[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”103″ gal_title=”nov.18/19 last day of umemployed”]
Hi there my friends, welcome back!
How quickly the snow goes away! Got about 6 fresh inches of snow here in Decker’s with the last storm, but it’s cleared up nicely and the fishing has been pretty solid for the last two days! Currently, below the Cheeseman Dam, we’ve got 49.6 cfs, with the Trumbull station reading 84 cfs. Caution! This reading is not correct, so I have estimated Decker’s/Trumbull to be roughly about 60 cfs. It’s finally time to put on the winter gear, grab the streamers, and head out for some great fishing in Decker’s. With the memory of the gigantic trout I witnessed being counted the other day during the shocking event still fresh in my head, I’ve been on a quest. I’ve been fishing a few different spots around Trumbull for the last two days, in hope of hooking into one of those 30″ beasts! With the lower flows and the river bed exposed in places that are usually covered a large portion of the year, I like to take this opportunity to explore different areas along the South Platte, so when the water rises in the spring, I’ll have a nice reference to some deeper pools that may be holding nice fish, not to mention learning good and bad places to cross the river. Yesterday morning I headed out downriver to the last parking pull-out before you reach the wire, just before the Swayback Ranch. This area is know as “Last Chance”, referring to your last chance to fish before trespassing on private property. While only spending an hour or so on this stretch of river, I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of activity I had nymphing, which ultimately resulted in putting 6 nice fish into the net! Made up mostly of shallow gravel bars, some deeper pocket pools, and faster water in the narrowed sections, I was able to sight plenty of feeding fish. With nothing appearing to be feeding on the surface, nymphing was the way to go. Red was the hot color yesterday morning, as I was trailing a black beadhead-red Zebra Midge
, behind a grey-Hare’s Ear nymph
, with a maroon-San Juan worm
as my indicator. My next fishing adventure led me to an area behind the Ouzel Camground. This time it was later in the afternoon and I happened to show up just about the time the fish were breaking the surface, with what appeared to be a casual sipping on some blue-winged olives. Already armed with a size#22 parachute adams and trailing a bwo-emerger from the last dry fly outing, I threw to some fish that were feeding along a bubble/foam line and caught three fish, all on the BWO. The number one thing I’ve learned from fishing these BWO dries, is that your presentation must be dead-on for success while fishing the BWO hatch. Be sure to have ample leader length, approximately 9ft, with three feet of 6x tippet. Also make sure that there are not currents that may be causing the fly to drag as you fish. Do not be afraid to move or reach mend cast for a less intrusive cast. By keeping the amount of line I’ve been throwing to a shorter length, along with a diagonal upstream cast, I’ve seen a definite increase in the amount of fish I’m catching, not to mention the good hook sets I’ve been able to apply. Today’s picture gallery is a collection of shots from the last snow storm that passed through the valley on Thursday/Friday. Below are some of the patterns of Blue-winged olives that have been working for me. That’s all for now folks. Until next time, have a great evening and I hope to see you on the river soon.
Chris
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Nov. 20 & 21, 2016 Decker’s Fishing Update
Fishing Conditions, fishing report[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”104″ gal_title=”Nov.20/21 thanksgiving monday”]
Hi there my friends!
Getting right to the current South Platte River conditions, let’s take a look at the flows. Below the dam at Cheesman, were at 49.6 (cfs), with Decker’s and Trumbull at approximately 55-60(cfs). Clarity is improving, but with the low levels you’re bound to be cleaning your flies quite often! Space on the river has been plentiful, as the first season snow kept a few people away, allowing for some excellent choices of prime holes to fish over the last couple of days. With that being said, when I did fish, I spent the last two days fishing from Nighthawk to Decker’s. Sight fishing at times, running nymph rigs through faster, shallower water at others, I was able to catch several fish in each location with just a few tosses of my selected set-up. Using my standard of late, the three-fly nymph rig, with an attractor egg, followed with a rainbow warrior, trailing a BWO-emerger, I did well. On the dry side of things, it wasn’t so simple yesterday, but this evening was my best out of the last two on the dry flies, as I was able to catch about 6 fish on two different set-ups. The first deal that worked was the single, size #22 parachute, thrown upstream and diagonal to some sipping fish on a bubble line, and the other successful dry combination was the BWO, with another bug, a small grey rs-2, trailing about 14 inches behind the BWO. Another couple of smaller bugs worth mentioning that have been working well for me have been the red and black zebra midge, bead-headed rojo midge, and the purple juju. All of these flies and more can be found at Flies & Lies, stop in and stock up on their full selection. Another bug that I hadn’t used in a week or two was the Chocolate Thunder. Unfortunately, the only one that I had I ended up swimming away with the big brown that bro me off! Well, that’s it for the update my friends. Hoping to head out tomorrow to do some fishing downstream, near the Platte River Campground. For more information about all the campgrounds in our area, visit http://www.reserveamerica.com. Today’s picture gallery is a few from the last couple of days, plus some very special shots of a new friend and young biologist in the making, Evelyn! The two of us were on a science mission today to turn over some rocks and identify what’s in the river. Hopefully by tomorrow we’ll have them all identified and we’ll share our results! In the meantime, enjoy the pictures!
