[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”121″ gal_title=”January 14 tylers fish takes the show rainbow warrior”]
Good evening my friends!
Welcome back to the freshest, most up to date information on the South Platte River, Decker’s! Looking at the river flow, Trumbull coming in this evening around 73 (cfs), with a water temperature of 41, clarity remains good, with some of the moss starting to die and break off from the latest deep freeze. With that being said, be prepared to check those flies often. The weather was quite a mix today, cold this morning, but not windy at all. About ten-thirty or so, a snow shower came through and things heated up quite considerably as the flakes started to fall! After that, the sun came out, even saw a dry midge or two around 3:3opm. The fishing remains pretty hot! The fish aren’t really getting active until about 10 or 10:30, but at the same time, throwing a streamer at night can be really productive too. Messed around a little last night with the boy’s! Had a couple fish on, but nothing in the net! Just seconds after the snow flurries started to consistently fall this afternoon, the fish really got active and went after the Grey, rs-2 pretty hard! As I made the comment out load, ” I really hope these snow flurries get things going” ZZZZZ, Screaming reel and Tyler hooked up on a 17 inch Cut-bow. As I opened my mouth to offer my “net skills” WHAM! Fish on! Both of us hooked are now hooked up on aggressive Cut-bow’s that had obviously been sparked by the snowflakes on the surface. Mine got off, but Tyler landed his. His fish is in today’s gallery, you’ll know which one I’m talking about when you see it! This continued for about 8-10 minutes, before shutting off as quickly as it turned on, but the fish remained active and returned to feed closer to the bottom and on the shelves. Looking ahead for the rest of the weekend, snow showers will be moving in overnight, with snow expected for Sunday and Monday. A small break in the snow on Sunday evening may be a window for some good rising action we similarly saw today. Winter fishing is great, but please remember that will more people up here because the fishing is so good, I’ve seen an increase in trash being left by the riverbank and along the road to Decker’s. If you have the opportunity to pick up some of this trash, even thought it’s not yours, please do so, as it not only goes where it needs to go, it doesn’t end up hurting, maiming, or needlessly killing our precious Wildlife.
Since I’ve been writing this blog now for about 8 months, I didn’t want you, the reader, to think that I’ve gotten too technical, HAHA! or have started taking myself too seriously! I completely recognize that this is still just FISHING! What I’m getting at here, remains to be seen, I’m just saying, what does all of this historical data crap really mean anyway? That’s another fun observation I’ve made about both myself and other fly-fisherman. I’ve pretty much allowed my simplification of things, at times, to allow me to make crucial decisions that are most certainly going to effect the outcome of my success on the river, on any given day. You see, sometimes I follow the scientific Angler that’s in my head. I get out the tiny little net, scoop the water and some stuff off the bottom of the river, and make a pretty educated guess of what to throw, based on the contents of the net, then reaping the rewards of my work! And then, there are those other times in which I choose my flies like my ex-wife made her football pool picks for the week, by picking my favorite color or what looks “Sparkly” and such! Not really sure what makes me go back and forth between both styles, but at the end of day, I’m having a good time on the river, catching some pretty amazing fish, and having great times with good people from all walks of life! That’s all I’ve got for today my friends, hope to see you on the river soon!
Chris
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January 17, 2017 Fishing Report
Fishing Conditions, fishing report[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”123″ gal_title=”january 17 warm up and good fishing”]
Good evening!
Well, the snow and ice are mostly gone, the fish are hungry, and the weather is looking great for the next two days! Before I get into the fish stories and actual fishing report, let’s update you on the current conditions. 67-73 (cfs) is the current flow through Decker’s/Trumbull, with good clarity and a water temperature of 41* The ice has mostly melted away, except for some ice along the banks and the shaded areas, but be careful on this stuff my friends, a little bit of snow on this stuff and your going down! Flows are slightly lower below the Cheesman, coming in this evening at 62.5 (cfs). I personally haven’t fished the canyon in a few months, but the parking lot has been packed and the reports have been mixed. Similar to Decker’s, this tail section of the South Platte is truly a fantastic fishing experience. Whether your taking the Gill Trail, or hiking the upper trail to the dam, you are bound to see an abundance of wildlife, including deer, fox, elk, and if you’re extremely unlucky, a black bear or even a mountain lion! In addition to the wildlife, the views of the reservoir and the dam are astonishing. Sometimes you’ll forget your their to fish, until you get a view of what looks like a naval shipyard full of submarines, swimming around in the multiple pools and shallows you’ll find along this stretch of river. If you’re brave enough to hike the upper trail in winter, give yourself ample time to get back out, as the rock formations and steps you have to navigate can become snow covered and slick. It’s best this time of year to pack your gear in, making sure that you’ve got the proper footwear to navigate the trail. Also, make sure to take extra water, as this climb out can dry you up pretty quickly.
