[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”138″ gal_title=”April 11, 2017 alternator,dries, and big cutbows flow 140″]
Good Evening!
No messing around today my friends, their is just too much good information to share with you today! Let me tell ya a little bit about the weather and current river conditions first. Currently, flows through Decker’s and Trumbull are right about 125 (cfs), clarity is off just a bit, little bit cloudy and some moss to deal with, nothing big, mostly just small clumps of moss and the occasional branch and pine straw. Wind has been hit or miss the last two days, but when it’s blowing, it’s blowing! Sunshine continues tomorrow, with high temps again reaching the upper 60’s here in Decker’s. Looking nice heading into the rest of the week, with a slight chance of rain over the weekend, but it’s not going to be a system. Winds look calm, in the 5-10 mph range, with high passing clouds and plenty of sun. Ok, all that out of the way, let’s talk about what’s going on with the Trout. Around a little automobile difficulties and a potentially excruciating walk home from the middle of the forest, I was still able to get in quite a bit of fishing the last two days. Each day I’ve been out on the river in the morning and either taking a small break around noon, or fishing straight through. This really allowed me to watch the river and the fish change throughout the day, making note of slight to dramatic changes in fish behavior based upon several factors. Early on it was nymphing, as the blue-winged olive hatch, nor any midge hatch had not yet occurred. Tossing a brown Stone fly, followed with a grey RS-2, and trailing a black zebra midge with a small flashback. There’s a good picture of this bug in today’s gallery. I caught several fish on this bug, and then the mid-morning sipping began! Recognizing what appeared to be the classic “sailboat” wings on the water, I switched over to the double dry rig of a size 20 Baetis Zinger BWO, then trailing behind it, with no weight, a size 20 Adams I tied about 12 inches behind. This rig killed it for about an hour straight, pulling fish consistently off a bubble line over a deeper hole, that had fish jumping for joy over my bugs! Moving into the later afternoon, after lunch, and back on the river around 2, the action was back underneath, and with the amount of brown Stone Flies I’ve been seeing floating by my legs, I figured the “Pat’s Rubber Legs” was a logical choice for an indicator bug. With this tied on and following with this time, the size #20 Barr’s Emerger (olive mid section), and trailing the juju-bee midge, this combination proved quite addictive to the big cut-bows that were hanging on a deeper shelf in some faster, narrow runs along a granite wall. I was able to net two large fish in less than 15 minutes with this combination. As the afternoon wore on, some shadows were being cast, the wind picked up, and the Blue-winged olives were beginning to descend to the water’s surface, to the delight of the “Bug starved” Trout! As you can expect, it was time for the smaller dries, size #22 Bwo, trailing the same juju-bee midge I was trailing behind the Barr’s earlier. Caught about a dozen with this combination and called it an afternoon around 5! The fish were still rising, but so was my blood sugar! Had to eat and write this blog! That’s all I’ve got on the fishing for now folks, hope this helps you a bit when you make a trip to the Decker’s area! Until next time, have a great evening and I hope to see you out on the river soon!
I would also like to take this time to thank a couple of people/businesses that I had to rely on over the last couple of days! I would first like to thank The Towing Company of Bailey, Colorado for their professional, friendly, and reliable towing service that got me out of a pretty serious pickle from a broke down vehicle way back in the hills! If you are ever in need of a a tow anywhere in the South Platte River Valley, I highly recommend these folks! Second, I would like to thank the Gentleman who was gracious enough to pick me up as I was walking back the 12 miles or so back to civilization! He asked me not use his name on the blog, but I want to thank this man for his thoughtfulness for someone in a difficult and potentially dangerous situation. I also want to thank my neighbor, who without her help, by lending me a vehicle to meet the tow truck, I would have most certainly suffered more difficulty and stress. Thanks Kelly! One of the most interesting things I learned about myself today was the effect that the sport of Fly-fishing has had on my soul. Without getting to deep this late in the evening, I was able to take the stress of a broken down vehicle, a 6 or 7 mile mountain walk, the expense of the repair, and the worries of the “what next” to the relaxing waters of the South Platte River, where it was instantly washed downstream, along with any distress, anxiety, or ill- feelings of my previous dilemma. Now that my friends is living, and I am truly blessed! Sleep well and have a great night!
