May 22, 2024
The South Platte River – Deckers (The Bend Hole, Crappers Run, from the Road Hole to Mark’s Run, and from Ray’s Run to Fishermen’s Run).
Flows: 615 cfs.
Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous (91% illumination).
Water Temp: 42F @ 9a.
Water clarity: Off color.
Air Temp: 33F @ 8:30a – 48F @ 4p.
Hatches: Midge: Sparse 8:30a to 10a. BWOs: Sparse 12N to 3:30p. Caddis: Throughout the day – very heavy at times.
Spawning: No redds seen.
Flies: #12 Cranefly Larva, #16 BH Olive Caddis Larva, #16 Tan UV Scud, #20 Grey Sparkle Wing RS2, #16 Hare’s Ear, #16 Prince Nymph, #16 BH Tabou Caddis, #20 Bubble Top Black Zebra Midge
Top producers: UV Scud, Cranefly Larva, BH Tabou Caddis, Bubble Top Zebra Midge.
The top of Crappers Run.
The flows were still up in Deckers and we wanted to take advantage of the opportunity it presented. More bugs being kicked up and knocked loose by the current – fish moving about eagerly eating them and the artificials attached to the end of our tippet.
It’s all pretty straight forward. Unless the fish perform their disappearing act. Or if one of the hundreds of things that can go wrong on a fishing outing – do go wrong.
The flows in 11 Mile Canyon and the Dream Stream have been holding steady in the 130 cfs range and didn’t seem that exciting. Cheesman Canyon was definitely an option but you have to get there early and I was a couple days into a cold and didn’t want to have wake up any earlier than I had to.
That left Deckers. Not that it’s a bad choice – but we’ve fished it a few consecutive weeks now and fishing another part of the river would be welcome. There’s a good three miles of river to fish in Deckers area, so there is a lot of water to cover and you could fish different parts of that three miles of river, but we usually find our way to the part of the river upstream of the Resort.
Releasing my 1st fish of the day along Crappers Run.
One reason is that is where Horse Creek dumps into the river and at this time of year it brings with it a bunch of cloudy water. Therefore, the South Platte is more off-color downstream of it than above it. Another reason is familiarity – so it seems. We have our favorite spots and are naturally drawn to them.
Then there’s the Kamploops. Big, strong and hard fighting rainbows. They're a bonus and you only will find them in Deckers or the Canyon – straying from the Wigwam Club where they were stocked in the river. We both had one hooked up – and we both lost them - the previous week. We were hoping to get another chance.
There’s probably a mile of river upstream of Horse Creek to the private water of the Wigwam Club – still a lot of river with a lot of different places with different type of water to fish.
Crappers Run. The Bend Hole. The Rock Garden. Those are spots that we haven’t fished in the past couple of years – maybe more. I suggested that we try one of those to start.
This one took my Tan UV Scud. It's been a killer pattern for me in the high flows.
We parked in the parking area adjacent to Crappers Run – so named for the port-a-potty that was once placed there. Once geared up we headed the Bend Hole. It used to be one of my favorite spots. Caught a lot of fish in it – big ones too. You can sight fish along most of the run and you are likely to find some surprises in the faster current where you can’t.
The structure of the hole has changed over the years. Flooding and run-off sending granite sediment into the river just upstream of the hole being the culprit. There was once a small island on the upstream side until the stream flowing into the river there brought a bunch of small granite pebbles into the river cutting off a leg of the river running around it. Now it looks like the river is trying forge that leg of the river again.
With the high flows there was only room for one of us and Brian was there first. I took a look at the run to get a frame of reference then moved downstream. There is a small backwash of calm water near the bank next to a big pine tree that I found years ago. The calm water provides shelter for the fish in the high flows – both rainbows and browns. I call it my secret spot and swore Brian to never reveal it.
As I peered into the river from the road I thought I spotted a fish holding in the soft water and cautiously climbed down the short embankment to get into position. After a couple of casts and drifts through the run it became obvious that it was a rock and not a fish. And after several more casts and drifts it became obvious that there were no fish in “my spot”.
Brian got this nice brownie later in the day on his Beadhead Tabou Caddis. (Another killer pattern that's been working for both of us.)
Brian Kenney.
I climbed out and walked back up to the Bend Hole to see how Brian was making out. He said he could see a couple of rainbows but they wouldn’t take his offering. As we were standing there chatting one swam upstream past us and I had to go after him. He swam out of sight but I thought maybe he’d be in the riffles but after a few casts I gave up convinced that he left the run.
