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Good Evening Everyone!
As we get further into summer and finally got the flows in our favor, it’s time to get you up to speed on what’s been working for me in the Canyon and Decker’s. For the last week or so, we’ve had pretty consistent flows, hovering between 300-375. After what seemed like forever of no rain, we’ve finally gotten into a nice mid-morning/early afternoon thunderstorm patters, that have brought some much needed moisture to the South Platte Valley. With that being said, we’ve also suffered the consequences of too much rain at one time. Back on July 5, we had a substantial storm come through, dumping almost 4 inches of rain in a very short period of time. The effect this had on the Canyon was pretty significant in some areas, especially about mid-canyon, where the granite sediment and other debris, made it’s way quickly down the canyon side, and into some of these holes in the boulder section of the canyon. After this event, we saw quite a bit of slash had made it’s way into the river, and on down stream as well. Now, you could look at this as a potentially devastating event, or mother natures way of giving the Canyon a nice cleanse! I choose the later…. Ok, since the big event, we’ve experienced several storms, with large hail, thunder, and some pretty serious freaking lightning! Please keep this in mind when making the hike into Cheesman Canyon, as you can quickly become stranded on the side of the canyon wall, in a rather precarious spot during a lighting storm! The river seems to bounce back pretty quick after these storms, providing a great opportunity to fish the banks with scuds, worms, leaches, and Streamers. Since the clarity of the river has been regularly compromised with the afternoon storms, we’ve seen a decrease in the hopper activity, for mainly two reasons. The fish have so much food being put right in front of their faces that they really have no reason to look up! The other reason the Hoppers have slacked off is for the most obvious reasons, the trout simply can’t see the bug due to the clarity of the river. With that being said, nymphing and throwing streamers has been my game of choice. As an indicator bug, my top three have been the Pat’s Rubber Legs, Olive Leech, and the Squirrel-tail Leech. Following my top bug, about 12-14 inches behind it, I’ve had good success with a multitude of bugs. In the mornings, I’ve been catching fish left and right with a buckskin midge or a Black Beauty, with a Prince Nymph, or a Rs-2, as my middle bugs. I spoke earlier of how the hopper wasn’t working so well right now. Well, what I really meant to say was that the fishing is “better” right now, with the nymphing rig. Don’t let this stop you from working the slower moving water along the banks, where the temptation of an Amy’s Ant, or a Chubby Cherynoble is usually too temping for a trout to turn down. Flows are currently at 385 cfs below the dam, and about the same through Decker’s and Trumbull. Water temperature is between 45-50 degrees. That’s all I’ve got for now folks! Look for video fishing reports from the Decker’s area to begin shortly! Until then, take care and I hope to see you out there on the river soon!
Chef Chris
From Belize to Cheesman! Canyon Update, December 27, 2018
fishing reportGood Afternoon Everyone!
First, my sincerest apologies for my absence from blogging. After finishing my club season, as Chef, I quickly returned to the east coast to spend time with my ailing mother, as well as visit the rest of my family. Upon my return to Colorado in late November, I was away again, this time off to the beautiful Central American country of Belize. What was intended to be both vacation and a fishing trip, turned more into a relaxing time at a resort on the North end of Ambergris Cay. Be sure to check out the photo gallery, as I’ve got several nice GoPro shots. Alright, that’s gets you updated on my whereabouts, but it’s the fishing information you need, eh? Well, I’ve been fishing on and off since my return, spending most of my time in Cheesman Canyon, as I’m blessed to live only footsteps from the lower end of the Canyon. My time spent the last few weeks have been mostly under normal, early winter conditions in the canyon. Flows have basically been around 55 cfs, with an earlier fluctuation back in November, where we saw it go from 55 to 100, and back down to 55 cfs. Word is, the Cheesman Reservoir is about 20% shy of capacity, resulting in the holding back of some water in order to fill the reservoir. So, with all that being said, I’ve been sticking to the deeper runs, riffles, and tail-outs, from above the family pool, up to about the Ice box. With typical winter flows, and it currently being 55 cfs, there’s limited space in these areas, so getting a spot between 11am-3pm, can be can be a little challenging. That’ why, if you’re willing to battle the elements on a not such a blue-sky day, heading into the canyon could be one of your better decisions! just saying! Small midges trailing behind a larger, meatier bug has worked well for me lately, especially in the deeper pools. And, on a warmer afternoon like yesterday, I even took a few fish on a small, size 24 Adams dry, when they were starting to sip just a bit here and there! Underneath, I’ve been using black and silver Zebra midges, purple Juju’s, Chocolate Thunder, and small, size 24 flashback pheasant tails. If you haven’t been to the canyon on a winter day, be sure to dress appropriately and allow yourself time to get back to the parking lot! Trails get slippery as the Canyon sees limited amount of sun this time of year. Layer it up, and bring lots of water. Even though its cold, your body still needs to stay hydrated! That’s all for now folks! Hope to see you out there on the river soon.
