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

Time: 10:30AM – 3:30PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 05/24/2025 Photo Album

As I mentioned in my post of 05/20/2025, I was set to visit the South Platte River, when I was distracted by the temporary low flows on the Arkansas River and made that my destination on Monday. Friday was my day to follow through on my initial inclination. I made the trip to the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon. The high temperature was projected to reach the low seventies in nearby Lake George, CO, and the flows were actually running a bit low at 58 CFS.

Looking Ahead

For this trip to Eleven Mile I decided to experiment with a new stretch of the river. I usually frequent the upper special regulation section below the dam, but I admire the open water area, as I drive by. Sure, the bait fishermen are able to ply the river with their offerings, but I have learned historically on other streams that wily fish remain that are able to avoid the drifting worms and power bait. The key is to probe out of the way and difficult to reach spots, and these types of water exist in abundant quantity in Eleven Mile Canyon.

Number Two

Typical Productive Water

I slowly drove up the canyon while scanning the river for faster sections, until I finally found an area that exhibited the characteristics that I was seeking. The temperature was in the low sixties, so I pulled on my rain jacket for extra warmth, and I rigged my Sage R8 four weight. By 10:30AM I was on the river, and I began my angling day with a size 8 tan-body pool toy hopper, an orange scud and an olive perdigon. Between 10:30AM and 11:45AM I prospected all the likely seams, slots, pockets and riffles; and I notched four trout in my fish count. Two were rainbows and two were brown trout. One aggressive rainbow crushed the pool toy hopper, and the others grabbed  the nymphs. After twenty minutes the orange scud failed to deliver, so I substituted a beadhead hares ear nymph, and it attracted one rainbow, while the other two trout favored the olive perdigon.

Did the Job

Colorful Rainbow

After lunch on a nice flat rock, I continued up the river, and I built the fish count to seven. The three additional trout chose the hares ear, and in the process of landing one of the nicer rainbows, the olive perdigon broke off. I always grieve the loss of a perdigon, and the expensive tungsten bead, and I did not wish to expose more to that risk, and the trout seemed to like the hares ear, so I dipped into my fleece wallet for a PMD supernova to replace the perdigon.

Pocket Water Delight

By one o’clock I encountered a group of elementary age kids splashing and playing on a huge exposed boulder in the middle of the river. The river in the upstream area was wide and shallow and slow moving, so I retreated to the car and advanced up the road for .2 mile. I parked and jumped into another narrow section that contained deep pockets, plunge pools and exposed boulders. This was exactly the type of structure that I was seeking.

Seams Always Good

For the remainder of my afternoon I probed the likely spots, and I increased the fish count from seven to seventeen. Two nice brown trout in the fourteen inch range graced my net during this phase of my day. Both of the large trout emerged from lies in front of large exposed boulders, where the current deflected off the upstream face. Part way through the afternoon time frame, the PMD supernova was separated from my tippet, and I replaced it with a salvation nymph. Of the ten trout landed, as I moved the fish count from seven to seventeen, two consumed the supernova, one mauled the pool toy, one nabbed the salvation nymph and the remainder picked off the hares ear.

One of the Better Fish

Emerged from the Current Seam

My theory held. The section featured fast water with pockets and slots and hidden seams, and I used my dry/dropper to probe each possibility. Most fishermen prefer the deep pools and the entering runs as obvious fish magnets, and I avoided these spots that are normally pressured by the bait dunkers. I would not characterize the fishing as sizzling, but rather steady. Not all promising locations yielded results, but if I moved at a steady pace and persisted, I was able to create adequate action.

Covered in Spots

Nice Brown from in Front of the Large Boulder

Aside from the two fourteen inch browns, I netted quite a few trout in the eleven to twelve inch range, and I recalled at least four decent fish that shed my fly hook after brief fights. On the day I estimate that the ratio of browns to rainbows was roughly 50/50.  Overall it was a fun day. I always enjoy discovering new streams or different sections of rivers that produce favorable results. I will definitely do more exploration of Eleven Mile Canyon.

Fish Landed: 17

End of Day Double

Time: 11:00AM – 4:00PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 05/13/2025 Photo Album

After a fantastic day on a new section of the Arkansas River on Friday, I yearned to return. However, temperatures in the upper eighties over the weekend spurred a heightened amount of snow melt, and when I checked the streamflows at the Nathrop station on Monday, the graph depicted a severe slope upward. I called the local fly shop, and Tony informed me that the fishing on the Arkansas River was probably on hold, until the run off began to subside in June. It was time for plan B.