We headed back to the car with the plan to drive down to Fishermen’s Run. It draws me like a magnate – even though we fished it the last few times we’ve been here. I guess it’s only natural since there always seems to be fish there. Big, bright, beautiful rainbows and big, nasty browns. Oh – and the big Kamloop – the one I hooked up last time out. The image of him fully out of - and perpendicular - to the water is seared into my mind.
As we got near the car I suggested that we give Crappers Run a try before heading downstream. We took the short walk through the willows that line the run. Me at the top of the run – Brian in the middle of it.
A brace duck kept us company while we fished Ray's Run.
Many years ago this was my go to spot. I used to intimately know the river structure and where I was likely to find the fish. It’s a little like Mark’s Run. Boulder strewn – most of them submerged providing nice little pockets of soft water for the fish to lie in. At the top of the run fast water flows over a bunch of boulders and forms a shallow pool – at least that’s how I remember it. On the far side, the river turns slightly to the right forming a soft spot along the fast water. Those are the spots where I’d usually find fish.
With the high flows – and all those submerged boulders – those spots were out of reach. I didn’t want to risk stumbling over one of them and losing my balance. But there were plenty of those pockets of soft water behind those boulders and that’s what I targeted. Casting to either side of them and letting my flies float into the soft water behind them.
I had a heavy nymphing rig. A #12 Cranefly Larva as my attractor followed by a #16 Olive Beadhead Caddis Larva and a #16 Tan UV Scud. The midges were hatching since we arrived and there were a few caddis flying around. I’ve ignored the midges lately opting for the bigger bugs trying to imitate what the high flows have kicked up. It might not be the best strategy, but you can only have so many flies tied on. Three to be exact.
Brian got this beaut in Fishermen's Run.
Brian Kenney.
All my flies were weighted except the scud and I added a .2g split shot with a little mud making the rig even heavier. I wanted my flies down thinking that’s where the fish would be. After a few drifts it was evident that my rig was too heavy. It kept getting hung up on those boulders. I took off the mud and was now getting nice clean drifts.
I made a mental note though. SET ON EVERYTHING! When you’re fishing this type of water your flies bump on the boulders, the bottom, or a fish hits. They all look the same.
On one of those pauses I set the hook and BAM! Fish on!
Now the hard part. Navigating through the boulder field trying to get into position to net the nice rainbow that I had hooked up. He ran downstream and I had to follow – carefully – all the while trying to get him upstream of me. I finally did – without falling into the water – and netted a nice 17” rainbow. He took my Tan UV Scud. I really like that fly!
Looking upstream from Fishermen's Run.
After releasing him I made a few more casts – but the magnetic draw of Fishermen’s Run was pulling on me. I looked over at Brian - he hadn’t had any hits and motioned that he was ready to move on.
As we were pulling out of the parking area we thought – since were here we may as well go see how Mark’s Run looks. So instead of heading to Fishermen’s we drove upstream to check out the river near Mark’s Run.
We found it completely open and decided to give it a try before heading to Fishermen’s. Brian positioned himself at the head of the run just below the riffles. I started out in the middle of it – casting into the shallow water before wading out farther.
Releasing a rainbow in the Road Hole.
There’s a line where the pebble river bottom meets the boulders and that’s where I was casting my flies. On the second cast – BAM! Fish on!
It wasn’t the biggest rainbow – but it was a rainbow. Instead of being aggressive – for some reason I was lackadaisical with it and he broke off. My Olive Caddis Larva is tied with a barbless hook – something I rarely use – and I think he took that one and was able to spit it. When you’re using barbless hooks, you’ve got to be aggressive – very aggressive.
After that there was nothing. I headed up to the Road Hole while Brian continued to cover the run. There was nothing in the main pool at the Road Hole and I began to work my way downstream. I have found a lot of fish near the shore in this run which is packed with those submerged boulders. They’re both a gift and a curse!
A different look at Brian's brownie.
Brian Kenney.
The best tactic to get the fish near shore is to wade into the river and cast back. That wasn’t possible in these conditions so I had to improvise. I took up a position upstream of my targeted area and casted my flies to the side of it – then let out line and let the current pull my flies into the zone. Not the best way to go about it – but it was the only feasible way for me.
As my flies were floating toward one of those submerged boulders, I was thinking to myself “there’s got to be a brownie there”. No sooner did I have that thought – BAM! Fish on!
One of the reasons that my tactic is not advisable is that you have a downstream set. Invariably, when you set – at least when I do – I end up pulling the fly out of the fish’s mouth. But it didn’t happen this time.
The top of Ray's Run. You can't see them - but there was a blanket Caddis hatch underway.
Another reason is now you have to fight the fish from an upstream position, and you have to bring the fish upstream to you. Not ideal.
