March 28, 2022
The South Platte River in Deckers – The Cable Hole to the Mini-canyon & Ray’s Run to Fisherman’s Run.
A view of the Eddy Pool. It's on the left of the fast water.
Flows: 180 cfs.
Water Temp: 40F @ 9a.
Water clarity: Very clear – to about 6’.
Air Temp: 30F @ 8:30a – 62F @ 4p.
Hatches: Light midges in the AM. A few BWOs mid-afternoon.
Flies: #12 Chubby Chernobyl, #18 Hare’s Ear, #16 Prince Nymph, #10 Egg Sucking Leech, #22 Chocolate Thunder, #20 Mercury Black Beauty, #18 Soft-hackle Pheasant Tail, #18 Red Copper John, # 22 Miracle Midge, #22 Top Secret Midge, #22 Olive Jujubee Midge, #16 Orange Egg, #20 Orange Brassie, #22 Black Beauty.
Top producers: Egg Sucking Leech, Mercury Black Beauty, Black Beauty, Chocolate Thunder, Egg, and Orange Brassie.
It seemed like every fisherman in the region was out fishing the South Platte River as we drove along River Road toward Deckers. There were fishermen everywhere. In every hole – like ants. All the parking lots were either full or near capacity.
Brian and I were wondering if it was a holiday that we didn’t know about. After giving it some thought – it may have been because this was to be the last of the nice days - weather wise - for the week. We picked this day for the same reason.
Lunch time view - looking downstream into the lower island.
So we drove to the last parking lot before the private water of the Wigwam Club. This lot is right in front of Mark’s Run. We would have started there but a guy beat us to it. After gearing up we walked down to the Cable Hole to see if it was open.
It was.
Brian got the 1st fish of the day on the orange egg in the Cable Hole.
Brian Kenney.
Brian waded across the river to fish on the south side of the hole. I’ve caught fish from both sides of the river – but more on the south side than the north. On the south side, there’s a seam where the fast water meets some slack water and we frequently find fish there.
Sometimes we find fish in the fast water on the north side of the river where it bends to the right – but not as frequently. An eddy is formed right at the bend and there are fish that feed in the slow seam – but casting and getting a good drift to them is a challenge. I always give it a try – but I don’t think I’ve ever got one there.
We were both fishing with nymph rigs. The rainbows are starting to spawn in the Deckers area and that led me to lead with an Egg Sucking Leech. This fly has an orange bead at the top followed by a black body. It’s supposed to replicate a leech eating an egg. Brian had an orange egg as his lead fly.
Releasing a rainbow caught in Ray's Run on a Chocolate Thunder.
As I walked up to the hole along the road I quickly spotted a couple of rainbows feeding in that slow seam formed by the eddy. My motto is when you see a fish – try to catch 'em. So even though it’s not my favorite spot to fish – I tried to get my flies in front of them. After several attempts my flies got stuck in some thick kelp as they were floating toward the fish in the slow water and it spooked them.
I then waded across the stagnant pool and fished along the fast water that feeds into the Cable Hole. We have found fish here too. In the soft water just beyond the stagnant pool. After several casts without any interest, I moved back down toward the road and began to work the water further out from the eddy. On one of my drifts my indicator didn’t seem to be floating right. I thought that maybe my flies got caught up in the eddy. As my drift continued – it still didn’t seem right so I set the hook.
And I was late.
I missed getting the fish in the mouth – but did get him on his dorsal fin. Momentarily that is. He swam right in front of me and I could see him – and he broke off. I was actually happy that he did. Bringing a foul hooked fish to net is difficult and doesn’t do the fish any good. A quick break off indicates that my fly wasn’t embedded deeply in the fish’s flesh and probably didn’t do much harm.
Brian got this one on an Orange Brassie.
Brian Kenney.
It was about that time that Brian had a fish on. He had it for a bit and then it broke off. During the brief fight Brian was able to see that the fish took his orange egg. Then a few minutes later he had another fish on. This one he landed – a nice 17” rainbow that took the egg.
After fishing the hole for a while longer, I decided to head downstream. I didn’t see any fish in the various holes and runs along the road as I walked down towards Mark’s Run. Mark’s Run was still occupied so I continued to the Between the Islands Run. Even though I didn’t spot any fish in the run, I gave it a try.
There was nothing there and I moved into the Lower Island Hole. Then to a hole just above the entrance to the Mini-canyon. Same thing.
A view across the Mini-canyon.
As I was working the river I spotted a guy at the top of the Mini-canyon and I saw Brian walking toward it from the south side of the river. Brian then took up a spot beyond the guy - about mid-canyon. There was room in the lower canyon and I climbed along the canyon wall past Brian to get to it. I usually see fish there – but not this time.