Chris
April 16, 2017 Happy Easter-Fishing Report
Fishing Conditions, fishing report[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”139″ gal_title=”April 16, 2017 Easter sunday, new car”]
Happy Easter Everyone!
Good morning from sunny and warm Decker’s, Colorado! It’s a glorious Easter Sunday here in the South Platte River Valley. Temps are already in the low 50’s, and climbing fast! Getting you quickly updated, let’s talk a little about the flow. We saw an increase on Friday, going up from about 130 (cfs) to about 150, currently in Decker’s/Trumbull. Just up stream, at Cheesman Canyon, where I will soon be living, fishing, writing, and cooking daily, we’ve got a similar flow of 153 (cfs). As a result of this bump in flow, the clarity is a little bit off, but has cleared up considerably since the increase. I did, however, feel the effects of this bump yesterday, as I took a few minutes before work and threw a flew flies in hopes of taking a bigger brown or cut-bow, feeding on worms and stone flies in the somewhat murky water. The fish were holding deep and it took me making three additions of weight to my nymph rig in order to get down where the fish were feeding. I also switched over from the previous set up to a longer leader, switched out my indicator bug to a stone fly, and added a Barr’s emerger and trailed a black zebra midge. Before long, I found the feeding population of trout, deep under a bubble line that had formed along a funky eddy that continuously was fooling me, by pulling my strike indicator into a series of whirlpools! With a little persistence and attention to the depth, the faster water didn’t keep at least 8 fish from taking either one of my three tasty choices! On the bug end of things, I’ve been seeing considerable increases in the dry fly hatches occurring throughout the day. Big BWO’S, sometimes in size #18 range, can be see covering the surface of the water, especially in those overcast afternoons with a slight wind, wow! The fish were just gorging on these on several of my outings over the last couple days! Underneath, tons of Baetis patterns are working. The amount of Stone flies I’ve seen coming down the river on a continual basis have been impressive. This has led me on several occasions to stray away from the ever dependable, “Pat’s Rubber Leg’s” to the Stone Fly, leech, or even the Slump Buster as my indicator fly. On the nymphing end of things, I’ve not strayed far from the Rs-2, however, I have had pretty good success with the black version of this bug, where 90% of the time I’ll find myself using the grey, tan, or brown version. The Barr’s emerger has been my second bug on the set-up for the last two outings, while following up with a variety of smaller size midges, such as the juju, miracle, red/black zebra, disco, and chocolate thunder. As most of you are aware, the fishing right now is pretty hot, so the bug selection, although important, isn’t as important as the basic good drift, with the right weight and distance! So come on up and try your luck on some of the best Trout fishing the State of Colorado has to offer! That’s all for today my friends, Happy EASTER and I hope to see you on the river soon! Chris! Hope you enjoy the shots from the last few days!
Chris
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April 11, 2017 Fishing Report-Decker’s, Colorado
Fishing Conditions, fishing report[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”138″ gal_title=”April 11, 2017 alternator,dries, and big cutbows flow 140″]
Good Evening!
