Deckers, Colorado
The weekly fishing report is Updated Every Thursday
To Hear the Flow Report which is Updated Every 4 hours Dial 303-831-7135 Push 1 Then 40#
"FLIES & LIES"
OUR FULL SERVICE FLY SHOP
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November 14th thru February 28th, 2012
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303-647-2237
* RIVER FRONT CABINS (Actually Homes) AVAILABLE THRU FLIES & LIES
" BERNIE'S PLACE "
1 br, 1 ba, fully equipped River Front Cabin. Bedroom equipped with 2 doubles, sectional sofa in l/r (large air bed available for 4th guest) - w/d, d/w, microwave, Sat TV, Gas grill, Gas Stove, Hardwood floors - extremely clean
Large decks directly over the river with incredible views, fully re-fitted, in Trumbull, 1 mile north of Flies & Lies, 2 mile drive to Gill Trailhead & Cheesman Canyon, adjacent to the owners property - this is one sweet cabin, fully winterized.
Call us for deals on Guide / Cabin packages
Season Rates
March 1st to October 31st
# Guests -------------------------- / night ----------------------------------- / week (7 nights)
1 =================== $125.00==================== $750.00
2=================== $150.00==================== $850.00
3=================== $170.00==================== $950.00
4=================== $190.00================== $ 1,050.00
Check our "Rates & Lodging" page for our other river front cabin in Deckers, "Nanks Bluff", our Loft Space above the shop "Osprey" or our "Mountain Ranch" cabin on Tarryall Creek with private water included
303-647-2237
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" Bernies "
December 1st thru February 28th
Our nicest river front cabin
2 anglers, 2 nights
1/2 day guided trip
$300.00
$150.00 / angler
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Week ending January 26th, 2012
Flow was dropped on Friday from 130 cfs to 100 cfs - river remains ice free, but could develop some sludge hatch and bank ice early this weekend - just move upstream early, then move downstream as the day warms - and it will this weekend - that is just an observation of overnight low temps predicted, combined with the forcast of daytime high air temps - should not be an issue by Sunday
Nice trout fooled and landed this week - not on guide trips, just fishing the water - surprised more anglers are not taking advantage of the 2 night stay at "Bernies" (our nicest river front cabin) and 1/2 day guide special - only good thru Feb.
January - usually the last 2 weeks of this month and the first 2 weeks of February are bitter cold - not this year - unusually warm - some windy days, but not bad - if you are going to venture out this time of year - well, this is the river
No real football this weekend, so come on up, grab a few patterns and enjoy a sweet day on the river - it all looks sooooo good
Week ending January 19th, 2012
Wanted to thank everyone that stopped by the shop or went on a guide trip - or both - in 2011 - we really appreciate the buisness - keeps us floating and we really want to continue this project - we ain't getting rich, but sure are having a lot of fun showing the river off and helping anglers be more productive on the tough waters of the South Platte - keep on coming, we are on the river to help as much as we can - both for anglers & the river
Flow went from 120 cfs to 100 cfs last Thursday, then back up to 130 cfs on Sunday, river is ice free from the Canyon to the confluence with the North Fork
Saturday was incredible, hit low 60's with sun all day - rest of the week has seen some wind, but not as bad as some reports for the North & West - very fishable. Gusts to 60 mph+ were reported in the high country, bet here in the valley we most times get skipped over, so don't rely on the general weather reports - if in doubt, just call the shop.
Most productive times still remain from 10 - 11 a.m. til dark - big attractors trailing a couple of small midge patterns, with weight and indicator placement very critical - we have a diagram in the shop to assist in a proper rig.
Jeremy had one trip this week thet went very well , but mostly the boys have been going out on thier own and really getting into them, I did not get out this week, but scouted the river a few times - looks sooo good
130 cfs is a great winter flow & with air temps hitting from mid 40's to up to 60 degrees, just a very pleasant winter so far.