Chef Chris
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Decker’s and Cheesman Canyon Update
Fishing Conditions, fishing reportGood Evening,
Wow! What a joy it is to be able to actually sit down and write a blog! After a log six months of intense planning and cooking, I’m finally off the clock! Now that I’ve got the time to fish daily, my goal is to update you as much as possible on all the current river and fishing conditions , all winter long! If you’re not already aware, you can always see the current flow of the South Platte, through Decker’s and Trumbull, on the home page of the this very website. So, with all the excuses and promises out of the way, let’s get to reason your here, the fishing! Flows of the South Platte, below Cheesman Dam, have been holding in the upper 50’s, to mid 60’s CFS. If you only fish the South Platte during Spring and Summer, you may think these are low, but these are average for this time of year. The water is crystal clear and the fishing has been solid. The blue wing and midge hatches have been coming off around 10:30, along with a few remaining tricos. After receiving a couple of snow storms and few deep freezes, I thought we had seen the last of the Hoppers, but to my surprise I did rather well yesterday in the Canyon, with an Olive Chubby Cherynoble, trailing a BWO. I was regularly catching fish with this combination, on both bugs! As we move further into the winter fishing season in Decker’s and the Canyon, the crowds subside, the days are shorter, but the fishing can be lights out! Smaller bugs, lighter tippet, and a stealth approach will put fish in the net! When the fish aren’t rising, I’ve been finding myself focusing on the drop-offs, riffles, and faster moving water, having great success leading with an egg pattern or leech. Another great opportunity to catch some pretty aggressive fish, has been to work a streamer, such as an olive or black Wooley Bugger
, along the moss beds that are recently exposed with the lower flows. You have to cover lots of water with this method, but it can be very productive. Well, that’s it for now folks! Now that I’ve got some time on a daily basis to get into the river, my goal is to blog at least twice a week, keeping you up do date as possible! Until next time, have a great day and I hope to see you on the river soon!
Chef Chris
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July 28, 2018 Decker’s & Cheesman Canyon update
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Good Evening Everyone!
As we get further into summer and finally got the flows in our favor, it’s time to get you up to speed on what’s been working for me in the Canyon and Decker’s. For the last week or so, we’ve had pretty consistent flows, hovering between 300-375. After what seemed like forever of no rain, we’ve finally gotten into a nice mid-morning/early afternoon thunderstorm patters, that have brought some much needed moisture to the South Platte Valley. With that being said, we’ve also suffered the consequences of too much rain at one time. Back on July 5, we had a substantial storm come through, dumping almost 4 inches of rain in a very short period of time. The effect this had on the Canyon was pretty significant in some areas, especially about mid-canyon, where the granite sediment and other debris, made it’s way quickly down the canyon side, and into some of these holes in the boulder section of the canyon. After this event, we saw quite a bit of slash had made it’s way into the river, and on down stream as well. Now, you could look at this as a potentially devastating event, or mother natures way of giving the Canyon a nice cleanse! I choose the later…. Ok, since the big event, we’ve experienced several storms, with large hail, thunder, and some pretty serious freaking lightning! Please keep this in mind when making the hike into Cheesman Canyon, as you can quickly become stranded on the side of the canyon wall, in a rather precarious spot during a lighting storm! The river seems to bounce back pretty quick after these storms, providing a great opportunity to fish the banks with scuds, worms, leaches, and Streamers. Since the clarity of the river has been regularly compromised with the afternoon storms, we’ve seen a decrease in the hopper activity, for mainly two reasons. The fish have so much food being put right in front of their faces that they really have no reason to look up! The other reason the Hoppers have slacked off is for the most obvious reasons, the trout simply can’t see the bug due to the clarity of the river. With that being said, nymphing and throwing streamers has been my game of choice. As an indicator bug, my top three have been the Pat’s Rubber Legs, Olive Leech, and the Squirrel-tail Leech. Following my top bug, about 12-14 inches behind it, I’ve had good success with a multitude of bugs. In the mornings, I’ve been catching fish left and right with a buckskin midge or a Black Beauty, with a Prince Nymph, or a Rs-2, as my middle bugs. I spoke earlier of how the hopper wasn’t working so well right now. Well, what I really meant to say was that the fishing is “better” right now, with the nymphing rig. Don’t let this stop you from working the slower moving water along the banks, where the temptation of an Amy’s Ant, or a Chubby Cherynoble is usually too temping for a trout to turn down. Flows are currently at 385 cfs below the dam, and about the same through Decker’s and Trumbull. Water temperature is between 45-50 degrees. That’s all I’ve got for now folks! Look for video fishing reports from the Decker’s area to begin shortly! Until then, take care and I hope to see you out there on the river soon!
