March 12, 2024
The South Platte River – Deckers (Between the Islands Run to the Cable Hole).
Flows: 124 cfs.
Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent (2% illumination).
Water Temp: 48F @ 9a.
Water clarity: Crystal clear.
Air Temp: 35F @ 8:30a – 45F @ 4p.
Hatches: Midge: 8:30a – 11a, BWOs – 1p to 4p.
Spawning: A few redds spotted but no active spawning activity observed.
Flies: #18 Red Midge Larva, #16 Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear, #22 Flashback Mercury Black Beauty #24 Black Flashback RS2, #22 Grey Mercury RS2, #16 Psycho Prince Nymph, #18 Pheasant Tail, #12 Chubby Chernobyl, #22 Matt’s Midge, #22 Griffith’s Gnat, #22 Black Manhattan Midge, #20 Olive Matte Demon, #20 Medallion Midge, #20 Olive Mayfly Emerger, #22 Top Secret Midge, #22 Flashback Mercury Midge, #20 Ninja Midge, #20 FOD, #20 & 22 Black Beauty, #18 Bead Head Olive Midge, #16 Purple Prince, #12 Chartreuse Egg, #20 Olive RS2.
Top producers: Red Midge Larva, Psycho Prince Nymph, Pheasant Tail, Flashback Black Beauty, Bead Head Olive Midge, Chartreuse Egg, Olive RS2, #20 Black Beauty.
The Cable Hole - the last hole in Deckers before the private water of the Wigwam Club.
My calendar was a mess this week. I only had one day open for fishing.
Not ideal.
The only day I had open was Tuesday – and Brian had commitments that day. Wouldn’t you know it.
A couple of years ago I met Don Davenport while fishing the Tailwater in Pueblo. We shared the Tire Hole for a bit and have kept in touch via my blog which Don has contributed to by providing intel on his trips there and other information.
A couple of weeks ago Brian and I had fished in Deckers and Don reached out after reading the subsequent blog saying he hasn’t fished Deckers much and would welcome the opportunity to fish it with us sometime so he could get more acquainted with it.
Brian found this orange scud along Fisherman's Run.
(the scuds turn an orange color when the die).
Brian Kenney.
There are a lot of maps in fishing books that provide names for the various holes, runs, and pools – places where you can usually find fish. When I’m on the river I find a lot of places that haven’t been named yet. For instance, in Deckers I’ve taken the liberty to add names for the Road Hole, Between the Islands Run, and Fisherman’s Run. I think this intrigued Don. He asked me where these places were as he couldn’t find them on any maps.
Since Brian couldn’t go – I reached out to Don to see if he was available. This would be a good opportunity for him to get on the river and get to know it better, and we could get more acquainted too.
As we approached the Bridge Crossing Run I asked Don to pull into the parking area so we could take a look. If this run is open I often fish it before heading into Deckers. It’s a short run – at least the part that I like to fish, but it could take a few hours to completely cover it.
A South Platte River rainbow.
We walked to the bridge and looked into the river to see if we could spot any fish. We didn’t, but that didn’t necessarily mean they weren’t there. Don wasn’t too interested though – I could tell he had his sights set on the upper part of the river in Deckers.
We climbed back into his truck and headed that way. As we made our way up the YMCA road we found that most of the holes were open. I was really surprised when we got to Mark’s Run and it was open – completely open. The only other car – and fisherman – in the whole area was parked at the top of the hill and the fisherman was in the Between the Islands Run.
Everything else was open. We had our pick.
Mark’s Run.
That’s always a good place to start. Especially if it has sat the whole night undisturbed and you are the first to fish it in the morning. It’s a run that reliably holds fish – and some nice size ones too. You can find them in the shallow gravel bar near the parking area and all the way to the other side of the river and from the riffles at the top of the run to the slower pocket water at the end of it.
Brian got this rainbow on Monday in Mark's Run on his Red Tube Midge.
Brian Kenney.
Brian had gone out on Monday. He too started at Mark’s Run and got a few in the morning on Red and Olive Tube Midges. Not the kind of morning that this run sometimes produces, but he found a few fish and netted them. In the afternoon he fished Fisherman’s Run and got several more still using the Red and Olive Tube Midges.