Great midge hatches - from tiny # 26 early to nice # 20's in the late afternoon - got to hunt out the few risers - mainly late in the day - but you can find a couple
Weekend weather looks great - so does most of next week
Week ending January 12th, 2012
Report covers 2 weeks from December 29th, 2011
Flows have remained very steady, started out the new year at 130 cfs, dropped to 120 cfs on Saturday the 7th where it remains
Morning air temps have ranged from just below "0" to 35 degrees on Saturday the 31st of Dec, but then I woke to minus 20 degrees this morning and a major sludge hatch (frozen, but moving water, pretty impossible to fish through) and bank ice in the backyard - same thing above Deckers bridge, Canyon should not be as bad, and most of the river should be ice free by the weekend with the predicted air temps - if you do run into ice, just keep moving upstream & you should find open water - river in back was sludge free by 2 p.m.
Generally, action has been slow in the mornings, but picks up in the afternoons, gets better, sooner, the further upstream you are - So start up around Deckers and follow the action downstream as the day progresses.
Wanted to thank all of you who spent a few (and sometimes a lot more thann a few) dollars at the shop and / or went on a guide trip - we really love what we do here in Deckers & do not ask for much - but it all helps keep the doors open, and that is what we want.
Small midge patterns trailed behind a Stone, San Juan Worm or egg pattern seem to be the ticket - get the weight right and indicator placement spot on - and watch it like a hawk - some takes are just slight nudges
Couple of Duck Hunters I know came by the shop on Sunday to show me a Merganser with a 5" rainbow 1/2 way dow his gullet - looked like he would have choked on it, if they had not put him down - ever seen a Merganser after a trout ? - relentless pursuit - amazing speed and direction control - faster than a fish
Week ending December 29th, 2011
This report cover 2 weeks from Friday, December 16th, 2011, when the flow was at 140 cfs, dropped to 115 cfs on Wednesday, 21st, then today, the 29th back up to 130 cfs - nice winter flow as long as the overnight temps don't drop below minus 10 degrees - but they did a few - well, more than a few times over the last few weeks - 7 times out of 14 days, 9 times below "0".
That said we had some sludge amd icing up that started last Friday - made things tough, especially the further downstream you went, that plus 3" of snow last Monday into Tuesday and another foot Wednesday into Thursday - most of which is still around, but we had some major melting today with air temps in the mid 50's, some wind, few big gusts, but nothing that was predicted for the mountains (calls for 80 mph gusts in some areas)
No sense in arriving until 10 a.m., but fish until it's too dark or you get too cold.
Some days this week we really had to work for some takes and landed trout, some days they came to you like little Lab pups.
Went out with Tim today, got a few in the back, went downstream, got a few more, then Tim spotted some risers (lots of midges hatching and I even saw a few BWO's) - Tim re-rigged and got 2 on the surface - only risers we saw all day, but it can still be done, even this late in the year
Jesse worked the shop yesterday, he and his brother Shane went out after closing at 3 p.m. - got a few with nymphs, then Shane hung a hog that broke him off above the indicator (very rare) - they both watched as the indicator travelled upstream - then Jesse took off in pursuit - hooked the leader twice below the indicator, but the trout shook loose - got him on the 3rd try - got the trout and whole rig back in, gingerly playing the indicator, attached to the leader, attached to the trout - quick blood knot and Shane was casting again
Water temps are still key - 38 degrees and above the trout will be active, below 38 they will be sluggish to lock-jawed
Our overnight air temps are typically 30 degrees below Denvers low, but day time temps normally equal Denvers high temp - 50 to 60 degree air temp swings are not uncommon in the valley on a daily basis in the winter
Weekend looks good - actually well into next week - with todays melt off a whole lot more river has opened up - come give it a try
Last Wednesday the 21st was the shortest day of the year, Spring is just around the corner. (felt like it today)
Week ending December 15th, 2011
Flow started out at 220 cfs this week, down to 180 on Sunday, then down again to 140 cfs on Monday - I have only seen minor sludge in Trumbull on the coldest mornings, otherwise the river remains ice free - if you do encounter ice or sludge, just move upstream, you will eventually find open water - 140 cfs is a nice winter flow.