Zoomed

I quickly shifted gears and examined the flows on tailwaters starting with Eleven Mile Canyon. I knew from previous years that the water managers hold back water to fill the South Platte reservoirs, and that proved to be the case in 2025. The gauge at Lake George was displaying flows in the mid-eighties, and I recognized this as an opportunity to visit Eleven Mile Canyon.

Produced

Behind the Boulder

I arrived at one of my favorite parking lots at 10:30AM, and the temperature registered 61 degrees, and the sky was quite overcast. I opted for my raincoat as my only layer, and I pulled together my Sage R8 four weight. I love this rod on medium sized rivers. To begin my effort to net South Platte River trout, I knotted an amber ice dub size 8 chubby Chernobyl to my line, and then, being in a contrarian mood, I selected a partridge and orange wet fly and a hares ear nymph. I wish I could report that my choice of a seldom used fly paid dividends, but after fifteen minutes of casting in relatively attractive water, I had nothing to show for my experimentation with a classic wet fly and nymph. I moved the hares ear to the upper position and replaced the partridge and orange with an emerald caddis pupa.

Love the Pose

After this change in plan, I began to catch a few trout on the hares ear, and I steadily progressed upstream. When I rounded the bend, I was disappointed to spy another angler, and a second person stood nearby next to a folding chair. This clearly blocked my forward progress, but I advanced, until I was twenty yards below the man’s position. I later discovered that the other person was the angler’s wife or partner. During this period, I increased the fish count to six, with the hares ear doing most of the damage, although after a short trial, I abandoned the caddis pupa and replaced it with the trusty olive perdigon.

Right Side Slick

Upon approaching the couple, I exited right and circled around them through a dense clump of bushes and then followed the road, until I arrived at a spot, where the river ran right next to the dirt lane. Another angler arrived in the meantime, so I moved another twenty yards upstream and continued my upstream progression. I found a nice clear spot along the bank and chowed down on my lunch before resuming.

Just Before Release

For the most of the remainder of the afternoon, I persisted with the chubby Chernobyl, hares ear nymph, and olive perdigon. By 3PM, I spotted some stray blue wing olives, so I replaced the hares ear with a PMD supernova and then a sparkle wing RS2. Each of these flies yielded a pair of fish.

Very Respectable

After lunch I moved through some pocket water and then made some long casts in the smooth pool and glide at the bend. I did connect briefly with what felt like a heavier fish, as it attacked the chubby Chernobyl at the tail of the long slick. Once I passed the run and pool, I debated whether to move to my second favorite location, but I decided to persist. The next section featured a wide area that spilled around exposed rocks, and this created pockets, albeit relatively shallow. The gambit paid off, as I built the fish count to twelve, and this included some surprising twelve inch brown trout from fairly marginal lies.

Spectacular Spots

Once I covered the pockets, I opted to exit, since another slow moving deep pool was in my future. I hiked back to the car, and the couple that I encountered was present at their vehicle next to mine, and the gentleman was using the folding chair to remove his waders. We shared greetings and a brief exchange of our successes, and then I departed and moved .3 mile up the river to my next area to explore.

Shelf Pool

Rare Double

I spent the rest of the afternoon prospecting pockets, slots and deep runs among faster water, and I advanced the fish count from twelve to twenty. Among these catches were a pair of very nice and chunky thirteen inch brown trout. In addition, I experienced a rarity, when I hooked two fish at once and landed them both. A nice thirteen inch brown trout grabbed the chubby, and as I began playing it, a small brown nabbed one of the trailing nymphs. This always makes me wonder, whether I need to strip my flies faster, since the fish nailed the trailing nymph, while the larger fish streaked about attempting to escape.

Source of Double

My big revelation on the day was the effectiveness of the juicy chubby Chernobyl. Six of the twenty netted trout mashed the chubby, and these were some of the larger trout. The hares ear accounted for three, the supernova added two, the sparkle wing tallied two and the remainder grabbed the olive perdigon. The perdigon was a factor, but it was not the heavy lifter that it has been in recent outings.

Covered in Spots

Although Tuesday was a solid day, I would not characterize it as hot fishing. I covered a huge amount of the river and made an abundant quantity of casts. Places that I was certain would produce failed to do so, and other spots that screamed marginal came through. Tuesday’s success required a lot of casting and steady movement and above all continued focus. Hopefully I can squeeze in more stream fly fishing, before I am forced to resort to stillwaters.