But I was able to overcome those drawbacks and land that bad boy. It wasn’t the brownie that I was expecting, but a nice 15” rainbow. He took the Tan UV Scud. Yes --- I’m really taking a liking to that fly!
After releasing the rainbow I tried a few more casts before coming back to see how Brian was doing. He spotted a couple of fish but that was it. No runs. No hits. No nothing.
Now it was time to head to Fishermen’s Run. Finally.
We got into the car and with high anticipation drove the short distance there – parking at the Resort.
The view from my "Secret Hole"
The high flows were limiting in that it wasn’t easy – or advisable – to cross the river or even wade into the deeper parts. Oh sure – some guys go for it, but I err on the side of caution. It’s too easy to lose your footing and if you do in the high current you are likely to get wet.
Brian took the river-right side of the run and I took the river-left. I prefer the river-right side for a couple of reasons. One is that it is very difficult to get into the river from the left side. You have to navigate through thick willows and once you get into the river there are a lot of boulders that you have to wade through. All-in-all it’s just difficult.
The other thing is that I like to fish this side of the river from the middle of the river – casting back toward shore. But with the high flows and those boulders – I just really didn’t want to do that. Long story short – I didn’t last too long in the run and headed up to Ray’s Run.
The bottom of Ray’s Run is a wide part of the river and even with the high flows it was shallow and navigable. Some parts are ankle deep, some calf deep, while the troughs are hip deep. I like to set up in the ankle-to calf-deep water and cast into the troughs. Sometimes I like to walk my drift downstream. That’s what I was doing when my indicator abruptly stopped, and I set.
BAM – fish on!
Brian got this rainbow in Fishermen's Run.
Brian Kenney.
It was a nice one – and a fighter. Bull rushing me. Had to be a brown and it was. It was much easier fighting this bad boy than the other ones. I had a pebbly, soft river bottom with very few obstructions to worry about making it much easier to fight this guy and get into position. I netted him mid-river – a 17” brownie that took my Cranefly Larva. The Cranefly Larva is a big fly and I was able to pull it out of his lip in the middle of the river. Not wanting to wade to the side of the river to take a picture – I just released him back into the river.
The swift current makes wading – even in calf-deep water – hard. It will wear you out. That’s why I didn’t want to wade to the side of the river. Wading upstream to fish the top of the run was about all I could handle.
Brian came up to join me. He was in the middle of the run where deep troughs give way to shallow water. He caught some nice fish there in the past. I was at the top of the run casting into the deep trough just past the boulder line. Yep – the top of the run has a bunch of those submerged boulders. They say fish live in beautiful places – and I would wholeheartedly agree. I would also say they like place with a bunch of boulders!
It was a little after noon and the caddis were hatching in full force. They were everywhere. Bouncing off our heads, inside my sunglasses – it was one of the heaviest caddis hatches I’ve witnessed. You’d expect the fish to be actively feeding with this type of hatch in progress, but we didn’t see a single fish rising. Strange!
The water was off color in Fishermen's Run.
As I was wading up to the top of the run I spotted a fish behind one of the boulders – then he disappeared. I wasn’t sure if he moved out into the deep trough – that’s why I was casting into it, hoping he was. On or about my fourth cast my indicator paused and I set the hook. BAM – fish on!
It was a nice one – pulling heavily on my rod, taking line out as he swam downstream. I began to move downstream but not so fast. I did not want to trip over one of the boulders. I had him tight lined, but he was now across the river and downstream of me. Then the line went slack. Damn it!
This was another case where I think he hit my Caddis Larva. He probably rolled and the fly – with no barb – came out. Oh well – after that there was nothing. Very surprising with all the caddis hatching.
Later we came back down to Fishermen’s. Brian again was on the river-right side and me on the other side. As I was covering that side of the river, Brian was covering the small pool of slow water near the bank where he hooked up a nice 17” brownie. Once in the net he saw that the rainbow took his #16 Beadhead Tabou Caddis - another fly that has been really working for both of us! Brian would get a couple of rainbows in the pool too. One 16” and the other 8” – both on his #20 Bubble Top Black Zebra Midge.
A brightly colored rainbow.
Things were dying down and we decided to climb out of the run. And I do mean climb. With these flows you have a choice - wade in some tricky water along the shore to a set of stairs or climb up a steep embankment. We chose to climb the steep embankment. It would be an gross understatement to say it was a challenging climb – but we made it.
Once on the road we walked toward Ray’s Run, debating if we should climb back down the embankment to fish it. If we did, that would mean we’d have to climb back up. After the last climb we decided enough was enough and walked back to the car.
The fish were few and far between for us on this day – but we were able to get reacquainted with parts of the river we haven’t fished for a while, and we were able to get into some nice fish.
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