April 11, 2023
The South Platte River – 11 Mile Canyon. (Road Hole to the Beaver Run).
Flows: 65 cfs.
Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous
Water Temp: 44F @ 11a.
Water clarity: Crystal clear.
Air Temp: Low 41F @ 9a – high 71F @ 3:15p.
Hatches: Midge: Midge throughout the morning. BWO: (Large. Looked like size 18). 1P to end of day.
Flies: #18 Pheasant Tail. #18 Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail, #22 Top Secret Midge, #22 Flashback Mercury Black Beauty, #20 Miracle Midge, #22 Disco Midge, #22 Red Zebra Midge, #22 Stalcup Baetis, #20 Chocolate Thunder, #18 Parachute BWO, #22 Sparkle Dun, #20 Canyon Cripple, #22 Matt’s Midge, #22 Red Dale’s Pale Midge.
Top producers: Dale’s Pale Midge, Chocolate Thunder, Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail, Disco Midge, Miracle Midge, Parachute BWO, Canyon Cripple.
The canyon wall looming over the Rock Run.
It was a bright, sunny, crisp spring morning as we made our way along RT 24 into the mountains toward Lake George. Our destination was 11 Mile Canyon. The forecast was for a high of 74 in Lake George and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to fish in the high country on a summer like day.
They’ve been reducing the flows coming out of 11 Mile Reservoir for the past week or so and it was sitting at a very low 65 cfs. It was cause for concern and we chatted about it as we headed out, and we weren’t sure what effect it would have on the fishing - but we decided to give it a shot. See how it goes.
Brian with a rainbow in the Road Hole.
As Brian drove along the canyon road we were trying to decide where to start. We expected the place to be crowded with the nice weather and were hoping the Road Hole was open. That would be a good place to start. We drove all the way to the dam parking lot so that we could check the hole along the way and get a lay of the land. It was open when we drove by.
After quickly gearing up in the dam parking lot, Brian headed down to claim the Road Hole. I was about 10 minutes behind him and when I arrived Brian had already landed a 12” rainbow. Wow – that was fast!
I was thinking “we picked a great place to start”.
An interesting picture of one of Brian's rainbows. Dale's Pale Midge in his lip. (Red was the color in the morning.)
Brian Kenney.
With the low flows everything seemed different. We stood in places where we normally casted to fish. The holes were now deep troughs. I found it to be a bit disorienting – even pausing to get my bearings as we worked the Road Hole searching for fish.
The Road Hole is actually a series of riffles, runs, and pools that start just upstream from where the river bends and meets the road and continues down the road for about 1/8 of a mile. We have found fish all along the run - mostly in the pools and their tailouts, and occasionally, in the riffles too. I found several fish in a small pool about mid-run. Brian was just upstream from me in the “propper” Road Hole.
As I watched the fish I noticed a couple coming up in the column obviously eating emergers. Others seemed to be content staying down closer to the bottom. There were a couple on the outside seam darting about feeding. I decided to start with a light nymph rig. It was already set up with a #18 Pheasant Tail leading, followed by a #22 Flashback Black Beauty and a #22 Top Secret Midge. I used a .12g split shot for weight and would add some mud if necessary.
This one took the Chocolate Thunder which would be the hot fly of the afternoon.
My expectations were high – and I expected to get a handful of these guys in quick order. But they seemed to be keying on something other than what I was offering. After making several adjustments to weight and depth and attacking the hole from various angles – nothing. Not even a sniff.
Meanwhile, Brian was landing fish. He said they were hitting a #20 Red Midge Larva. After about his 3rd or 4th fish in the net – all hitting the Red Midge - I decided to change up my flies. No sense beating my head against the wall. Give them what they want.
They say – size, shape, color. In that order of importance when selecting a fly. First, it needs to be the right size. Then the shape has to be spot on. Then the color comes into play. My belief – as I’ve stated many times in past blogs - is that most of the times fish will eat almost any fly pattern that is presented properly - no matter what is hatching.
Brian landed several fish in the morning with his Dale's Pale Midge.
Brian Kenney.
But not today. They were keying on the color.
I tied on a #22 Disco Midge (bright red in color) and followed it with a Red Zebra Midge – leaving my Pheasant Tail in the lead. I was targeting some fish at the back of the pool – close to the bottom – and as my flies floated toward them I became distracted by something. Not sure what. But then I noticed my indicator not only pausing but moving in a different direction! Jeez! I set the hook but it was too late. I had the fish on momentarily – and it was a nice one – but he broke off.
Brian was now just upstream of the pool I was fishing – in a trough before the boulders that formed the pool – where he landed a couple more fish. After a bit, we decided to change places. Then a bit later we changed back. I was in the pool casting to the fish feeding in the seam on the outside edge of it. One of the fish hit – very quickly – and ran downstream where he broke off. Hmmm.