Fish Landed: 20

Surprisingly Productive Chubby Chernobyl

Time: 10:45AM – 4:00PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 04/23/2025 Photo Album

I should have returned to the Eagle River. Well, not really, but Tuesday failed to meet my high expectations. I marked April 23 as an Eleven Mile Canyon day, after I noticed that the high temperature in Lake George was forecast to be 65 degrees with wind speeds in the upper single digits and fairly heavy cloud cover in the afternoon.

I arrived at my standard parking place a bit after 10:00AM, and the dashboard temperature displayed fifty degrees. I was wearing a long sleeve thermal undershirt, and I added my fleece hoodie and my rain jacket as a windbreaker. My Sage One five piece was once again chosen as my casting stick.

A Good Place to Start

As was the case during my last visit to Eleven Mile, I decided to focus my energies on the pockets and faster sections between the pools, until I observed consistent rising fish. In response to this strategy I began fly fishing with a size 8 gray-bodied chubby Chernobyl and trailed a 20 incher and olive perdigon. I prospected the deep pockets and runs around exposed boulders for the first 1.25 hour, but I failed to coax any action.

By noon I encountered another angler in the long smooth pool with a high vertical rock wall along the west bank, so I circled around him and found a nice rock to perch on, while I consumed my lunch.

This Area Yielded Two Trout

After lunch I decided to change up my flies, as I felt I was packing too much weight with the 20 incher and perdigon, and this was constraining the movement of my nymphs. I replaced the 20 incher with a size 16 beadhead hares ear nymph, and I retained the perdigon. After this change, I landed a rainbow and brown trout in the riffles leading into a nice pool. These fish were in the ten to eleven inch range, but they were much appreciated nonetheless.

Pretty

Next I moved upstream, and I traveled quite a distance with no fish to show for my persistence. I fished some pockets and then the entering runs in two attractive pools, but the fish were apparently suffering a case of lockjaw. The sky darkened at 1:00PM, and I was certain that the chaos of a hatch was imminent.

Produced the Best Fish of the Day

Not wishing to miss out on nymph activity prior to the hatch, I once again revised my lineup, and I switched the olive perdigon to the upper position and replaced the hares ear with a sparkle wing RS2 size 22. Finally in the long riffle section on the western braid above the bend pool, the chubby dipped, and I found myself linked with a hard fighting rainbow trout. I battled the pink striped warrior for a few minutes and eventually slid my net beneath a chunky specimen in the fifteen inch range. The RS2 was tucked in the outer cartilage of the mouth, and I felt very fortunate to land the fish of the day.

Very Pleased with This One

Early Release

My expectations elevated with this catch, but I proceeded to endure another long dry spell. The sky continued to alternate between brief periods of sunshine and longer spans of dense cloud cover. I was perplexed by the lack of baetis action in spite of the near ideal conditions for a mayfly hatch. I persisted with prospecting the dry/dropper arrangement in likely holding lies among the exposed boulders and pockets, and I managed to finally up the fish count to five with two twelve inch brown trout.

Once again, however, I suffered an extended drought, and the RS2 was not receiving attention, so I decided to test the waters with an orange scud. Why? Many years ago orange scuds worked on the South Platte during the late April and May time frame. Eleven Mile Canyon harbors dense aquatic growth, and scuds favor this type of environment. The flows recently increased, so this suggested scuds were dislodged. Although I did not witness any spawning rainbows on this trip, I did see some on April 11, and I theorized that the orange scud could also imitate a rainbow trout egg.

Not long after my fly change, the chubby dipped, and I set the hook, and I was connected to a very vigorous and hard fighting rainbow trout. It jumped several times, and during these aerial acrobatics, I could see that the orange scud was the food of choice! My thought process paid off, but unfortunately this would be the last trout that feasted on the orange scud.

Lowered

I continued drifting it below the olive perdigon, and the perdigon added another fish to boost the fish count to seven. Two anglers approached me from downstream, and another blocked my progression upstream, and it was 3:00PM, so I decided to call it quits. However, instead of mounting the bank with a very dangerous steep lip at the top, I followed the path along the river.

Long Run

In doing so, I revisited a nice long run that fed a deep pool. I skipped this location on my way upstream, since another angler that was working downstream had recently disturbed the area. I paused to observe and immediately spotted a few sporadic rises. I decided to invest more time in pursuit of the risers with dry flies.