No messing around today my friends, their is just too much good information to share with you today! Let me tell ya a little bit about the weather and current river conditions first. Currently, flows through Decker’s and Trumbull are right about 125 (cfs), clarity is off just a bit, little bit cloudy and some moss to deal with, nothing big, mostly just small clumps of moss and the occasional branch and pine straw. Wind has been hit or miss the last two days, but when it’s blowing, it’s blowing! Sunshine continues tomorrow, with high temps again reaching the upper 60’s here in Decker’s. Looking nice heading into the rest of the week, with a slight chance of rain over the weekend, but it’s not going to be a system. Winds look calm, in the 5-10 mph range, with high passing clouds and plenty of sun. Ok, all that out of the way, let’s talk about what’s going on with the Trout. Around a little automobile difficulties and a potentially excruciating walk home from the middle of the forest, I was still able to get in quite a bit of fishing the last two days. Each day I’ve been out on the river in the morning and either taking a small break around noon, or fishing straight through. This really allowed me to watch the river and the fish change throughout the day, making note of slight to dramatic changes in fish behavior based upon several factors. Early on it was nymphing, as the blue-winged olive hatch, nor any midge hatch had not yet occurred. Tossing a brown Stone fly, followed with a grey RS-2, and trailing a black zebra midge with a small flashback. There’s a good picture of this bug in today’s gallery. I caught several fish on this bug, and then the mid-morning sipping began! Recognizing what appeared to be the classic “sailboat” wings on the water, I switched over to the double dry rig of a size 20 Baetis Zinger BWO, then trailing behind it, with no weight, a size 20 Adams I tied about 12 inches behind. This rig killed it for about an hour straight, pulling fish consistently off a bubble line over a deeper hole, that had fish jumping for joy over my bugs! Moving into the later afternoon, after lunch, and back on the river around 2, the action was back underneath, and with the amount of brown Stone Flies I’ve been seeing floating by my legs, I figured the “Pat’s Rubber Legs” was a logical choice for an indicator bug. With this tied on and following with this time, the size #20 Barr’s Emerger (olive mid section), and trailing the juju-bee midge, this combination proved quite addictive to the big cut-bows that were hanging on a deeper shelf in some faster, narrow runs along a granite wall. I was able to net two large fish in less than 15 minutes with this combination. As the afternoon wore on, some shadows were being cast, the wind picked up, and the Blue-winged olives were beginning to descend to the water’s surface, to the delight of the “Bug starved” Trout! As you can expect, it was time for the smaller dries, size #22 Bwo, trailing the same juju-bee midge I was trailing behind the Barr’s earlier. Caught about a dozen with this combination and called it an afternoon around 5! The fish were still rising, but so was my blood sugar! Had to eat and write this blog! That’s all I’ve got on the fishing for now folks, hope this helps you a bit when you make a trip to the Decker’s area! Until next time, have a great evening and I hope to see you out on the river soon!
I would also like to take this time to thank a couple of people/businesses that I had to rely on over the last couple of days! I would first like to thank The Towing Company of Bailey, Colorado for their professional, friendly, and reliable towing service that got me out of a pretty serious pickle from a broke down vehicle way back in the hills! If you are ever in need of a a tow anywhere in the South Platte River Valley, I highly recommend these folks! Second, I would like to thank the Gentleman who was gracious enough to pick me up as I was walking back the 12 miles or so back to civilization! He asked me not use his name on the blog, but I want to thank this man for his thoughtfulness for someone in a difficult and potentially dangerous situation. I also want to thank my neighbor, who without her help, by lending me a vehicle to meet the tow truck, I would have most certainly suffered more difficulty and stress. Thanks Kelly! One of the most interesting things I learned about myself today was the effect that the sport of Fly-fishing has had on my soul. Without getting to deep this late in the evening, I was able to take the stress of a broken down vehicle, a 6 or 7 mile mountain walk, the expense of the repair, and the worries of the “what next” to the relaxing waters of the South Platte River, where it was instantly washed downstream, along with any distress, anxiety, or ill- feelings of my previous dilemma. Now that my friends is living, and I am truly blessed! Sleep well and have a great night!
Chris
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April 7, 2017 Fishing Report-Decker’s, Colorado
Cabin Rentals, camping, Fishing Conditions, fishing report[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”137″ gal_title=”April 7, 2017 10 hour fish day 7 day absence”]
Good Evening Everyone!