A 17" cutbow. There are a lot of 'em in 11 Mile - and you will find Snake River Cutthroats as well.
Not to be daunted – I continued to fish into the pool and low a behold another fish hit. BANG! I set the hook and brought that bad boy to net. 1st fish – a nice 17” rainbow – he took the Disco Midge. Yes – red was the color of the day – and it seemed to be more important than the size and shape!
Brian came over as I worked to free the fly from the fish’s mouth. He was in my net and as we inspected the fish, we realized it was one of the fish Brian had caught earlier. The telling sign being one side of his mouth was disfigured. It looked like he was mishandled sometime ago. He must have been hungry!
The view from the Spillway Campground.
After a bit we began to work downstream. I had my sights set on the Rock Run - a classic riffle, pool, tailout run. Feeding into it are riffles and a small pool/large pocket. To get there, I climbed out of the river and walked the short distance through the Spillway Campground. I entered back into the river at the riffles above the Rock Run and was surprised to see trout feeding in a small depression in the riffles. It would be hard for me to get into position without spooking them – but had to try.
Sure enough, as I carefully waded into the water I spooked them. But some came back and I casted to them, but they soon bolted. Then I noticed a couple of trout in the small pool on the other side of the river - river right. There was a nice seam behind the boulders that formed the pool and they were feeding in it. I was able to entice a hit from one of them, but he broke off. The other fish seemed to vanish and I moved downstream to the Rock Run.
Brian got another interesting picture of this rainbow.
Brian Kenney.
I waded across the river just below the seam I was fishing to get into position to fish the Rock Run. I like fishing it from that side of the river – river right. As I approached the run, I spotted a trout in the deep pool just below the submerged boulders that run across the river.
As I casted into the pool, I noticed there were a couple of other fish in it too. Eventually I got one of them to take. It was a nice 18” cutbow. I’m pretty sure he took the Miracle Midge – he spit it just as I netted him. Wow – that was close!
After releasing him and getting all my stuff back in order, I peered into the river and didn’t see the other fish. I thought maybe they bolted as I fought the cutbow. After several more drifts into the run, I decided to head downstream to the Log Run. As I was walking toward it, I kept looking into the river to see if I could spot any fish. As I approached the end of the run I saw several trout in the shallow tailout and a few more about midway into the run on the other side of the river.
Releasing a beautiful rainbow.
Well – I couldn’t pass that up. My focus was on the trout in the middle of the run. They seemed to be moving more than the others. A sure sign that they were feeding on something. I still had on the Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail followed by the Disco Midge and the Miracle Midge and it was BANG – BANG. I netted four or five of them – three in quick order. And they were nice size too – in the 16” to 18” range. I got one on the Pheasant Tail and the others on the Disco Midge.
As I was fishing that spot, there was a guy below me fishing the seam and troughs in the Log Run. He was casting upstream and stripping his line in as his flies drifted back toward him. It caught my attention because it seemed a bit unconventional to me. Casting over fish is never a good idea – then you have to hope the fish hits while you have the line in your hand as you strip it back. If he hits in between strips – as you reach to get more line – you could very well miss the set. I did see him land one fish though.
My lunchtime view from the top of the Rock Run.
It was about lunch time and I decided to take a break and eat streamside. There was now a guy upstream of me in the run I hit before moving into the Rock Run. I saw him take at least one fish and made a mental note to go back up there before I moving further downstream. Brian showed up before I finished lunch and I suggested that he give the run a shot.
He wasn’t getting any action and continued to work his way downstream and ended up in the Log Run fishing the seam and troughs below the log. The same place the other guy was in earlier. As he fished that, I moved to the top of the Rock Run and worked my way into the riffles above it. The water is faster in that spot with a bunch of little pockets and seams – just what I like!
Bright colors on this cutbow.
Brian Kenney.
After I finished lunch, I changed my target flies to a #22 Stalcup Baetis followed by a #20 Chocolate Thunder. I still had the Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail as the lead fly. Most of the fish I spotted till now seemed to be feeding mid-to-upper column. That’s why I stayed with the Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail – which is not weighted – and why I selected the Chocolate Thunder. It has a foam back which makes it more buoyant.
The Chocolate Thunder did the trick. I landed a couple fish in the troughs and pocket water above the Rock Run. They were 16”/17” rainbows and were on the Chocolate Thunder. As I moved a bit downstream – just above the Rock Run I saw a couple of nice size rainbows feeding on an outer seam of fast water. After a few drifts down the seam one of them hit and quickly bolted downstream. I set the hook and then my line went slack. What the heck? Well - he broke my line. In fact it was broke at the end of my leader. I thought that my leader to tippet knot gave way – but after I inspected it, it was a clean break. I will be putting a new leader on this week!
The Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail worked well throughout the day for me.
I tied another Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail on as my lead fly and followed it with a #22 Mercury Baetis and another #20 Chocolate Thunder. Keeping it light, I stayed with a .12g weight. Right about 1p BWOs were hatching. They were bigger ones – looked to be a size 20 to 18.
Once back in order I waded across the river back into the Rock Run. At the top I spotted a nice rainbow darting about. Coming up in the column then back down and moving laterally. I casted into the fast water trying to time my drift with him making a presence in the middle of the pool. On one of my drifts, I saw him come up and eat something as my flies were drifting by. Dang it – I thought he ate a natural and my flies must have been too low and drifted below him. He had gone back down low in the water a sat in front of one of the boulders and then my indicator paused.
She is glad to be back - free - in the water!
I set no knowing what had hit. But it was the one I was after – when I saw him come up he ate my Pheasant Tail, not a natural! This all happened in seconds – but it seemed like it was slow motion. And it was fun. After an arm tiring fight I netted a fat, 18” cut.
By then Brian had left the Log Hole – but not before he landed a handful of rainbows, cuts, and a brownie – all in the 17” to 18” range. Coincidently, Brian had tied on a #20 Chocolate Thunder too – and they all hit it.
After releasing my fish I got my stuff and was following him downstream – but couldn’t resist the opportunity to fish the Log Run. There were still several fish in it. I’ve fished it many times in the past and it’s hard to get your flies in front of the fish. At least the ones I’ve targeted. There are so many though – even if your flies are off target to a fish you’re after – they may float in front of another one!
Brain landed this brownie - the only one of the day - in the Log Run.
Brian Kenney.
That’s what happened. There were several fish in a line along the near seam and my plan was to drift my flies by them. One of them would hit – had to. As my flies drifted by one did hit – but it wasn’t one of the fish in the seam – it was one that was in the middle of the run. My flies must have swung out and BANG – a 17 cut hit the Chocolate Thunder.
After releasing him, I waded out of the water and headed downstream to meet Brian. As I did, I spotted several fish along the way. It seemed that you could pick any spot and there would be fish. Guys were hooked up tight line all the way down the river. I think the flows were so low that the fish didn’t have a lot of places to go. And there are a lot – a whole bunch – of fish in this river! The book on it is to fish the upper 2 miles of the river below the dam. For some reason there is a lot more bug activity on this section – and hence a lot more fish.
They were rising in the afternoon along the Beaver Run. This one took the Parachute BWO.
I caught up with Brian in the Beaver Run. There was a guy fishing the middle of it and Brian was on the downstream side of it. The run is long and there was room for me at the top of it. As I peered into the river, I saw two nice rainbows coming up and eating off the surface and just below it. I tried my nymph rig but they ignored my flies so I changed to my dry fly rig. It was set up with a #18 Parachute BWO followed by a #22 Sparkle Dun, I then tied on one of my #20 Canyon Cripples as a Dropper.
That did the trick. As my flies floated into the zone, one of the rainbows came up and I set the hook. I wasn’t sure if he was eating my fly or a natural, but you got to set when a fish makes a move near your flies. I had my 5-weight rod and this fish was strong – taking me all over the place. After fighting him a bit I thought maybe I foul hooked him, but I continued to try to bring him to net. I wasn’t sure.
This 18" rainbow was as strong as an ox!
There was a family sitting along the edge of the river and the watched as I was being man-handled by this fish. I finally got him to net and he wasn’t fouled – no he took my Canyon Cripple. It’s a fly I developed to imitate a fly that is stuck in his shuck as he is about to emerge into an adult fly. Fish see them as easy prey. Once I got that bad boy to net, the lady who was sitting streamside asked if I wanted her to take a picture of me with the fish. That was a nice gesture.
The fish were now coming up and the guy in the middle of the run had left – so it was open for Brian and I to fish. We got a few more on nymphs and I got another one on my Canyon Cripple and one on the Parachute BWO. It’s always so much fun getting them on dries. On one my drifts – my flies were floating near a huge boulder and my dries sank. At first I thought they must have got hung up on some debris near the boulder – but I instinctively set the hook. And I was soon fighting a fish! I forgot that I had the Dropper on! That’s what the fish hit.
Another nice cutbow in the net.
Brian Kenney.
I was pretty much spent as the action slowed. We had a stellar day – although Brian and I didn’t count, we both had to have netted fish in the teens. And they were nice ones too!
We covered a lot of water – and no matter what spot we picked – there were fish!
Commentaires