Fishing Report-Decker’s, CO March 20, 2017
[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