Today we started to see the beginning of a nice warm-up for Wednesday and Thursday. Highs in Decker’s will be around 55, with plenty of sunshine and little wind. The snow we saw over the last few days kept the fish down deep, but with today’s rise in temperature, the fish got pretty active this afternoon and we were able to hook up on a few nice fish around Trumbull. The midges and beatis continue to produce, with a variety of bugs getting it done. Some of our latest success has come from the Rainbow Warrior
, olive and grey WD-40, multiple-colored juju baetis, and the red zebra midge
. Now, that’s on the midge end of things! As you are mostly aware by now, my nymphing skills weren’t the best about 6 months ago, so I am always hoping to throw that Olive Wooley Bugger
, or toss a dry fly, if I’m seeing a rise. With that being said, today we did manage to see a few dry midges, so on went the small Griffiths Gnat
All of these flies can be purchased right here by clicking on the respective link! In addition to the few that we took today on the midge, I did manage to pick up one fish on a Mercury, Grey RS-2
, as it was sipping just below the surface. Looking towards the next couple of days, expect to see more people on the river, especially in the usual places, the bridge area, Lone Rock Campground http://www.reserveamerica.ocm, and of course the “Turn Hole” and “WIRE” sections. All of these areas/holes are along the YMCA road adjacent to the Decker’s Resort. With that being said, don’t pass up the chance to explore downriver! With over 10 plus miles of mostly public access to the river awaiting you downstream, be sure to try your luck at any of the spots where you’ll find the brown “P” signs along the way. Remember, you still must pay the “daily fee’ if you are parked in an area where this sign is displayed. That’s all for today folks! Hope you enjoy the picture gallery today, as I’ve put a few pictures up from the area in front of the Decker’s Resort, as well as some from the surrounding areas. Until next time, have a great evening and I hope to see you on the river soon!
Chris
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January 14, 2017 Decker’s Fishing Update
Fishing Conditions, fishing report[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”121″ gal_title=”January 14 tylers fish takes the show rainbow warrior”]
Good evening my friends!
Welcome back to the freshest, most up to date information on the South Platte River, Decker’s! Looking at the river flow, Trumbull coming in this evening around 73 (cfs), with a water temperature of 41, clarity remains good, with some of the moss starting to die and break off from the latest deep freeze. With that being said, be prepared to check those flies often. The weather was quite a mix today, cold this morning, but not windy at all. About ten-thirty or so, a snow shower came through and things heated up quite considerably as the flakes started to fall! After that, the sun came out, even saw a dry midge or two around 3:3opm. The fishing remains pretty hot! The fish aren’t really getting active until about 10 or 10:30, but at the same time, throwing a streamer at night can be really productive too. Messed around a little last night with the boy’s! Had a couple fish on, but nothing in the net! Just seconds after the snow flurries started to consistently fall this afternoon, the fish really got active and went after the Grey, rs-2 pretty hard! As I made the comment out load, ” I really hope these snow flurries get things going” ZZZZZ, Screaming reel and Tyler hooked up on a 17 inch Cut-bow. As I opened my mouth to offer my “net skills” WHAM! Fish on! Both of us hooked are now hooked up on aggressive Cut-bow’s that had obviously been sparked by the snowflakes on the surface. Mine got off, but Tyler landed his. His fish is in today’s gallery, you’ll know which one I’m talking about when you see it! This continued for about 8-10 minutes, before shutting off as quickly as it turned on, but the fish remained active and returned to feed closer to the bottom and on the shelves. Looking ahead for the rest of the weekend, snow showers will be moving in overnight, with snow expected for Sunday and Monday. A small break in the snow on Sunday evening may be a window for some good rising action we similarly saw today. Winter fishing is great, but please remember that will more people up here because the fishing is so good, I’ve seen an increase in trash being left by the riverbank and along the road to Decker’s. If you have the opportunity to pick up some of this trash, even thought it’s not yours, please do so, as it not only goes where it needs to go, it doesn’t end up hurting, maiming, or needlessly killing our precious Wildlife.
Since I’ve been writing this blog now for about 8 months, I didn’t want you, the reader, to think that I’ve gotten too technical, HAHA! or have started taking myself too seriously! I completely recognize that this is still just FISHING! What I’m getting at here, remains to be seen, I’m just saying, what does all of this historical data crap really mean anyway? That’s another fun observation I’ve made about both myself and other fly-fisherman. I’ve pretty much allowed my simplification of things, at times, to allow me to make crucial decisions that are most certainly going to effect the outcome of my success on the river, on any given day. You see, sometimes I follow the scientific Angler that’s in my head. I get out the tiny little net, scoop the water and some stuff off the bottom of the river, and make a pretty educated guess of what to throw, based on the contents of the net, then reaping the rewards of my work! And then, there are those other times in which I choose my flies like my ex-wife made her football pool picks for the week, by picking my favorite color or what looks “Sparkly” and such! Not really sure what makes me go back and forth between both styles, but at the end of day, I’m having a good time on the river, catching some pretty amazing fish, and having great times with good people from all walks of life! That’s all I’ve got for today my friends, hope to see you on the river soon!
Chris
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Jan. 11, 2017 Decker’s fishing update
fishing report[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”120″ gal_title=”January 11, first day after rib hurt”]
Good evening!