Only a few guide trips out this week, but those who went had great success - with fewer trips and shorter hours at the shop, Jeremy has gotten out on his own and has been really slaying them in the afternoon
Duane has been guiding on the river and also guiding pheasant shoots out on the eastern plains - Jack got a job offer in Texas that was too good to pass on - so Duane is taking over his duties with dogs and 12 gauges this year.
Jesse and Jon have been out experimenting with all kinds of patterns - had a "scud competition" on Tuesday - only scud patterns allowed - they didn't do so good - but they got some - the rules were pretty strict, but gray areas were encountered - one of Jon's patterns looked more like a Crane Fly Larva - disqualifications were discussed - next time we are going to limit hook size
At 140 cfs dry / dropper came back into play - Jesse tried an Amy - had a few looks, but all were on the dropped nymphs - first Amy eater this year was in February - side bets are going now to see who can fool one in December & January - the only 2 months of the year that Amy hasn't got one
No sense in getting on the river before 9 a.m. these days - coldest December morning temps I can remember - range from minus 10 to 10 above pre-sunrise - which now pops over the range in the backyard at 8 a.m. - drops to the west a little after 4 p.m.
Prime times are between 10 a.m. & 3:30 - 4 p.m. - our trips are now all 1/2 days from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - you oughta try one, hone those winter nymphing skills with the boys
Not as many Bald Eagles on the river this winter, but I watched one in the back try to flush a couple of Mallards this week - kept swooping and diving at them - they stayed tight to an undercut bank and quacked away - guess he wanted to take them on the wing - never did get them to flush - flow was at 220 cfs - high flow for scooping up trout, so I figure ducks enter the menu
Morning snow flurries on Wednesday, but sun by noon - river looks fantastic, weekend looks as good - high 40's, low 50's air temps predicted in the valley
At 38 degree water temp the action picks up, so keep the stream thermometer handy --- and get up here - you can even watch the Football game at the Deckers Cafe (big screen TV) - you can fish until the 4th quater then grab a beer and watch the last few minutes - lately, that's all you need to see.
That time of year - Football & Fly Fishing (and warm fires at the cabin) - sweet.
Week ending December 8th, 2011
Flow was bumped a few times this past week, from 100 to 145 last Thursday, up to 185 on Friday the 2nd of Dec, and up to 220 cfs on Wednesday - all in anticipation of the predicted bitter cold air temps - gotta keep water flowing into Strontia Springs & with Roberts Tunnel pretty much shut down on the North Fork, well, Cheesman has to supply the flow - for this we are thankful
See, at 175 + cfs, we don't see much ice or sludge on this Tailwater section (I heard Spinney Ranch & 11 mile canyon were pretty iced up)
We had 1 trip go out this week, Jeremy took out a nice guy named Jan on Sunday - never got above 25 degrees air temp - but they hooked up a bunch - enough that Jan booked again for Tuesday (he was from Minnesota - a good winter angler - out to Denver for meetings))
Well, I woke to minus 30 degrees at the cabin on Tuesday - saw the temps in a radical drop throughout the evening hours - every time I got up thru the night to take a pee, get some water, or just plain woke up - I ran a water tap for a while - just to make sure the pipes didn't freeze - I got up a lot - kept the furnace going pretty much full blast all night to keep the crawl spaces warm - hate to do that - rather heat the place with wood, but that doesn't help the spaces below the cabin
At 7 a.m. all was still good (had already been up for a few hours) - went to do some dishes at 7:30 a.m. - no water !