When the fish are in this run you can usually see them. Sight fishing – my favorite way to go.
Midges were hatching as we geared up and since Brian had said he was getting them on red midge larva yesterday, I decided to start with a #18 Red Midge Larva and a #22 Flashback Black Beauty as my target flies. My lead fly was a #16 Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear. Don was rigged up with a #20 Dorsey’s Medallion Midge as his lead fly and followed it with a #20 Olive Mayfly Emerger and a #22 Top Secret Midge.
Even though there weren’t many clouds in the sky when we arrived, it was a bit overcast as we waded into the river. One of those few clouds was blocking the sun making it hard to see into the water and sight fish. Especially from our vantage point.
Don got this beauty in the Cable Hole.
Don started at the top of the run and had a quick hit but missed him. I was in the middle of the run and after covering it with no hits, I waded across the river and climbed onto the bank where I could see into the water. I didn’t see any fish – or spook any - as I waded across, and I didn’t see any fish from the bank.
It was empty. You’ve got to be kidding me.
There can be a certain amount of pressure when you’re showing someone the river and your favorite spots on it. You want the experience to be a success. Show the river at its best. Catch a bunch of fish.
But that’s not the way it works. The river always presents different challenges – and the fish are fish. Unpredictable. As I said in my last blog - sometimes they’re there and feeding. In those situations, it seems as though you can do no wrong. Fly choices. Depth and weight. The drift. All spot on.
This would prove to NOT be that day. Unfortunately, we would have to work for ‘em. And work hard.
These rainbows look like - and may be are - Leopard rainbows with all the spots.
(A Leopard rainbow is a subspecies of a rainbow trout and is thought to be native to Alaska.)
Don is an experienced fisherman and he knows that there are few certainties when it comes to fishing. Especially the conditions that you may encounter and the willingness of fish to take your fly, and he was more than willing to put the work in.
With Mark’s Run dry, we walked up to the Cable Hole. Don took the west side – river left, and I was on the opposite side near the road. I could see into the water from the road and spotted a few fish in the seam near the submerged boulders where the river turns to the left as it meets the road. They’re hard to get when they are in that spot. There’s dead water in between where you have to set up and them – and it seems to mess up your drift. I’ve tried it many times with no luck and tried it again – with no luck!
I then moved upstream into the fast water below the cable that marks the beginning – or end – of the private water of the Wigwam Club. It was there that I had my first hit – and first fish of the day. There’s some slack water – river right – and I was casting into the seam where it meets the fast water. I saw the fish come up out of nowhere and hit one of my flies.
Don covering the Cable Hole.
It was quick and I set the hook. As I did he bolted to the fast water. I expected it to do that and I was able to manage to get him back into the slack water where I netted him. I nice 14” to 15” rainbow that took the Red Midge Larva. At least I think he did. He had spit whatever he had took while in the net. I tied the Red Midge Larva with a barbless hook and that’s why I think he took that one. Without a barb, the hook is easy remove and is much kinder to the fish and easier for them to spit out.
After releasing him, I continued to work the run as Don covered the deep pool below. He could see some fish but they weren’t taking his offering. Don was persistent though and eventually changed up his rig, tying on a #18 Bead Head Olive Midge pattern for his lead fly. That did the trick and a nice 18” rainbow took it.
By then I had moved out of the fast water at the top of the hole and waded across the river to join Don on the west bank – river left. It was getting toward noon and the fish were becoming more active. We could see some nice ones near the bank in between three large, submerged boulders. They were in the middle of them feeding on something, moving in the lower to middle of the column.
Is that Cousin Eddie with a fly rod?
Don Davenport.
As Don continued to cover the pool, I went after the fish near the boulders. It’s tricky to get your flies into the target drift zone without getting them caught up on one of those boulders. I finally got one of them to hit - a beauty of a 17” brown. It was a hit and run. Just took my fly and bolted and I was sure I had him legal. But when I finally netted him my #22 Black Manhattan Midge was stuck in his front fin. He did a lot of rolling and head shaking while I was playing him to the net. Was he able to spit the fly while doing that – only to then get it caught in his fin?
I don’t know – but it took away some of the excitement for me.
This day required a bunch of changes. Change of flies, weight, depth, and even different setups as we moved from spot to spot. Some fish were laying deep, some in faster water, and some in slow water.
