The River is Calling – a two part series

A beautiful Colorado morning at the Bridge Crossing Run.

Keeny and I left town on May 15th for a two-week vacation to Sicily. It would have been a perfect vacation if she would have let me bring my fly rod! Just kidding --- well sort of! All kidding aside, we had a fantastic time – the island is a gem. It has natural beauty and is unbelievably old – written history dating back to 600 BCE with some of the buildings from that time still standing! Not to be outdone, the food and wine was great too and the people were very friendly.

While we were gone, Brian got a in few solo days on the river. Now it's a week after we got back, and Brian is out of town helping his mom and dad celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. Yes – 70th. That’s quite an accomplishment and a big CONGRATULATIONS to them!!

This week it was my turn to get in a day solo. Thus, the two-part series.

Deer crossing the river in Ray's Run.

Brian Kenney.

Part 1

May 23 & May 25, 2023

South Platte River at Deckers (Mark’s Run and Ray’s Run).

Flows: From 430 to 508 cfs below Horse Creek and 261 & 361 above it.

Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent (15%).

Water Temp: DNM

Water clarity: Clear above Horse Creek.

Air Temp: DNM.

Hatches: Midge: In the AM. Caddis: A few here and there after noon.

A big brute Brian caught in Mark's Run.

Brian Kenney.

On the first day, Brian fished Mark’s Run and the second day Ray’s Run. Both are above Horse Creek which empties into the Platte River across the street from the Deckers Resort.

Tactically, choosing to fish above Horse Creek is significant since we are now in the run-off season. There are other – many other – tributaries that feed into the South Platte above Horse Creek, but they are not as big and therefore are not as significant.

As of May 23rd, Cheesman Reservoir was at 95% capacity, Strontia Springs 86% and Chatfield 166%. It looks like the Denver Water Department is holding the flows out of Cheesman at a reasonable rate for now - so the water above Horse Creek is clear and the fish have been holding in their typical spots – rather than seeking shelter along the banks which they do during high water flows.

Brain enticed this one to hit his Wooly Bugger.

Brian Kenney.

Brian had success on both days – netting ten to twelve fish each day. A few were in the 18” to 20” range and the rest from 14” to 16”. He had a mix of rainbows and brownies. The top flies were a Red San Juan Worm and a Black Wooly Bugger. It’s common for fishermen to strip Wooly Buggers – fish them as streamers that imitate crayfish, various types of nymphs, and leeches. Sometimes fishermen choose to dead drift them as Brian did. When dead drifting them – they still imitate the same insects or leech – they just have a different action to them.

Ray’s Run and Mark’s Run are very similar in their structure. They both are in a relatively wide section of the river. They both have deep troughs running through them and have shallow water near the shore. Mark’s Run has more boulders – therefore more pockets – but that is about the only difference. Brian found the fish about 20’ offshore – in the troughs.

He also had some visitors while fishing Ray’s. They should put up a “Deer Crossing” sign at the downstream side of this run. It seems like we always see deer crossing the river there – and sure enough, a few crossed near Brian while he was fishing it!

A brownie that Brian got in Ray's Run.

Brian Kenney.

Part 2

June 1, 2023

South Platte River at Deckers (Bridge Crossing Run and Ray’s Run).

Flows: From 385 cfs dropping to 335 cfs below Horse Creek. 281 cfs dropping to 234 cfs above it.

Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous (85%).

Water Temp: 54F.

Water clarity: Slightly stained at Bridge Crossing, clear above Horse Creek.

Air Temp: 46F @ 9:30a – 65F @ 3p.

Hatches: Midge: Heavy in the AM at Bridge Crossing. BWOs: Nothing noticeable. Caddis: Started to see a few at noon, then more in the early afternoon.

Flies: #10 Crane Fly, #22 Mercury Flashback Black Beauty, #22 Brassie, #18 Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear, #20 Pheasant Tail, #24 Barr Emerger, #24 Chocolate Thunder, #24 Black Sparkle Wing RS2.

Top producers: Brassie, Black Beauty, Pheasant Tail.

The Bridge Crossing Run - looking upstream into the pool below the island.

Now it was my turn.

My plan formulated as I drove over the mountains towards Deckers. It was a cloudy day with rain in the forecast – the kind of day I like to fish in. My first stop would be Bridge Crossing. After catching a few there – (I know, pretty presumptuous of me) - I would head to Ray’s Run.