Sleek

I removed the dry/dropper paraphernalia, and I tied on a size 20 soft hackle emerger and applied floatant to the body. On the second cast a twelve inch brown trout smash the emerger, and I thought I was in the money. That proved not to be the case. The remaining sporadic risers refused the emerger style fly, so I made yet another change. I added a size 14 peacock hippie stomper and added an eighteen inch 5X leader to the bend and knotted on a size 22 CDC blue wing olive. The ploy worked, and I landed another small trout from the long run, and then I moved downstream to the next extensive pool and fooled two more trout in the entering riffle area. What an ending to my day!

I managed to land eleven trout on the day, and this included a fat fifteen inch rainbow, a feisty fourteen inch rainbow that ate an orange scud, and three respectable brown trout in the twelve inch range. A late and very sparse blue wing olive hatch finally generated some surface feeding, but it was very spotty, although I did manage to capitalize with four trout on a dry fly. The weather was rather nice for the normally icebox-like canyon, and I covered quite a bit of river real estate. It was a slow day, and the expected dense baetis hatch never materialized, but I made the best of it.

Fish Landed: 11

Time: 10:30AM – 3:30PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 04/11/2025 Photo Album

I had my eye on Eleven Mile Canyon with the anticipation of intersecting with a decent blue wing olive hatch. In past Aprils I enjoyed some excellent days on this river with the benefit of abundant quantities of the diminutive mayflies. Early in the week the weather suggested highs in the low seventies with partly cloudy skies for most of the afternoon. The temperature aspect of this forecast remained in place; however, the cloudiness was replaced with bright sunshine and clear skies. I decided to follow through with my commitment, and I made the drive to Eleven Mile Canyon on Friday, April 11, 2025.

Next to the Rocks

I arrived at my usual pullout by 10:00AM, and the dashboard temperature displayed at 51 degrees. In response to the chill, I pulled on my Under Armour long sleeved thermal undershirt, and then I added my fleece cardigan and my raincoat as a windbreaker. It is always windy in the spring in Colorado. For a casting tool I chose my Sage One five weight.

Love the Deep Water Next to the Large Rock

Given the weather forecast and the absence of clouds, I expected very little surface feeding; however, I surmised that baetis nymphs would be active. In response to this thought I began my day with a size 8 chubby Chernobyl trailing a size 16 olive perdigon and a size 22 classic RS2. I also adopted a strategy of skipping the pools in favor of pocket water, moderate riffles and deep current seams.

Perfect Water for My Tastes

In the 1.5 hours until lunch at noon, I managed to land three rainbow trout in the ten to eleven inch range. I also connected momentarily with several fish, and I foul hooked a rainbow that was my best fish of the morning. I might have hooked it in its mouth, but in its efforts to escape, the fish may have shed the upper nymph and been snagged by the trailer.

Melon Color

I adhered to my strategy and skipped around five pools, before I paused for lunch on a nice large and flat rock at noon. After lunch I progressed up the river and skipped around  three additional pools, and several were occupied by other anglers, so that worked out nicely. The other fishermen favored the pools, and they left the intervening pockets for my prospecting.

Humpback Brown

At one o’clock  the drifts that were previously ignored suddenly began to attract attention. Trout began to attack the nymphs especially on the lift and swing. I continued migrating up the river, and I landed an additional seventeen trout to boost my fish count from three to twenty. I would not characterize the action as intense, but it was steady. Three of the landed trout were rainbows in the thirteen inch to sixteen inch range, and I was quite pleased with these catches. Another four were respectable browns of twelve to thirteen inches, and the remainder were beneath the twelve inch threshold.

Seam Produced

Both the perdigon and RS2 delivered results, but the RS2 probably accounted for a higher ratio of netted fish, and that split could have been even greater had the tiny fly held on more temporary hook ups.

Number 19, Best of the Day

I moved at a fairly fast clip and did not dwell in any particular location. In most cases I executed five casts with several being a dead drift and an equal number activated with lifts and swings. The dead drift seemed to work on a directly upstream cast, while the swing and lift were effective on casts across and down.

Angling Competitors

In spite of the lack of clouds, Friday was a splendid day. I hit a new high for a day of fly fishing at twenty landed. The quality of the fish was satisfactory, although the average size was less than Wednesday’s haul, and it fell short of spring trips to the South Platte in previous seasons. I covered .8 mile of the river and adhered to fishing the faster water, and it paid off with solid results. I will continue to look for cloudy, cool days in Eleven Mile Canyon in order to experience the frenzy of a dense hatch and hot dry fly fishing.