After releasing that brownie, I moved downstream into the pockets of the Road Hole. As I began working my way back upstream, I saw a nice brown holding in a seam just downstream of the submerged boulders – and went after him. My flies seemed to be drifting over him and I added weight. Then on one of my next drifts my indicator paused a bit and I set the hook.
One of Brian's rainbows from Monday.
Brian Kenney.
At first there was nothing – no movement – so I reset my hook. When I did he took off. That is not a good sign. I’ve foul hooked fish before that act like this. They must not be able to feel the hook as it gets imbedded in their belly, one of their fins, or their tail. Then they realize somethings wrong - and they bolt.
This guy went straight downstream and it didn’t take me long to realize I had fouled him. I was disgusted with myself and decided to break him off. There is a fifty-fifty chance that when doing so, you will lose your flies. If that happens it’s a no win for the fish or you. You lose your flies and the fish has to swim around with a fly imbedded in him and other flies trailing behind.
It was a quick decision and one I regretted. My lead fly was stuck on him and he broke it off – along with my two trailing flies.
I needed a break and it was lunch time. I ate streamside watching Don as he continued to cover the pool. It was not the greatest morning – fish in net wise. The fish were being very picky – some feeding very selectively, others not feeding at all.
I worked really hard for this one - and getting her made my day!
Don Davenport.
On days like this I find that I can get sort of tunnel vision – saying to myself “I’m going to figure this out – they’re eating something – and I’m going to crack the code”. It can be a bit of a self-defeating principal. I will spend an inordinate amount of time - and in a lot of instances – without success. It’s best to move on – find feeding fish, preferably in fast water.
I was persistent – maybe to a fault.
But that persistence finally paid off and made my day. There was a nice rainbow coming up in the mid-to-upper column between the two submerged boulders in the middle of the river. We could see him and knew he was feeding. After that brownie broke me off, I tied on a #16 Psycho Prince Nymph as my lead fly and followed it with a #20 Pheasant Tail and a #24 Grey RS2.
Not sure why I picked the Prince Nymph – just had a feeling. I was anticipating that the BWOs would begin to come off in the early afternoon and that’s why I picked the RS2. The Pheasant Tail? That’s my go to fly when I need a “pick me up”.
Got this one at the top of the Cable Hole.
The Prince Nymph is a weighted fly – a pretty heavy one at that, and I only had a .12g split shot for additional weight. A pretty light rig for the fast, swirling water in the upper column.
When my indicator drifted in between the boulders it hit a dead spot and kind of swirled back on itself. My flies though were swinging out into the current where the fish was coming up and feeding. On one of my drifts, my indicator moved into that spot between the boulders – and then it slowly moved toward the middle of the river. It wasn’t natural and I set the hook.
BANG – BANG - - - I got you bad boy!
I had been going after this guy at various times throughout the day and finally got him to hit. He was a big, strong rainbow and proved to be a challenge to get into the net. He first took me into the boulders and I was immediately concerned about getting my line caught up in them. But I managed to get him out and into softer water where I lead him into my net.
Releasing the fat rainbow.
A beautiful, fat, South Platte River rainbow. As pretty of a fish as you will ever find.
That did make my day. Sort of justified – at least to myself – all the time I spent trying to figure it out.
After releasing that bad boy, Don was retying his flies – yet another time! Yes -we had to make a lot of changes. As he did, I moved to the top of the hole and casted into the fast water just before the drop off.
Two casts and BANG! This one a 16” rainbow who took my trusty Pheasant Tail.
Were things starting to heat up? It sure seemed that way.
But they didn't.
This one took my Pheasant Tail - my "pick me up fly".
After spending some more time there we finally pulled up stakes and moved on. Don’s lunch was in his truck and he took a break to eat. I soon followed and met up with him as he was finishing.
Between the Islands Run. It was on my mind all day. I really wanted a chance to show Don the run. It’s a lot of fun to fish – one of my favorites. Big fish hanging out in small pockets casually eating insects. More big fish out in the seam where the slow water meets the fast. Banging the bugs as they float by. Exciting!