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Nov.18/19, 2016 Decker’s Update!
fishing report[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”103″ gal_title=”nov.18/19 last day of umemployed”]
Hi there my friends, welcome back!
How quickly the snow goes away! Got about 6 fresh inches of snow here in Decker’s with the last storm, but it’s cleared up nicely and the fishing has been pretty solid for the last two days! Currently, below the Cheeseman Dam, we’ve got 49.6 cfs, with the Trumbull station reading 84 cfs. Caution! This reading is not correct, so I have estimated Decker’s/Trumbull to be roughly about 60 cfs. It’s finally time to put on the winter gear, grab the streamers, and head out for some great fishing in Decker’s. With the memory of the gigantic trout I witnessed being counted the other day during the shocking event still fresh in my head, I’ve been on a quest. I’ve been fishing a few different spots around Trumbull for the last two days, in hope of hooking into one of those 30″ beasts! With the lower flows and the river bed exposed in places that are usually covered a large portion of the year, I like to take this opportunity to explore different areas along the South Platte, so when the water rises in the spring, I’ll have a nice reference to some deeper pools that may be holding nice fish, not to mention learning good and bad places to cross the river. Yesterday morning I headed out downriver to the last parking pull-out before you reach the wire, just before the Swayback Ranch. This area is know as “Last Chance”, referring to your last chance to fish before trespassing on private property. While only spending an hour or so on this stretch of river, I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of activity I had nymphing, which ultimately resulted in putting 6 nice fish into the net! Made up mostly of shallow gravel bars, some deeper pocket pools, and faster water in the narrowed sections, I was able to sight plenty of feeding fish. With nothing appearing to be feeding on the surface, nymphing was the way to go. Red was the hot color yesterday morning, as I was trailing a black beadhead-red Zebra Midge
, behind a grey-Hare’s Ear nymph
, with a maroon-San Juan worm
as my indicator. My next fishing adventure led me to an area behind the Ouzel Camground. This time it was later in the afternoon and I happened to show up just about the time the fish were breaking the surface, with what appeared to be a casual sipping on some blue-winged olives. Already armed with a size#22 parachute adams and trailing a bwo-emerger from the last dry fly outing, I threw to some fish that were feeding along a bubble/foam line and caught three fish, all on the BWO. The number one thing I’ve learned from fishing these BWO dries, is that your presentation must be dead-on for success while fishing the BWO hatch. Be sure to have ample leader length, approximately 9ft, with three feet of 6x tippet. Also make sure that there are not currents that may be causing the fly to drag as you fish. Do not be afraid to move or reach mend cast for a less intrusive cast. By keeping the amount of line I’ve been throwing to a shorter length, along with a diagonal upstream cast, I’ve seen a definite increase in the amount of fish I’m catching, not to mention the good hook sets I’ve been able to apply. Today’s picture gallery is a collection of shots from the last snow storm that passed through the valley on Thursday/Friday. Below are some of the patterns of Blue-winged olives that have been working for me. That’s all for now folks. Until next time, have a great evening and I hope to see you on the river soon.
Chris
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Nov.17, 2016 Decker’s Fishing and Conditions update
Fishing Conditions, fishing report, South Platte News[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”102″ gal_title=”Nov.17 first decent snow 4-7 inches”]
Let it snow folks!
Well, if you’re a skier or snowboarder, your prayers have been answered! Not that this is the answer to our drought conditions, but we are all breathing a little sigh of relief, as the snow continues to fall in the South Platte River Valley, surrounding foothills and mountains. At this point, we’ve probably received about 4-6 inches of nice wet snow! The river this evening is running at 48.2 (cfs) below the dam, with about 60-65 (cfs) through Decker’s/Trumbull. I didn’t fish today, just spent time going over video from yesterday’s fish shocking, along with photographs from the last week or so. My plan for tomorrow is to get out around 10 and see how the fish and bugs are reacting to our newest climate and conditions change! It’s supposed to be clearing up overnight and tomorrow’s high of 38 should feel pretty chilly with this fresh blanket of white stuff, although we are not expecting much wind. This time last year I was using streamers pretty regularly, as I had great success with the Olive Wooley-Bugger
, fishing mostly around the Decker’s bridge, then fishing upstream to the Lone Rock campground area. If you’re planning on camping in Decker’s next spring or summer, be sure to check out this campground before you make other camping arrangements. You can reserve your spot right here by clicking on the link. http://www.reserveamerica.com. That’s all I’ve got for today my friends! Below is another video from the fish shocking/data gathering that took place yesterday in Decker’s. A big thanks to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife for allowing me to get up close and personal with the event! Hope you enjoy! Until tomorrow, have a great evening and I hope to see you on the South Platte soon!