Fish Landed: 20

Time: 11:30AM – 3:30PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 03/26/2025 Photo Album

With weather on Wednesday projected to be similar if not nicer than Monday, I booked another fly fishing trip. For this outing I selected the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon. Even the renowned icebox in a canyon was expected to reach high temperatures in the low sixties.

I arrived at my favorite pullout at 11:00AM, and after my usual preparation and a short hike, I was perched along the edge of the river ready to cast by 11:30AM. Because of the shadows and the nine mile per hour wind, I slipped on my Under Armour long-sleeve thermal undershirt, and I added my fleece hoodie along with my rain shell as a windbreaker. I was comfortable for the morning and early afternoon, but I was forced to remove my raincoat and unzipped my fleece during the warmest part of the day from 1:30PM until 2:30PM. My rod choice was my Sage One five weight in the event that I hooked up with a larger than average trout.

Good Start

The flows were quite low at 64 CFS, so I expected technical fishing, but I selected a size 8 amber ice dub chubby Chernobyl nonetheless. I knew that the heavy foam fly would create a splash, when it landed in the river, but I planned to counter that concern by fishing the edges of faster and deeper water. For subsurface offerings I knotted a 20 incher as the top nymph and an olive perdigon as the anchor fly.

Home of Number One

In the hour before I broke for lunch at 12:30PM, I landed two very respectable rainbow trout in the thirteen inch range. Both nabbed the perdigon, and one emerged from a deep pocket, and the other came from a long deep run near the left bank.

Rather Fine

I arrived at the long slow-moving pool with a huge vertical rock wall along the western edge by 12:30PM, and that is where I consumed my lunch. I carefully observed the pool for fish activity, but it remained still and devoid of action. After lunch I waded into the midsection, and I fanned casts to the entering runs and along the fast water seams, but to no avail.

Home of Number Two

A pair of fishermen appeared above me in the next smaller pool, so I crossed below them and walked along the opposite bank. I had my sights set on the large bend pool, but another angler preceded me, and he was stationed along the opposite bank, where one of the braids that bordered a small island reentered the main river. I thought about asking if he would mind if I fished the entering riffle, but I decided to keep moving, as I knew there was much productive water ahead.

I fished the west braid around the small island and then crossed to the flats next to the steep bank below the tunnel. I spotted a few fish in the flats, but without the benefit of hatching insects, I knew catching a fish with the low river levels was a long shot. I attempted a few casts from the right bank above the flats, but in the process I snapped off my olive perdigon. Needless to say, I was not happy about losing another fly with an expensive tungsten bead. I replaced the perdigon with a beadhead hares ear and combined it with an emerald caddis pupa. I moved on and skipped by the narrow area with a high rock wall and crossed the river at the ninety degree bend.

Next I approached another long smooth pool that featured some very attractive entering runs that flowed around several large exposed boulders. I covered this section quite thoroughly, but the fish failed to cooperate. The sun was bright, and no clouds appeared in the bluebird sky, and the temperature hit its peak. This was the time frame, when I removed my raincoat and unzipped my fleece. I looked at my watch and noted that it was 2:30PM, so I endured two hours without any action whatsoever.

Another Fish Count

I decided it was time for a change, so I swapped the chubby for a peacock hippie stomper and then combined it with the olive perdigon and a classic RS2 size 22. I began working my way through the pocket water above the large pool, after I circled around another pair of fishermen. Some large clouds slid above me and blocked the sun, and the wind kicked up a bit. I spotted one lonely blue wing olive, and suddenly trout began attacking my nymphs. The next three fish were beneath twelve inches, but I was pleased with the action. All three attacked the perdigon, as the slender olive nymph resumed its position, as the hot fly in my arsenal.

Perfect for Trout

I moved farther up the river and ended my day with two fine rainbow trout in the thirteen inch range. One nipped the perdigon, and the other chomped the RS2. I also experienced momentary hookups with three other trout, but they managed to twist free after a very brief connection. I suspect that the three escapees grabbed the tiny RS2.

I would by lying, if I said I was satisfied with my day. After a fifteen fish day on Monday on the Arkansas River, my expectations soared. Nevertheless, seven fish on March 26 is quite satisfactory for early in the season. Four of the landed trout were rainbows in the twelve to fourteen inch range, and three were below twelve inches. The weather was very favorable for March in the Colorado Rockies, and that was another positive. I am rolling into the 2025 season with a bit of momentum.

Fish Landed: 7