Great to be back reporting to you, after an epic seven days of fishing! Let’s get you up to speed, the flow’s through Decker’s/Trumbull are currently at 125 (cfs), 118 below Cheesman Dam. The weather is absolutely beautiful and the fishing is on fire, NOT THE FOREST! Please be sure to check the “Current Fire Status” link, located above this blog. Since the last snowfall, the clarity of the river has improved dramatically and it’s running gin clear in most places along the South Platte. The fish have been in full feeding mode for the last few days, with conditions almost perfect for great day on the river. With the Blue-winged Olives and midges coming off at all times during the day, you have to be prepared with a second rod, or be quick with the tying, because the hatch has been there, but extremely unpredictable when it goes off! Most of my fishing over the last ten days has been in the Trumbull area, but I’ve also been working several areas along the river, from the Lone Rock Camp Ground area, downriver to the confluence. With the great weather and excellent fishing, combined with all the growth of the front range communities, we’ve seen an increase in the amount of Angler’s present! So, if you’re expecting to have the river to yourself, you may want to consider fishing one of the other less populated rivers along the front range. Thinking of spending some time in the valley? If you’re planning an overnight stay or just want to hang out for the day, visit the “THINGS TO DO” page, along with the “SERVICES” page, to book your accommodations or even a guided fishing trip! Getting back to the fishing, I’ve had the most success with the grey RS-2. Hands down, this bug has probably caught more than 100 fish over the last ten days! Most of the time I was using a three fly nymph rig, with a yellow/brown Pat’s Rubber Legs and trailing two of those grey RS-2’s. Adjusting the weight and the strike indicator was pretty much all the adjustments I had to make, aside from the occasional “lost bug” mostly due to the trout destroying them after about catching 10 fish! It seems as if the bigger fish that we have been catching have been feeding on shelves, riffles, and faster moving water. Not to say that I haven’t had the 17 rainbow destroy a Adams on a 6x tippet in still to slow moving water, but we’ve really been seeing the big boys taking the “meat” like the Pat’s and leeches in the faster moving water. On the midge and nymph end of things, we’ve been using a couple of bugs such as the Chocolate Thunder, juju baetis, mercury black beauty, red zebra, olive and grey WD-40’s, and the Disco midge. When the fish are feeding that aggressively on the surface, they’ll pretty much hit on any emerger just below the surface. Without naming names, there’s a certain local I know that refuses to use the “Rainbow Warrior”. When I asked him why he doesn’t approve of such a productive bug, he simply responded with, ” it’s a dis-honor to the trout to present that bug in front of them” Made me laugh, shoot me a message if you think you may know who it may be! I mention this because the Rainbow Warrior could’t miss for about an hour straight yesterday! Looking ahead to the weekend, the weather continues to look good with a mix of sunshine and clouds over the next two days. Only a 10% chance of rain on Saturday night, with high temps in the low 60’s for both Saturday and Sunday. That’s all I’ve got for today my friends. Hope you enjoy the picture gallery and few shots from our latest adventures! Stay tuned as I embark on my next journey and head to the Cheesman Canyon, to begin a new job, do a little cooking, and spend the summer fishing the beautiful South Platte River! Hope to see you on the river soon!
Chris
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March 27, 2017 Decker’s Fishing Update
Fishing Conditions, fishing report[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”136″ gal_title=”march 27 2017 up to 160 back to 83 4 days”]
Good Evening!
Hello Folks, back with another update on the fishing here in Decker’s! Lot’s of changes taking place, as we head into April. In the last week we’ve seen two bumps in the flow, finally saw some moisture in the form of some snow, and the fishing has been pretty darn fabulous for a couple of weeks! The weather for the week ahead looks pretty dreary, with rain and snow showers forecast for tomorrow, with another system moving in for the weekend. Flows currently through Decker’s are at about 85 (cfs), with 83 (cfs) below Cheesman Dam. After the two flow bumps we saw before the weekend, things have settled back down and the clarity has improved. We are starting to see the return of the BWO’S, with hatches coming off in the morning and the evenings, hopefully we’ll see this for a couple of more weeks. Been picking up lots of fish with a double-fly rig of a size 20 olive, trailing a gnat or even another blue-wing. While nymphing, my lead bug has been mostly a Pat’s Rubber legs or a black Slump Buster. Yes, the Slump Buster is typically thrown by itself as a small streamer, but I’ve been pulling some pretty big browns on this bug when using it as my indicator bug. Other indicator bugs that have pulled fish have been stone flies, leeches, and crane flies. The two bugs on the bottom getting in done for me lately have been the grey and tan RS-2, olive and grey WD-40, rojo midge, barr’s emerger, blue and purple juju midge, disco midge, black zebra, chocolate thunder, and red tube midge. With the good weather and great fishing conditions, the Decker’s area has been pretty crowded. Keep in mind that there is plenty of good fishing downstream from the Decker’s Resort. Just follow Platte River Road for the 12 miles down to the confluence of the middle and north forks of the South Platte. The fish downstream are just as hungry and don’t see as much pressure as the fish near the resort and bridge area. Just park anywhere you see a brown “P” sign, being sure to respect private property and driveways. If you are just visiting Decker’s for the day and don’t have your gear, don’t panic! The good folks at FLIES AND LIES have got everything you need for a day on the South Platte River! Waders, boots, fishing license, and all the gear can be rented for the day, including a cozy cabin on the river! Check them out at http://www.flies-n-lies.com for more information on prices and availability! That’s all for now my friends! Hope to see you out there on the river soon!