We were at the bottom of the run just upstream from the bottom island. I usually have more success in this part of the run with a Dry/Dropper rig. It enables your flies to drift over the boulders and into the seam leading to the fish. In the pockets it’s sight fishing. You can see them there and it looks easy. But getting your flies on point is a challenge.
A leg of the river that runs around - and forms - the bottom island
As we took up our position, I spotted a rainbow. He was in a pocket where I’ve found many a fish in the past, both rainbows and brownies. Don went after him and I moved upstream – still in the pockets – to see if I could spot another one, which I did.
The BWOs were starting to hatch – we could see them in the air. “This is going to be fun”. That was my thought.
But it wasn’t!
You have got to be kidding me. These fish didn’t take anything. Very unusual – and I was disappointed. I wanted Don to experience the excitement. But it wasn’t meant to be and after a bit we moved on.
Don had lost his rig on a snag and was retying as I explored the water downstream. There is a small pool along the bank- river right – just as the water begins to flow into the Mini-canyon. Or should I say used to be. As I approached it I could see a bunch of the small granite pebbles had washed down the canyon wall and the pool was now nothing more than a shallow trough swinging along the bank. The pool was no more - at least at these flows.
Another beauty!
The river is an ever-changing structure. It’s defined as river morphology. Really – it is.
There was another pool upstream by the pocket water in Between the Islands Run that was very similar where I’d almost always find a fish or two. It also got filled with granite pebbles during run-off or storm - I can’t remember which - a couple of years ago. Downstream at the Bend Hole there was a wash out earlier this year and filled in a leg of the river that made up what used to be an island. Now it’s just an extension of the bank.
And so it goes – river morphology.
It was decision time. Do we go drive down to Fisherman’s Run? It was another place I wanted to show Don. One of my favorite spots on the river that you won’t find on a map. It’s a small section of the river that Brian and I named a few years ago. And when it’s on it’s BANG – BANG!
By that time it was pretty late though. And what if we went through the trouble of getting in the truck and driving down only to find it occupied? We both had spotted fish along the Road Hole and in the Cable Hole earlier and both were only a short walk.
I decided to play it safe and head that way.
There was a couple fishing the Road Hole when we arrived there – we would soon find out they are new to the area – just relocated from Montana. I crossed the river below them and walked along the opposite bank to the Cable Hole and Don walked along the road to the other side of it.
Releasing one of my rainbows.
At one point I was casting below the submerged boulders right at the end of the Cable Hole – the same spot where I foul hooked that brownie earlier. My indicator pauses and I set the hook. To my amazement I watched as a brown comes out of the water with a bunch of flies trailing behind him. It was the same fish!
This time I didn’t break him off and the guy from Montana helped me out by netting him for me. My flies actually got caught up in the ones that he originally broke off – so I didn’t cause him any more harm. And I was happy to relieve him of the fly that was stuck in his trailing anal fin and equally happy to get all my flies back too!
Don was now fishing the top of the Cable Hole in the fast water just below the cable marking the private water – and he was getting into fish. The Wigwam Club imports Kamloop rainbows from British Columbia for their member's fishing pleasure. They’re very big rainbows and silvery in color. Their eggs are evidently chartreuse colored (I didn’t know this but Don did) and Don was thinking Kamloops may be starting to spawn.
With this in mind, he retied his rig before going in - tying on a small Chartreuse Egg as his lead fly and followed it with a #20 Black Beauty and a #20 Olive RS2. It did the trick and he was able to land two rainbows on each of the flies in his set up. All in the 15” to 16” range.
This one took my Psycho Prince Nymph.
A few of the hook-ups were especially fun for Don. One of the rainbows took his egg right in front of him while he watched the take. His indicator didn’t even hit the water before the fish hit it. Then on a couple of his drifts he let his line sit at the end of the drift and slowly lifted his flies – the Leisenring Lift. On those occasions the fish hit his Olive RS2. Wham is how his described it! Very nice!
The other three fish he got were all in the fast current. As I walked up he was just releasing one of his fish and I watched as he continued to cover the fast water and then the slower water near the opposite bank. After a bit I was ready to go – and felt bad to mention it. Don was having too much fun!
But it was time.
Don had a great finish to a difficult day and I was happy for that.
He was able to get more acquainted with this part of the river and we got more acquainted with each other. Fishing has a way of doing that - connecting people and places.
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