May 9, 2023
The South Platte River – 11 Mile Canyon. (#2 Bend Run to the Road Hole).
Flows: 81 cfs.
Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous (83%).
Water Temp: 50F @ 11a
Water clarity: Very clear to ~5’.
Air Temp: 46F @ 8:30a – 65F @ 4p.
Hatches: Midge: Throughout the day – heavier in the AM. BWO: Light from 12N to 3:30p. Caddis: None observed. Stoneflies: Husks along the shore & spotted one near shore.
Flies: #10 Chubby Chernobyl, #12 Red Pig Sticker, #24 Miracle Midge, #22 Chocolate Thunder, #24 Grey Sparkle Wing RS2, #24 Olive Jujube Midge, #18 Flashback Pheasant Tail, #24 Mercury Black Beauty, #22 Parachute Adams, #26 Black Bling Midge, #16 BH Tabou Caddis Emerger, #20 Dale’s Pale Red Midge,
Top producers: Flashback Pheasant Tail, Sparkle Wing RS2, Parachute Adams, Miracle Midge, Jujubee Midge, Bling Midge, Tabou Caddis Emerger, Dale’s Pale Red Midge.
Looking upstream from the Road Hole into the #2 Bend Run.
There were three of us – Roadies for a Day. Me, Brian, and his son-in-law Sean.
This was Sean’s second time fly fishing. He had gone out once before but that was years ago, so it felt like his first time again.
They picked me up bright and early on a beautiful, crisp spring morning. The forecast was for a sunny and unusually hot day. We had the option of fishing the South Platte at either Deckers or 11 Mile Canyon. The high in Deckers was predicted to be in the high 70s to low 80s. Since our last outing there – the water department has kept the flows at a constant 120 cfs. Everything seemed perfect – and that’s why I suggested that we go to 11 Mile Canyon.
With perfect conditions I figured the fly fishermen would be like ants in Deckers. It was supposed to be a nice day in 11 Mile Canyon too - but it’s more remote and chances are the crowds wouldn’t be as bad. That was my thought. And I was thinking that 11 Mile is a little easier to navigate – so it would be better suited for Sean. We’d be able to get into prime fishing spots easier.
It didn't take long for Brian to land the 1st fish of the day!
Brian Kenney.
Two miles below the Eleven Mile Reservoir dam is prime fishing waters along this stretch of the South Platte. For some reason bug life is much healthier, the hatches are more consistent and reliable, and the bug population is much higher – therefore, there are more fish. Makes sense.
The drive from the canyon entrance to the last parking lot is eight miles and as we drove along the road heading toward the dam, there were fishermen here and there until we got within that magic two mile stretch below the dam. I guess it’s not a secret. At that point there were fishermen in every hole and I was thinking that maybe it would be just as crowded here as I expected in Deckers.
A 19" beauty I got in shallow water along the Road Hole.
Brian Kenney.
We were about ½ mile south of the dam nearing the parking area by the last bridge and we noticed there were two cars parked in lot with room for one more. We took it. Since we didn’t drive all the way up to the dam to surveil – we didn’t know what was open upstream of us. Once we were geared up Brian and I decided to walk up to the Road Hole to see if it was open. We weren’t optimistic – but thought it would be a good spot to start the day.
To our surprise it was open – the whole run – from the top of it before it bends at the road and along the road downstream for about 1/8 of a mile. That’s a lot of water and plenty of room for three fishermen. Brian and Sean started out in the bend – river right - on the road side. I waded across the river to take up a position just downstream of them.
Releasing a 17" rainbow back into the Road Hole.
Brian usually rigs up his gear the day before we go out – and he had his and Sean’s rigs ready. They were covering what is usually a pool – but now with the low flows it's just a trough – and Brian was demonstrating some techniques to Sean while I began to tie on some flies streamside. The professionals – guides I’ve used in the past and respected fly fishing authors – say it’s best to go to the river and observe for hatch activity and to see if you can spot fish activity, then tie on your flies to take advantage of what you’ve been able to learn. So that’s what I do.
Brian provided a real life example of the an advantage of having your rig already setup. Before I had my second fly tied on – Brian had hooked up a nice 17” rainbow and Sean netted him. Nice – quick - work! He hit Brian’s Tabou Caddis Emerger. This is the same fly that Brian tied for a professional fishing guide. I think he tied 75 of them and he must have gotten it right. The first fish loved it!
Wow – that was fast.
The Road Hole - as it bends along the road (hidden behind the willows).
We noticed that there were a few midges in the air and we could see fish feeding in the upper column, and occasionally feeding on the surface. That was my observation and led me to go with a light nymph rig. I selected a #18 Flashback Pheasant Tail as my lead fly. It’s a light, unweighted fly and followed it with a #12 Red Pig Sticker and a #24 Olive Jujubee Midge. The Pig Sticker is a big fly and has wire ribbing – so it’s a bit heavy, but I wanted to try it. For weight I had on a .12g split shot. Once I was ready, I began to cover the river just downstream of where the river bends at the road and below the trough that Brian and Sean were in. I wasn’t getting any action and after a bit I noticed that Brian and Sean had headed upstream and were now fishing just below the #2 Bend Run.