Chris
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Nov.16, 2016 The Shocking News!
fishing report, South Platte News[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”101″ gal_title=”Nov.16 fish shocking/counting great pics and video”]
Today we have a real treat!
As I was preparing to head out for a hike on this 70+degree day in November, I stumbled across the Colorado Parks and Wildlife http://cpw.state.co.us/ setting up to count fish by means of electroshock. Electroshocking a stream temporarily stuns the fish, allowing for capture and counting before being released back into the habitat. The data collected includes species, length, and weight, and whether the fish appear healthy or have obvious problems. In addition to this annual event, I was also lucky enough to spend some time with one of the biologist who is doing a 2-year study to find the causative agent responsible for a bacteria that has been found in Colorado hatcheries, as well as hatcheries in bordering states of Colorado. This study is being done to find out if the bacteria is present in the South Platte River and what effects it may have on the general fish population. I will be following up on this study and sharing the results in a couple of weeks. As this was the first time I witnessed this event, I was truly impressed with the care involved to prevent one fish from being injured during the entire process. This is truly an amazing process that involves about 20 people working together to temporarily stun the fish, gather and net the fish, count, weigh, log and return the fish to the river. Today’s event took place between the second Decker’s bridge, upstream to the Y-Camp road, and took about 7 or 8 hours to complete. The group was made up of several biologist from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Service, with support from the U.S.Forest Servicehttp://www.fs.fed.us/ and several student and community volunteers. I spent about 4 hours with the group today, shooting pictures and video as they braved the wind and rugged river bottom to complete this very important and inherently risky task! The data collected proves that restoration and management efforts on the South Platte river are astoundingly successful, as we continue to see our beloved fishery return to pre-Hayman fire levels. Some of the data collected includes species, length, weight, and whether the fish appear healthy or have obvious problems. As someone who is blessed to live on this river and have the opportunity to fish each day, you gain a new perspective on what conservation, education and preservation really means when it comes to a healthy fish population. Watching this group work today was one of the most educational experiences I’ve had since living in the valley and I look forward to more events and volunteer opportunities with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Service. A big thanks to Jeff, Scott, Paul, and anyone else I may have forgotten that allowed me to be in the mix as you carried out your important work today on the South Platte River, Decker’s, Colorado! Oh, by the way, the flows are at about 55 cfs in Decker’s, a little lower at 48 below the dam at Cheesman. The front is moving in tomorrow, but I’m thinking it’s going to be a good day nymphing in the shallows! Wind is going to be blowing tomorrow at 20mph+, so my dry fly fishing is going to be put on hold for a few days! That’s all for now my friends! Enjoy my “shocking” photos from today’s event and I’ll see you next time, or hopefully on the river soon! Have a great evening!Chris
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Nov.14 & 15, 2016 Decker’s Fishing Report
fishing report[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”100″ gal_title=”Nov.15 flow drop from 65 to 51 cfs bens big ass bow”]
Greetings my friends!
Just when you think you’ve seen the river at it’s lowest, we’ve seen a decrease in the flows in the last 24 hours. Right now we’ve got 51 (cfs) below the dam, maybe about 57 through Decker’s/Trumbull. The USGS station in Trumbull is reporting 82, but let me tell you my friends, I live about 200 yards downstream from this station, and I can tell you right now, it’s not 82! Today’s picture gallery will highlight the areas around the Decker’s bridge, up the Y-camp road, and towards the Lone Rock Campground. I tried to shoot some of the popular areas to show you the lower flows, hope you recognize the spots I photographed along the river. It’s looking like we’ve got one more day of warm temperatures before the cold front arrives on Thursday, giving us our first real chance at some snow! As we are still in the fall spawn of the brown trout, be aware of paired up fish and stay clear. We’re still seeing the Blue-wings coming off around 11am and throughout the day, but the nymphing technique still proves to be more productive. I say this, even after my buddy Ben caught one of the biggest rainbow’s I’ve seen caught in three years on a parachute adams. It’s in today’s picture gallery as well! When I have been nymphing, I’ve been throwing a three-fly pattern with an egg or worm, followed with an attracting nymph, and trailing with a smaller midge. Most of the fish that I have caught nymphing have been in the shallower, faster moving water, but I have taken a few fish with this rig by site fishing for feeding fish in slower moving water. If you’re up for covering lots of water and wanting to cover some ground, try your luck on a streamer, my favorite is the Olive Wooley-Bugger.
Alright folks! More on what’s happening to the fish tomorrow, after a morning out on the South Platte! Until then, have a great evening and I hope to see you on the river soon!
Chris
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