After covering the mini-canyon, I moved downstream to the Eddy Hole which sits right below the mini-canyon. I approached the hole from a higher point on the canyon wall. From here you can see into the hole and if there are fish in it - you can usually spot them. I didn’t see any.
But I continued on anyway to see if I could get one out near the fast water. You can’t see fish there – and I’ve caught several in that seam before. Nothing there this time though and I moved back upstream to join Brian who now had the whole canyon to himself. But there was nothing happening there for either of us.
It seemed like it was going to be one of those days.
Got this 19" beauty in Mark's Run on an Egg Sucking Leech.
Brian Kenney.
I told Brian I was going to head up to the car to grab some lunch – unless I spotted any fish along the way. I ended up back at the Between the Islands Run. Brian soon joined me. I fished it even though I didn’t spot any fish – just because.
Without getting any hook-ups let alone a hit, I broke for lunch - eating streamside. Brian soon joined me. Our plan was to drive downstream toward Ray’s and Fisherman’s Run. We’d give Mark’s a try first – if it was open.
As we walked toward the car we could see a couple of guys fishing in Mark’s Run. There was some room for us to squeeze in though. What I’ve noticed with the crowds in Deckers is that the fishermen are understanding and accommodating. That’s a good thing.
Another rainbow who took the Orange Brassie.
Brian Kenney.
After getting their OK – I began to fish the end of the run from the north side. Brian was upstream from me. I eventually moved upstream and was in the middle of the run and in the middle of the river fishing the pocket behind a few large, submerged boulders.
I was still fishing with my nymph rig – same flies that I started with. After several drifts into the pool I saw my indicator wobble and I set my hook. Fish on ---- FINALLY! And it was a nice one too – I could tell by his weight. I was being extra careful. After spending all morning with only one hit - I certainly didn’t want to lose this fish. And I didn’t – netting a really brightly colored, 19” rainbow. He hit the Egg Sucking Leech.
After releasing the fish near shore and getting all my flies back in order, I noticed a rainbow in the shallow, ankle deep water about 5’ off the shore. Not knowing if it was the fish I just released, I casted to him. After a few drifts I spooked him and he bolted off. Then I saw a few more in the same area.
An 18" brownie caught in the shallow water along the south side of Mark's Run.
My Hopper/Dropper would work betting in this shallow water so I switched to it. I had a Psycho Prince Nymph as my Dropper followed by a Mercury Black Beauty and a Miracle Nymph. The fish were really skittish and would even run from the sight of my Chubby Chernobyl which I was using for my Hopper. I would move upstream and then come back down – and there they were again.
After several attempts I was able to land a nice 18” brownie and a 15” rainbow. They both hit the Mercury Black Beauty.
After that we were now ready to head downstream.
As we drove to the Resort to park we could see several fishermen from the Bridge Hole all the way into Ray’s Run. Even though, there was some room for us to join in.
Brian set up on the south side of the river in Fisherman’s Run and I moved into the north side of Ray’s. Like last week, I could see fish in the shallow water and in the seam along the deep channel near the southside bank. Starting out with my nymph rig – I worked the seam and the deeper channel. It wasn't long and I had two fish on. But they both broke off.
Here is the 19" rainbow hooked up with the Egg Sucking Leech.
I then switched to fishing the shallow water with my Hopper/Dropper set-up. At one point I was targeting a big rainbow that would come into view, eat some flies – then disappear. Every time he came upstream to where I could see him, I drifted my flies to him. On one of my drifts, he turned downstream and followed them. Then he hit one of my flies. I watched him as he did.
He was now headed downstream and facing downstream when he hit my fly. Normally, the fish is facing upstream and when you detect a hit – you set either downstream (which I do) or upward. As he hit – I set downstream as I normally do – and effectively pulled my fly right out of his mouth. Ugh!
I wanted that fish – and had worked really hard to get him. To miss him was a disappointment. I’ve been in position to see fish follow my flies downstream and hit this way before – and I’ve been trying to change my set by setting upward instead of downstream. But old habits are hard to change.
Releasing a rainbow back into Ray's Run.
Non the less, I was able to get a handful of brownies and rainbows in the net by the end of the afternoon. Meanwhile, Brian was having good success in the Fisherman’s Run. He worked both sides of the river, and through the run landing a handful of rainbows and a nice brownie. One of the rainbows was a nice, fat, 17” male.
One of the flies that was landing fish for Brian was an Orange Brassie that he recently tied. I’ve never heard of an orange colored brassie and I’m thinking the fish were mistaking it for a group of eggs stuck together. Brian uses his imagination a lot when he ties his flies and I’m sure he had this in mind as he tied this one up. It was very insightful on his part – and most importantly ---- it was effective!
One of my rainbows.
We did confirm that Monday was not a holiday. And we found some room to fish with all the other fishermen who showed up that day. And we were able to land some nice fish.
Not a bad day. Not a bad day at all.
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