Most of the fish I’ve caught at Bridge Crossing have been in the 16” to 18 range – not really big ones but I like to fish it because if it’s open I don’t get company. When I drive by it – if I see a fisherman in it – I continue on and I think that’s what most everyone else does. Get there first and it’s yours! So there’s solitude and when you get back by the island it feels like you’re fishing a remote mountain stream. It’s a good spot to spend at least half a day in.

On the other hand, I’ve caught some really nice fish in Ray’s Run – both rainbows and brownies – in the 20” plus range. Apparently, so have a lot of other fishermen. Unlike Bridge Crossing, Ray’s can get crowded. Even with the crowds I’ve found that you can find open spots along it. You just have to be flexible.

I got a lot of brownies like this one - on the brassie.

When I crossed the bridge at 9:30a I could see the run below was open. So far – so good. I parked and walked back to the middle of the bridge and looked down into the river. I only spotted one fish – and it was in a location that I haven’t seen fish in before. The spots where I have seen them frequently in the past, was now empty. Hmm – not that inviting, but I thought why not. There’s got to be fish in there somewhere and if I have to fish the side of the river I’m not familiar with (where I spotted that one fish) then so be it.

Bridge Crossing is about three miles north of the Deckers Resort and Horse Creek. The flows were higher and the water was a bit off color making sight fishing a bit difficult. Not impossible though. When fishing higher flows I like to start out with a Cranefly Larva, a Leech, or a Stonefly – something big – as my lead fly. My thinking is the higher flows kick up debris including the larger insect larva – presenting a big meal to the trout. They’re also heavy – so they help to get my flies down in the zone in the swifter water.

I picked the Cranefly Larva this time and followed it with a #22 Brassie and a #22 Mercury Flashback Black Beauty. The Brassie caught my eye because it’s tied with a wire wound around the hook. It would add even more weight – and besides I haven’t fished it for a while. The Black Beauty? That’s a staple on this river – I almost always have on one in my line up in the morning.

Ray's Run as afternoon storm clouds rolled in.

As I walked along the river I didn’t see any fish until I got about halfway to the island. Then I spotted two of them. They must have spotted me too – as the quickly swam into the deeper water. I took note and continued on to the pool below the island. I’d hit that – then work my way downstream. Give those two fish I saw a chance to get back into their feeding lie.

For weight, I started with a .2g split-shot. It’s a bit bigger than what I normally use, but it wasn’t enough - even when combined with the Cranefly Larva and Brassie. My flies were swinging out on top of the water. Not what I wanted – so I added some mud. In the pool I needed some heavier weight to get my flies down.

After fishing the pool with no action, I was about ready to head over to the other side of the island. In fact I started to wade across the river – then stopped. I thought I’d better go get my other rod and backpack. Once I got to my gear – I had another thought. Why not work downriver – as I had originally planned – it would be much easier than wading across the river in these higher flows. And I did spot some fish there too.

Another brownie I got in Ray's Run.

So I began to work downstream. The water slows considerably and I found that I now had too much weight on – I was getting snagged on obstructions on the bottom of the river. Off came half of my mud. I worked my way almost all the way back to the bridge when I sighted my first fish. It was in a deep drop off.

Getting my flies in front of this guy was a real challenge. After trying several different approaches I was now downstream of him and had to cast back upstream in order to get my flies to drift in between a boulder and some kelp that was on the bottom of the river. I normally don’t like to cast upstream over a fish – but that was the only way to get my flies to drift to the fish without getting hung up.

That tactic worked. My indicator just bobbled slightly – but I didn’t hesitate, setting the hook hard downstream. BANGIDY BANG – fish on!! It was a nice one too – an 18” rainbow. He hit my Black Beauty. When I attempted to take his picture I soon realized that my camera was out of batteries! After sitting a couple of weeks – I guess they just drained out. They’re rechargeable – but I didn’t think to recharge them. Not wanting to try and get my iPhone – I released him back into the water.

After getting all my flies back in order I approached the river and spotted a few fish in shallow water – about 5 feet off the shore. Getting them would be tricky. If I waded – or even walked along the shore – to get across from them, I’d spook them. If I casted my flies above them, they’d likely bolt. I decide to try and cast my flies above them – not too close to them though.

A 19" rainbow I got in front of a boulder in the shallow water at Ray's Run.

After a few drifts I got one of them to hit. It was a nice 17” brownie. Man let me tell you – when you hook up a brownie you know it. They just bolt – head down, flying across the river, then down, then back up, then across again. All I could do was hang on! I finally wrestled this guy to my net and saw that he too hit my Black Beauty. I took some extra time to fish my iPhone out of my pocket to snap a picture of this bad boy.