Welcome back folks! The ice is melting and the fish are hungry! We’re finally getting out of the deep freeze and the South Platte has really opened up in the last two days! The majority of the ice remaining on the sections of river from Trumbull, up to the “WIRE” is now mostly just along the banks and the obvious, the shaded areas that hardly ever see sun. As a result of this big melt off, you guessed it, the food that gets released becomes a smorgasbord for hungry trout! Ok, with that being said, let’s get you up to speed on some of the current conditions. The current flow through Decker’s/Trumbull is running about 65-70 (cfs) with 58 (cfs) just below Cheesman Dam. Clarity is good and the water temperature was at 41 degrees this afternoon. Finally, after not fishing for two weeks, due to a rib injury, I’m feeling better and gave fishing a shot for the first time today. Knowing that the release of all this ice was going to provide a nice bump in the food supply, as many small midges, scuds, worms and such get trapped in the ice along the banks and in the shallows. When the melt comes, all that food gets put right into the feeding columns, where the anxious, hungry trout are waiting! With this knowledge, it was pretty easy to get on the fish today with a basic nymph rig. Although I only fished for about 30 minutes today, testing the ribs, I was able to hook up on three fish with two emergers, trailing a red San Juan Worm. Only landing one of the fish, it was pretty clear that the Olive WD-40 was a sufficient selection, as I hooked up on these fish just moments after changing my flies to the ones fore-mentioned. Today and yesterday, I did see a few more fish rising, so don’t be afraid to throw a small gnat or parachute. We’ve got a mixed bag of weather heading this way the next couple of days, but based on previous situations like this, the rise and fall of the atmospheric pressure, tends to get the fish pretty aggressive during these periods. Forecast for tomorrow is partly cloudy, high of 43, with light snow showers moving in overnight. Friday and Saturday look pretty good with temps in the 40’s, with partly sunny skies, with snow moving back in on Sun/Mon. Today’s picture gallery contains some shots of the ice and subsequent melt-off! I apologize for not having too many new fish pictures, as I’ve just not been able to get out there lately! Hope you enjoy the pictures and I hope to see you on the river soon!
Chris
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January 8, 2017 Frozen Fishing Report
Fishing Conditions, fishing report[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”119″ gal_title=”January 8, ice flows and 65 cfs”]
Howdy Folks!
Welcome to the frozen tundra, otherwise know as Decker’s! It’s been a river of ice the last few days, but sun’s finally warming things up and the big thaw has begun! Due to my current rib injury, I’m not able to fish right now, so I’m mostly observing things and watching the wildlife these days! That doesn’t meant that what I’ve got to say is less important, it’s just a little different than what your used to getting from me! Alright then, the current flow through Decker’s/Trumbull is about 60-65 (cfs). Please keep in mind that if you are getting the flow reading off of the USGS website, this monitoring stations has been giving all kinds of wacky readings! most likely due to the ice built up around the sensors. I promise you, it’s not flowing at 1,750 cfs, as the station was indicating the other day. Typically, aside from run-off season and heavy periods of precipitation, Decker’s/Trumbull flows are usually about 10-15 cfs above the reading just below Cheesman Dam. With that being said, I’ve been sticking to a standard three-fly nymph rig, with either an egg or San Juan worm, following the two smaller midges. Prior to my rib injury I was having great success with the juju(black, red, blue)bead-headed Rojo midge and mercury flashback midge. And please, if your going to put one fly on your line when your up here, make it the grey RS-2! The next couple of days look to be in the mid 40’s with partly cloudy skies and a bit breezy! Look for that grey RS-2 or WD-40 to be on fire! All of these bugs and more can be found right in Decker’s at Flies and Lies, open daily from 8am-3pm. Visit them at http://www.flies-n-lies.com for more information on Cabin rentals and guided trips! These guys area experts on the South Platte and you won’t be disappointed with your decision to book a full or half day trip! Today’s gallery will highlight the ice flows and show you a little bit of what’s happening up here right now! Until next time, have a great day and I hope to see you on the river soon!
Chris
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Jan.4 2017 Decker’s Fishing Update
Fishing Conditions, fishing report[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”118″ gal_title=”Jan 4 storm rolling in 73 cfs midges midges”]
Welcome Back Friends!
The mercury is falling fast, along with the snowflakes! Good evening everyone and welcome to the latest update on the current conditions here in Decker’s and Trumbull. Flows remain the same for the seventh day, with flows around 73 (cfs) through Decker’s/Trumbull. River temperature is at 41, and the clarity is good! However, with the low levels and going deep anyway, you’re bound to be cleaning your bugs throughout the day. Snow is starting to come down a little heavier now and it’s looking like we’re in for about a foot of fresh powder here in the valley. Combined with accumulating snow, we’re also going to see sub zero temperatures overnight, so act accordingly! As I mentioned in my last blog, I’m out of fishing commission for just a bit longer, as I heal from some bruised ribs! I’m sure many of you will be attending the Fly Fishing Show, be safe as the weather does not look good for travel! For more information on this event, please visit http://flyfishingshow.com/denver-co/. Not many new fish pictures to share today, but there are a few shots of the Lone Rock Campground area of the river, along with some nice shots of Pikes Peak, with the storm rolling in! That’s all for now folks. Have a great evening and I hope to see you on the river soon.
Chris
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