Flows: 76 cfs
Water Temp: 40F @ 8:30a.
Water clarity: 6’
Air Temp: 20 @ 8a – 67 @ 4p.
A brightly colored South Platte rainbow trout.
Hatches: Midge from 8a to 10a, BWOs from 11a to 4:30p, Female Trico 11a to 4p.
Flies: #18 Mercury Red Zebra Midge, #24 Mercury Midge, #24 Mercury Black Beauty, #22 Jujubee Midge, #24 & #20 Top Secret Midge, #18 Euro Pheasant Tail, #22 Olive Barr Emerger, #24 Olive Foam Back Emerger, #22 Black Beauty, #18 Parachute BWO.
Top producers: Top Secret Midge, Mercury Red Zebra Midge, Euro Pheasant Tail, Olive Barr Emerger, Olive Foam Back Emerger, Black Beauty, Parachute BWO.
The canyon walls creating shadows on the water.
Brian and I spent yesterday scouring the South Platte River in Deckers looking for feeding fish. It was another beautiful Colorado day – sunny, clear blue sky and unseasonably warm - especially for the 1st week in November. A good day to be on the river. Added to that, there were multiple hatches taking place throughout the day. All this added up to a recipe for success and a fun day.
A scene along the river with the Mount of the Sleeping Indian above. (What a nice spot for a log cabin!).
Our plan was to retrace my steps from last week. We’d meet at the head end of Ray’s Run and fish that area in the morning. Then in the afternoon we’d head to the Horseshoe Bend to see if there were fish rising to a hatch of female Tricos.
I ran into Brian as I was driving up the dirt road to the YMCA Camp. He made a stop in the Bend Hole and was walking down to Ray’s Run. We chatted a bit and it was good to hear that he landed a nice brownie there. I was beginning to doubt that hole – even though it is renown to regulars in Deckers as a go-to spot – as I haven’t pulled a fish out of there in I don’t know how long.
Brian's 1st fish of the day. He took a #22 Black Beauty.
The canyon walls were still blocking the sun at the top of Ray’s Run when I met up with Brian there at about 8:15a. And it was cold - in the low 20s. We both were nymphing with midges – but couldn’t see any fish in the blacked out water. But we fished it for a while, then moved downstream to where the sun was shining to search for feeding fish.
We found them in the bottom of the run at a place that I’ve fished with success many times before. There are a couple of seams that are about thigh deep in low flows that run from the middle of the river toward the north bank. The seams run for about 20 yards before they die out into large boulders that form pockets and braids behind them. The fish line up along the entire seam to feed. You will find them in the pockets and braids below too.
A 19 brownie who took a #24 Top Secret Midge.
Here's another brightly colored one.
And there are some nice size ones to boot. As I approached this spot, I could see quite a few fish but wasn’t getting any hits. That was until I changed my bottom fly to a Top Secret Midge. Then BAM! I was landing fish on about every third cast or so, and a couple were 19 inchers! One was a brownie and the other was a nicely colored rainbow. The rest were nice size too - in the 16” to 17” range – and all were healthy and put up an exciting fight. All but a few were hitting the Top Secret.
A 19" rainbow taken out of Ray's Run on a #18 Mercury Red Zebra Midge.
We stuck with our plan and after lunch headed to the Horseshoe Bend. As we crossed the river we could see that a couple of fishermen were at the top of the run. But the middle and bottom of it were open. Brian started out at the bottom and I asked the other fishermen if it was OK to go into the middle. The obliged and that is were I started out the afternoon. Last week, this is where they were lined up sipping – and sometimes splashing – as they feasted on female Tricos.
Brian working the run at Horseshoe Bend.
But this week, the fish were down by Brian. And they were only sporadically rising even though there was a decent BWO and female Trico hatch in progress. So I moved down to fish with Brian.
After being frustrated last week, I read up on fishing the Trico hatch. Pat Dorsey is my go-to when researching the South Platte River. In his book Fly Fishing the South Platte, Pat says “The Trico hatch is challenging and requires the angler to bring their A game to the river”. I would definitely agree!
Another view of the lower part of the run at Horseshoe Bend.
He recommended tying an Olive Pheasant Tail to emulate the Tricos. But I didn’t have any olive pheasant tail, so I made up a pattern that’s sort of a combination a Barr Emerger and a Mercury Baetis. I tied them in a #22 using black dubbin for the thorax and black sparkle emerger yarn for the wing case and legs. And I got a nice brownie on it!
This smaller brownie took my improvised Barr Emerger Trico.
This is one of the things that I really enjoy about fly fishing. Combining practical experience with research from noted experts and improvising to make a fly. Then having success with it. It’s a very rewarding feeling!
We spent the rest of the day along that run catching both brownies and rainbows. There were sporadic risers along the run, but I only brought one rod with me this time and was not inclined to change up to dries. With only one rod, it is a commitment to make a change. And with only sporadic risers I wasn’t going to make that commitment. On the other hand, Brian alternately switched between his nymphing and dry fly rod. He was rewarded for his effort as he was able to entice one of the wary rainbows to hit his Parachute BWO.
A rainbow landed by Brian.
It was one of those days when you find pods of feeding fish in one spot and none in others. You have to hunt for them. And when you find them – it pays off!
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