I have to tell you – I don’t like handling my iPhone on or near a river! I’m too forgetful – and sometimes too careless. Add to that and I can be clumsy too. Courting disaster!

There were now several fish in the shallows about 5’ off shore and farther out in the trough. I had to use the upstream cast on most of them – but did get a few casting up and across as I normally do. They were all brownies and were now hitting the brassie. I may have caught another one with my Black Beauty too.

After a bit most of fish were gone. It was about lunch time and I was trying to get one who I could see in that deep pool where I got my first fish of the day. Try as I might – but I just couldn’t get my flies to him. They would get snagged on something just to the side of him or right in front of him.

I finally gave up and decided to eat lunch.

A brownie in the net after a mighty fight!

Sitting stream side eating – I was thinking this was a good morning. Maybe after lunch I’d wade across the river and fish the other side of the island. I still had the whole run to myself and I had that one big brownie I spotted a few weeks ago in the back of my mind. I’d do this instead of driving down to Ray’s Run – where I might find it to be really crowded.

Now done eating, I grabbed my stuff and proceeded to wade across the river. After going into the river about six feet – I decided it was going to be too much work to get all the way across. Why chance it.

Waving the white flag - I waded back out of the river and walked to the car.

Yep there was a crowd greeting me as I approached Ray’s Run. There was one guy in the Bridge Hole, one in Fisherman’s Run, one in between there and Ray’s, and one in Ray’s and one at the top of Ray’s. I had just crossed the road from the resort and decided to keep walking up to Ray’s. Maybe there would be a spot open for me.

By the time I got there – the guy who was fishing it left. Wow – that worked!

I got this brownie in the morning at Bridge Crossing.

From the bank I couldn’t spot a single fish. This is unusual. From this vantage point – I almost always see fish along the run. Maybe that guy just left because there were no fish. Well – I was going to go find out. This is sight fishing territory. There are two deep troughs near the north bank – river left – that give way to a shallow gravel bar in the middle of the river. On the far side of the river is some pocket water and another deep trough.

I like to wade across to the gravel bar and walk it downstream looking for fish in the shallow water before the near trough and in it. It’s surprising how many times I’ve spotted and caught fish in the ankle-deep shallow water. There are a couple of small pockets in it too, that fish like to hang out in.

I found one in front of one of the boulders. That’s a hard place to get a fish. I usually move upstream and let my flies drift to just in front of the boulder – and try to swing them in front of the fish - enticing a hit. Or I try to get my flies to drift to the near side of the boulder and try to get the fish to chase them.

I got this one drifting my flies to the side of the boulder. A beautiful 19” rainbow that took the brassie. Some of the rainbows in Deckers look like they’re a different strain of rainbow. Lighter green body with a bright, pinkish stripe – and this was one of them. On the drive over I decided that I wasn’t going to take any more pictures – unless I got a really nice fish. Well this was a really nice fish – so I chanced it again and snapped a few.

Releasing a beaut back into Ray's Run.

I found another rainbow in a small pool below a boulder. This is also a tricky place to get a fish. The water is really slow behind the boulder and I try to get my flies and indicator on either side of the slow water and let my flies drift toward the fish and see if he chases. If the indicator floats into the slow water it usually kills the drift.

I got my indicator on the far side seam and as it drifted past the fish I saw him swimming behind it and in stride with it. I thought my flies had to be behind my indicator where the fish was – so I set the hook. YEAH BABY – he had my brassie in his mouth and I now had him tight line fighting like heck to get free. Another beautiful rainbow.

At one point while I was fishing in Ray's I heard a loud commotion behind me and I turned to see what it was. Standing 60' or so from me were three deer. The apparently jumped in the water and were now just standing there staring at me. It looked as though the bigger one was going to charge me. I yelled out to them "Get - I was here first"! They continued to stare at me for a bit - then turned and bolted across the river. Wonder if they were the same ones that crossed while Brian was fishing here earlier?

The brassie would be the fly of the afternoon. I got all my fish on it except for one. It was a brownie in the shallow water. I kept drifting my flies to him and was sure I had a few right on target – but he didn’t hit. So I decided to change my flies up and replaced my Black Beauty with a #20 Pheasant Tail. The first drift to him with the Pheasant Tail and he hit it. I love it when a plan comes together!

A rainbow in the net.

The rest of the fish were brownies full of piss and vinegar - and they gave me all I could handle.

What fun!