I had seen some fish in the trough earlier and after letting it sit a while, I waded up to see if they were still there. They were, so I began to cover it from my side of the river. Wow – I now was able to see several nice trout and was excited to go after them. They were in slower water where they had a lot of time to inspect my offering - and were very picky. The Pig Sticker proved to add too much weight to my rig. My flies were going underneath the fish so I replaced it with a #22 Miracle Midge – keeping my Jujubee Midge as my last fly.
Now my flies were up in the column and it didn’t’ take long before I had a nice 17” rainbow in the net. He hit my Miracle Midge. I then moved to the road side of the trough and began to attack it from there. After several drifts through I had a few more in the net. 17” and 18” rainbows that were hitting the Jujubee Midge and I got one on the Flashback Pheasant Tail he was in a seam on the side of a boulder – a place where I like to go after fish. When you find them there you can be sure they are feeding. And the water is faster so they don’t have all day to inspect your flies. In this type of water I’ve found that if you get the flies in the zone - more often than not - the fish will hit.
Brian's 1st rainbow. He took the Tabou Caddis Emerger.
Brian Kenney.
Brian came down and suggested that I try upstream where he had put several in the net. Sean had one on – but lost him. I didn’t want to leave my spot. There were too many fish – and I was having too much fun! But eventually we ended up switching up – me moving upstream and Brian and Sean moving back downstream.
I wasn’t too excited about the conditions upstream. The water was much slower, and very low and clear. Not my favorite type of water. I did find some fish, but they were indicator shy and bolted when it floated toward them. There were other fish in a deep pool with a fast seam between me and them – but it was hard to get a good drift with the fast water pulling my flies unnaturally through the pool.
It didn’t take long and I was headed back downstream. This time moving below Brian and Sean into another pool about 400 yards from where the river bends at the road. Again, I found fish in the slow water of the pool and in the seam of fast water on my side of it. I also noticed some fish had moved into the shallow water. There’s only one reason they would be there – and that’s to eat.
Perfect.
Releasing an 18" rainbow.
With the fish now moving into the shallow and somewhat faster water I quickly changed out my nymph rig and tied up a Dry/Dropper. I used a #20 Parachute Adams as my Dry, and #22 Miracle Midge as one of my Droppers and adding a #24 Top Secret Midge as my Dropper.
The fish liked it!
From that point on – till the end of the day - it was pretty thrilling. I wasn’t always getting fish on every cast – although a few times I did - but I was getting them pretty consistently. It was almost like fishing dries. In fact I did get one on my Parachute Adams. He was in front of a boulder feeding. The water shallow and fast moving. Boulders create a dead spot in front of them and trout like to position themselves there where they can conserve energy – then move slightly to the seams on either side of the boulder to feed. Then back into the dead spot again before repeating.
He wasn’t feeding on the surface and I was intending to get him with one of my Droppers – but as my flies floated toward him, he came up to the surface and causally sipped my Dry. BANG! A nice 17” rainbow hooked up and fighting in the fast water – where I eventually let him to my net.
A nice brownie Brian netted in the #2 Bend Run.
Brian Kenney.
More often than not, I could see the fish attack one of my droppers and I was able to time the set perfectly - on most. At lunch time I noticed a few BWOs in the air and as the day wore on, I replaced my Miracle Midge – changing out for a #24 Chocolate Thunder – and then a #24 Grey Sparkle Wing RS2. I kept the Jujubee Midge on because it was working so well – and it continued too throughout the day. I got a couple on the Chocolate Thunder, but it was the Sparkle Wing RS2 and the Jujubee Midge that was doing most of the damage.
I also observed a Stonefly swimming to shore as I ate my lunch. When they hatch, they come to shore to mate. I’ve never seen one live and it was something to witness. He used his legs to stay on top of the water and when I reached for him, he somehow was able to use them to dart away – very quickly. His legs were long and spindly, and his body was very narrow, looking to be about a #14 in length.
Sean with a nice rainbow in hand.
Brian Kenney.
Late in the day my Sparkle Wing was pretty messed up from all the action – but they kept hitting it. I mentioned this to Brian – it was unbelievable. Even though it was ragged, it retained its size and shape, and must have matched the BWOs that were hatching.
All my trout – rainbows and cutbows - were either 17” or 18” except for one 19 incher – and were strong swimmers, putting up mighty fights. At one point I was actually thinking that I should give it a break – but I couldn’t resist. It was like “there’s one there – I wonder if I can get him”. And I’d go after him.
Meanwhile Brian and Sean continued to fish the run along the road from where the river bends downstream about 400 yards. Brian was having similar success landing rainbows and cutbows in the 17” to 18” range – and one beautiful (well ---- not really) sucker. The Dale’s Pale and Bling Midges doing most of the damage. Sean got a nice 17” rainbow in the net too. Quite an accomplishment for the first time out!
Brian landed this 20" sucker in the Road Hole.
Brian Kenney.
It was one of those days. Nice size fish – active in the shallow, fast water or eating in the upper column in the troughs and pools.
17" and 18" rainbows were plentiful - and hungry - along the Road Hole. Makings for a run day of fishing!
We had a blast - stalking fish in the run along the road.
Roadies for a day.
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