March 24, 2022
The South Platte River in Deckers – The Bend Hole to Ray’s Run.
Flows: 180 cfs.
Water Temp: 44F @ 9a. (Taken in shallow water in full sun. Probably a few degrees colder in deeper water and water in the shade).
Water clarity: Very clear – to about 6’.
Air Temp: mid-20sF @ 8:30a – low-60sF @ 4p.
Hatches: Light midges in the AM.
Flies: #12 Chubby Chernobyl, #20 Mercury Pheasant Tail, #16 Prince Nymph, #22 Stalcup Baetis, #24 Grey Mercury RS2, #22, #20 Mercury Flashback Black Beauty, #20 BH Purple Zebra Midge, #18 Black Copper John, #18 Red Pure Midge Larva, #22 Red D-Midge, #18 Hare’s Ear, #18 Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail, #22 Purple BH Zebra Midge, #18 Olive Pure Midge Larva, # 22 Black Top Secret, and # 20 Mercury Black Beauty.
Top producers: Mercury Flashback Black Beauty, Olive Pure Midge Larva, Black Top Secret, and Mercury Black Beauty.
Ray’s Run. It’s a really nice stretch of the South Platte River just upstream from the Deckers Resort. It is well known among regulars who frequent Deckers in search of hungry trout.
The brownies were out of their winter lies. I got this one in the lower part of Ray's Run.
It starts just downstream of what is called the Rock Garden – which is about a ¼ mile stretch of the river that has a bunch of large boulders strewn about the river. The Rock Garden gives way to Ray’s Run in a deep seam that flows in the middle of the river. This is the upper part of the run. About midway downriver in the run the river widens and is shallow in parts with more submerged boulders that create nice pocket water. On the south side there is a deeper seam that flows against the bank and holds nice trout. The lower part of the run is still shallow in parts and has a few braids that are thigh deep.
There are a ton of submerged boulders all along the bank of the upper and middle part of the run and some in the lower part too. These obstacles make for some very tricky wading. You have to be very aware of what is around your feet – especially when you’re fighting a fish. One wrong move and you will be tripped up and likely wet. Even if they don’t trip you up, I find it is exhausting constantly walking around and over them.
A rainbow I got in the shallow water in lower Ray's Run.
Making it all worthwhile are the number – and size - of trout that you’ll frequently find all along this run. And it’s different fishing along each section. The upper part is mostly nymphing with ample weight in the deep seam that runs down the middle of the river. When the flows are higher you will also find trout in the shallow water near the north side sipping flies on the surface.
The middle of the run is mostly pocket water and more shallow braids. The fish in this section are very skittish – especially when the water is crystal clear. They’ll bolt at the sight of your indicator and even sometimes from the sight of your leader. The technique to use in this case is to make big mends in order to get your flies in front of the fish before you leader or indicator do. Or use a Hopper/Dropper rig.
A rainbow landed by Brian.
Brian Kenney.
Along the south bank I’ve found that tight, upstream casts along the bank of the river with a nymph rig works best. I’ve hooked up - and lost - a few very large brownies in this spot. There are trees and branches overhanging the bank – and more submerged boulders, and tree trunks and branches too – making casting and wading challenging. Following a fish while you’re fighting it is especially difficult.
In the lower run you will find fish in the thigh deep braids and in the shallow water. Here I like to fish with my Hopper/Dropper set-up. It’s sight fishing at its best. Trout stalking. I find it very interesting watching the fish and how they react to my presentation of flies. This is the part of Ray’s Run that I like to fish the best. My kind of place.
A rainbow netted by Brian. There were more rainbows than brownies in the upper part of Ray's Run.
Brian Kenney.
Although I haven’t asked him, I think Brian likes the upper part of the run. Fishing with a deep nymph rig. It’s no wonder. He landed several nice rainbows and brownies there throughout the day.
We started in the Bend Hole. There was only one other car in the parking lot when we arrived and no fishermen in sight from there to the Bridge Hole. The Bend Hole is a popular hole and usually has quite a few nice fish in it. But not morning.
A nice brownie Brian got in the upper part of Ray's Run.
Brian Kenney.
After we both covered the hole without seeing or hooking up any fish, we moved on. Brian went upstream and I went downstream. There is a nice stretch of river just downstream of the Bend Hole and just upstream of the Rock Garden. It has several nice seams and quite a bit of pocket water. As I walked along the road I spotted a fish in one of the pockets. A nice rainbow.
I tried several casts to the rainbow but couldn’t get him to take. There was another one just a bit upstream from him and waded up to see if I could get him. Once I got into position, the fish was gone but I covered the seam anyway. I was fishing with my nymph rig and after a few drifts a nice brownie took my #22 Mercury Black Beauty.
Another brownie Brian landed - also in the upper part of Ray's Run.
Brian Kenney.
After that, we decided to head downstream to Ray’s Run stopping to hit some of the pocket water in the Rock Garden along the way. There were a couple of guys in Ray’s as we approached, but they left before we got there. Brian began fishing the upper part of the run and I was just below him – still in the upper part of the run but at the tail-end of it.
It wasn’t long and Brian landed a couple of rainbows on his #18 Olive Grub. That’s what he called it. It’s an olive midge tied with midge tubing and a black head. John Barr – in his book Bar Flies – refers to the same thing as a Pure Midge Larva. No matter it was a hot fly with Brian. He would hook-up and land several rainbows and brownies in the 12” to 17” range with that fly through the day. And all of them were in his favorite part of the run.
I wasn’t having as much success as Brian but did hook up a nice rainbow in the run. Somehow he broke off right in front of the net. Jeez. I would have a few more break off the same way before the end of the day. It was just one of those days.
A brownie in the net. (Winters are harder on brown trout than rainbows. It's welcome when they come out in the spring and begin to feed.)
After lunch, I moved downstream into the lower part of the run - my favorite part. I could see fish in the shallow water and began casting to them with my Hopper/Dropper rig. I had #16 Psycho Prince Nymph as my Dropper and followed that with a #18 Hare’s Ear and a Red D-Midge. A somewhat unconventional Hopper/Dropper set-up as both the Prince Nymph and the Hare’s Ear are tied with a bead head which make them both heavy. I usually only have one weighted fly as my Dropper.
I found one really nice rainbow feeding in a small pocket of water and began casting to him. With a few on point drifts and no takes, I decided to change the D-Midge out for a #22 Mercury Black Beauty. That did the trick. As happens frequently he sipped my Black Beauty without a trace of a hit – but for some reason (maybe instinct) I set the hook. He bolted as soon as I did and the fight was on. This was another fish that broke off right in front of the net. But it was fun to figure out what type of fly would fool him and to fight him.
Another look at a hungry brownie.
After that I found several more fish in the tail-end of the run. The water is braided here and the braids are about mid-thigh in depth. As I casted to these fish it seemed that my flies were going below them and they weren’t giving them any interest. With that, I removed my Hare’s Ear and replaced it with a Soft-hackle Pheasant Tail. This particular fly had no bead or was otherwise weighted and would allow the flies to float higher in the water column.
This small change made a big difference and I was able to hook up and land several rainbows and brownies. Pat Dorsey- in his book A Fly-Fishers Guide to the South Platte River – says the difference between an average fisherman and a good fisherman is one split shot. This could go either way – adding weight of removing it. The key is to get your flies at the right depth. It’s not always easy I usually find that through trial and error I eventually figure it out.
A nice 16" brownie. I got all but one of my fish in the lower part of Ray's Run.
It ended up being another great day out on the river fishing in Ray’s Run.
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