Chris
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Fishing Report-Decker’s, CO March 20, 2017
fishing report[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”135″ gal_title=”March 20, flow bump from 90 to 160″]
Good Evening and Welcome to Spring!
Hey folks, welcome back to the most up to date report on the South Platte, Decker’s! We’ve got lots to talk about this evening. Since my last update, their have been quite a few changes in our conditions. Let’s start with the weather. For the last five days or so, it’s been pretty darn hot! Temperatures in the valley have reached the low 70’s, dramatically increasing our fire danger! Please be sure to check out the Daily Fire Update, located at the top of this page. Rain and snow mix will be moving in on Thursday, but temperatures will be in the upper 60’s/low 70’s, with partly cloudy skies. Ok, with the weather done, let’s talk about how it’s all going to affect the fish and what I’m anticipating. First, we saw an increase in the flow yesterday, then again today, putting us here in Trumbull/Decker’s at 160 (cfs). This has done a few things to the current river and fishing situation. With this significant increase in flow, we’ve seen a big increase in the amount of moss that’s been released from the rocks and the river bottom. This doesn’t do much to the fish, but it can become a pain in the butt at times. With the increase in the flow the fish most definitely were hanging down deeper. I spent the first ten minutes this morning throwing the exact same rig that was on my pole last night when I came in from fishing. With today’s increase, my two-split shot weight was not getting my flies down where the fish were hanging out. This always happens when we see such a large jump in the flow. No problem, I simply added two more split shots, tossed my set once into a bubble line, and just like that I was hooked up on a nice 15 inch brown! I’m no pro by no means, but I can’t stress enough the importance of adding enough weight to your flies. I spent lots of time tying on new bugs, moving away from feeding fish, and even switching from nymphing to dry-fly fishing for no reason! So, don’t be afraid of adding those splits! For the last four days, I’ve been getting out on the river at about 8:30 or 9 o’clock. Each morning, except for today, I mostly fished dry flies, catching lots of fish on a small Adams, along with a BWO, and I even trailed a purple juju baetis that floated just below the surface, which ended up taking quite a few fish. After the morning hatch of small midges and bwo’s, it was back to nymphing. Again, with the flow increase, today’s top bugs of choice, which proved effective, were the black Slump Buster, Cranefly, and Pat’s Rubber legs. All the fish that were caught on this bug, were larger than 15 inches! As I moved around the river today, covering a few runs that have been previously un-fishable for the last few months, I tried a variety of midges and emergers, catching fish with the grey Rs-2 and the yellow Barr’s Emerger. As we get further into spring and closer to the run-off season, there are a few things I would like to mention, some pertaining to safety, others referring to etiquette. First, I would like to remind everyone about the FIRE danger. Please refrain from smoking (anything) when you are on the river bank, as the willows and river grasses are extremely dry and flammable. Second, please park in designated areas only! Anywhere you find a brown sign with the letter “P” you can park for free. If you see a “fee area” that’s exactly what it means! You must pay the fee to park, or you will receive a pretty hefty fine. Please do no use private driveways, mailbox banks, or any other non-public access open spaces to park your car while fishing. Most private areas are clearly marked, so please be respectful to those property owners. That’s all for today folks! Today’s gallery is from the last week or so from around the house! Have a great evening and I hope to see you on the river soon.
Chris
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