippie stomper, and added a size 16 light gray comparadun. I was anticipating an earlier than usual pale morning dun hatch. This two fly combination produced, and the fish count surged to seven by 10:30AM. The additional four trout that landed in my net nabbed the caddis, and the size of these fish improved over the earlier catches.

Long and Deep Pocket

Between 10:30AM and 11:00AM I elevated the fish count from seven to eleven. I remember thinking to myself that I had eleven by eleven! Again most of the action was on the caddis, but the comparadun contributed a fish or two. Refusals continued to be an issue, but the takes were frequent enough to offset any frustration, and the size of the fish seemed to improve.

Covered in Ink Spots

By the time I broke for lunch at 11:45, the fish count rested on seventeen. Even if I failed to catch more fish, I deemed Tuesday to be a success. The caddis continued to be the main attraction; however, the comparadun accounted for a few, and it seemed the comparadun attracted larger than average fish. I noticed caddis dancing along the banks, and a few sporadic pale morning duns confirmed my hunch that they were present. I also noticed a few yellow sallies. This observation became a factor later in the day.

Home of Beast Brown

After lunch I continued my upstream migration, and the fish continued to mash my flies, although it seemed the gaps between trout interaction lengthened. The fish count mounted to twenty-two, and among this group of landed fish was a stunning eighteen inch brown trout. It was deeply colored in gold with black ink spots. What a specimen!

Pink Cheek

By now the sun was very bright, and the fishing action slowed significantly. The yellow sally sightings prompted me to replace the light gray caddis with a size 14 yellow stimulator, while I retained the light gray comparadun. The original comparadun lost most of its deer hair wing during one of my hook removal procedures, so I replaced it with a fresh version with a thicker wing.

Rock Garden Ahead

For the remainder of the day I once again experienced steady but slow action, and the fish count lifted from twenty-two to twenty-six. It seemed like I attained the best results in the afternoon with long upstream casts and dead drifts. Across and down casts were not effective, and this is very unusual, since I have experienced many days, where this was the most effective technique.

Bankside Home

Tuesday was a banner day. The early start paid off with extensive morning action. The early afternoon was definitely slower, and I executed many more futile casts to places that appeared to be very attractive. The caddis was easily the most effective fly with smaller contributions from the comparadun, stimulator and hippie stomper. The size of the fish was satisfactory, with many trout in the twelve to thirteen inch range. Of course I also registered six smaller brown trout. The eighteen inch bruiser brown was a highlight of the day. It sipped the compardun from a relatively shallow lie just below some overhanging branches. As long as flows remain above 100 CFS, I plan to make additional visits to the South Platte River.

Fish Landed: 26

Time: 10:30AM – 2:00PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 06/23/2026 Photo Album

I was disappointed with my day on Monday, June 22, and I was reluctant to spend another day on the Arkansas River, even though I was strategically camped right next to it. I pondered my options and concluded that my chances of success were much higher on the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon. The last time I looked, it was sluicing along at 100 CFS, and in fact, now that I looked at the graph, it was in the 80 CFS range on Tuesday. The South Platte River became my destination on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Of course, June 23 was my wedding anniversary, so I was conscious of the need to be home at a reasonable time.

Mt. Princeton

Before I leave the Arkansas River, however, I should comment that I enjoyed a beautiful evening. The campground was less that half full and, therefore, relatively peaceful compared to the normal June whitewater rafting crowd. After dinner I grabbed my stool, iPad, and a dessert snack and moved to the beach at the end of the boat launch ramp. I sat and read my latest book for a couple hours, as the sun set behind the collegiate range. Between 8:15PM and 8:45PM the daylight waned, and the river came alive with rising fish. The surface action was very sporadic and not consistent enough to spur me to return to the car for my fly fishing gear, but the activity was a far cry from the doldrums experienced during the afternoon, Caddis appeared to be the main attraction for the eagerly feeding fish.

Great Start

After packing up my tent and gear on Tuesday morning, I made the one hour and thirty minute drive to my chosen spot in Eleven Mile Canyon. The temperature, as I prepared to fish, was in the low seventies, and it was clear that Tuesday would be another hot one. I fit together my Sage R8 four weight and departed for the river. I was reluctant to use my Sage R8 early in the season on some of the larger rivers, in case I tangled with larger fish that required the extra leverage of my five weight, but what a pleasure it was to cast the R8.

Promising Pool

I began the day with a peacock hippie stomper and size 16 olive-brown body deer hair caddis fished in a tandem dry fly rig. The results were immediate. I landed four trout in the first pool, and all snagged the trailing caddis. Yes, three were on the small side, but one brown stretched to twelve inches. Compared to Monday, however, the action was red hot.

Evidence of a Double

The Larger of the Double Featured

Before I broke for lunch at 11:45AM, I built the fish count to nine. Among my landed fish was a double; I hooked and landed two fish at once. The larger brown of thirteen inches smashed the hippie stomper, and while I played it to my net, a small brown trout slashed at and grabbed the trailing deer hair caddis. It is always interesting, when this rare feat unfolds, and I believe even rarer, when it happens with two dry flies.

Riffled Surface

After lunch I continued upstream, and the hippie stomper became a bit of a distraction, as refusals to the larger lead fly became frequent. I made a change and placed a size 14 light gray deer hair caddis in the upper position and trailed the size 16 olive-brown version of the deer hair caddis. This ploy produced positive results for a bit, and the fish count climbed to twelve, before fish began to look and drop or refuse the caddis. What now?

A Fine Rainbow Joins the Party

During the early afternoon I noticed a few size 16 mayflies, which I assumed were pale morning duns. Maybe the fish were attracted to the gray body of the caddis, but then retreated, when they failed to observe an upright wing? I replaced the olive-brown caddis with a size 16 light gray comparadun.

Looking Ahead

The rest is history. I increased the fish count from twelve to twenty-one, before I quit at 2:00PM. It seemed that the average size of the trout landed during the pale morning dun event were larger. A fourteen inch brown trout was the prize of the day, and two rainbows in the thirteen inch range graced my net as well. The trout consumed the comparadun with confidence.

Beast of the Day

By 1:30PM the PMD action subsided, but I continued prospecting with the caddis and comparadun tandem hoping that some opportunistic trout would search for stragglers. Alas, that was not to be, and I ended the day with twenty-one after a futile last half hour. The temperature, as I exited the canyon, was 85 degrees, so I suspect that the bright sun and warming water temperatures sent the trout to the bottom for coolness.

Rainbow Trout Lurking

Tuesday was a fine day on the South Platte River. I landed twenty-one trout, and all responded to dry flies. Caddis and pale morning duns were the ticket. Camping near Buena Vista proved strategic, as it allowed me to arrive earlier, than when I commute from Denver, and the best part of the day was late morning and early afternoon. I am very concerned over the water situation in Colorado, as fishing levels compare to early August in the middle of June. Stay tuned.

Fish Landed: 21

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