Chef Chris
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Decker’s, Colorado July 4th 2018
camping, Fishing Conditions, fishing report, hiking, lifestyle and fitness, Rules and RegulationsJust wanted to give you a quick update on the 4th of July fun around Decker’s! The Tubing is pretty good right now, with flows on the South Platte at 205 (cfs). This is great news, as the flows remained historically low for the first part of the summer season. Stage 2 Fire Ban in Effect!!! Jefferson County! The conditions in the Pike National Forest are beyond dry! If you witness anyone illegally starting or maintaining any outdoor fire, please report them to the Forest Service, or call 911!
Fishing Update!
Current Flow below Cheeseman Dam and through Decker’s- 205
Clarity-3/5
Water Temperature-44-47*
Bugs working for me- Trico Spinners, PMD’s, Parachute Adams, Juju Midge #18-22 (fond of Purple), Stone Flies (been seeing lots of black ones the last two days), Zebra midges of all! Ye’ Ole Rs-2, the Black has been working well for me, however, the olive has too!. HOPPERS-Purple Chubby Cherynoble, Amy’s Ant, Loco Beetle. The fish have a tendency to lay off the hoppers during the flow bumps, as they simply can’t see the bug floating above. Not to mention, they are feeding on an abundance of food down below! On the streamer side of things, the Black and Olive Wooley Bugger(streamer) have been working well when we see the flow bumps.
Please check out and “Like” our Facebook page, livedeckerscolorado.com! That’s all I’ve go for now folks! Hope to see you out there on the river soon!
Chef Chris
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FIRE RESTRICTION IN PLACE FOR JEFFERSON AND DOUGLAS COUNTIES
camping, Fishing ConditionsGood Evening Folks!
!!!!!!PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING!!!!!!!
STAGE 2 FIRE BAN IN EFFECT FOR JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
https://www.jeffco.us/AlertCenter.aspx?AID=Fire-Ban-for-all-County-Lands-68
STAGE 1 FIRE BAN IN EFFECT FOR DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
http://www.dcsheriff.net/stage-1-fire-restrictions-now-in-place/
Ok! Now, with the most important business taken care of, lets take a look at all that’s going on in Decker’s this Independence Week and upcoming weekend. It’s been a hot dry summer so far, but we’ve finally seen a bump in the flows of the South Platte, River, running from Cheeseman Dam, working it’s way through Decker’s, and downriver to Night Hawk. Currently, we’re at 105 (CFS). With temperatures getting as close as you can get to 100 degrees, the water temperature is between 55-60 degrees from the Dam, down through Decker’s and Trumbull, warming as it shallows and gets direct sun. Clarity is off a bit due to the increase in the flows, resulting in that pesty moss that gets on your flies and all over your body, as you casually fish or tube along the South Platte! Speaking of TUBING! Let’s talk about that for just a bit, shall we? Ok, here’s the deal on tubing around the Decker’s area, and downriver to Nighthawk. Because of Colorado Law about floating and fishing on private lakes and rivers, I’m going to save us both some time, and me perhaps a law suit, and just give you this link to what the State Law of Colorado reads. http://coloradowhitewater.org/river-access. As a Decker’s resident myself, I would like to share a bit of information about the general area that’s best for tubing access, which I hope will help you enjoy your float down the South Platte, and also respect the private property and no tubing signs along the river.
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