Had to heat some of my emergency water from 2 x 5 gallon jugs I keep in the cabin - boiled some up, filled a 2 gallon jug, and ventured into the crawl space where the water system lives
Poured it over all the pipes - bitching and moaning all the way - nasty place the crawl space - but it worked
Then got a call from Jeremy - we decided that a trip was a death notice - way too cold (even though we are now strictly on 1/2 day trips from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
Jan had already broken his sweet Sage rod tip on Sunday trying to free some guide ice - so Jeremy called him and cancelled before he left from Denver - we both hated to do it - but this was stupid cold (if you do angle in these conditions - and we all do - try some chapstick on the guides before you wet the line - easy, cheap trick)
Now the good news, only a few anglers have been on the river in days - the river never froze up - the trout are eating and getting less cautious at 220 cfs - weekend looks like high 40's to mid 50's air temps - pretty ideal for an outing
Rule of thumb in the valley - our overnight air temps can be 20 - 30 degrees below Denver's overnight low - but we normally equal or exceed the Denver daytime high
Sun now crests the back yard range at 7:50 a.m. - some sections of the river now see no sun all day - we suggest you find some sun and cast to the shade - or just stay and fish in the sun - big difference in comfort
As the sun trackcs to the south out back, it has nearly reached the point that it starts to turn back to the north - Dec 21st I think - these air temps are early for this time of year - more like late January / early February - but the Almanac is just about right - nasty December, mild January / February - wet (snow) March / April
I like that prediction
Small stuff on a nymph rig - get the weight right and indicator placement - keep a sharp eye for risers - still got them on a small midge ( #20 ) - that will be tougher at 220 cfs, but to the keen eye .....
Week ending December 1st - 2011
Flow was bumped to 100 cfs on Wednesday the 29th of Nov - just in time for the brutal cold conditions predicted
Woke this a.m. ( Dec 1st ) to near total white out at the cabin - snow day - really sweet - gives the trout a break = a little dumber = easier to fool = at 100 cfs, more hook-ups
Last week ( the week I missed reporting on ) was outstanding - weather wise - wind was a bother, but mainly in gusts - day before" T" day and "T" day itself - mid 60's - so beautiful
Week before I went out on a Friday, fooled 3 nice trout downstream on foam tops - not rising - then came up to the shop - had Jesse and Gill (his Aussie Pup ) spot from the dirt road - fooled 3 more - it was fun - "Danny, up in the riffle" - OK - go up to the riffle - blam !!
"Danny, down in the spooky water - 2 feet off that little bush" - Wham - good trout, Gill starts to dance, Jesse just hoots
We have been finding rising trout from 11:30 a.m. on thru the afternoon - most on a good size midge - # 20 - may change a little at 100 cfs, but should still be on.
On "T" day 4 of us found a "Pod ?" of trout rising in a 20 foot stretch of water - all 3 of us started to lay out casts - the 4th walked off in disgust -- all 3 of us hooked each others lines - all 3 of us eventually hooked a trout - really stupid stuff, cuss words were very original - gotta love Thanksgiving
We all worked down to a favorite bend, then Marc and I spotted some feeding trout on the gravel just outside some good rocky habitat - trout on the gravel are feeding - he had on a dry cast (from the riffle above) - he started to change out to a nymph rig (3 drifts over them proved they were not interested in poking up a nose) - Marc is good - I started to give him the crap "Hurry up, they are gonna spook out of there" "c'mon, hurry, theyr are gonna run" and so on - he got the job done in good time, "guide time" - and laid out a decent presentation - nice 14 inch brown was the reward - then we spotted a hog - 1st drift - Wow, it took - actually hammered the fraud - easy 22" Buck rainbow - faught and landed well (He kept it from running downstream by staying just below him)
Tim asked "what did it eat ? - "Little bead head Barr Emerger - they are just hammering it"! - Tim starts to re-rig - Marc decides to be the guide - sets Tim up in the same run, but on the outside of the bubble line (Tim does not need a guide, but we tend to do that with each other) - first drift, bam ! - nice trout - Me "is he on the Barr's?" - "Nope. tied on an RS2" says Tim.
Weekend is looking like a bitch - air temp wise - should be fantastic - flow up to 100 cfs - may ice up a little downstream, but should be OK by afternoon past Night Hawk hill,, those that "rough it" can expect few anglers and eager trout - probably a little lazy, easy trout rising - no reason to arrive before 10 a.m. - off the river by 4 p.m. - wear Watch Caps, long johns, fingerless gloves and chap stick - some for your lips, most for your rod guides - helps them from gathering ice - but once they do, and they will, just dip the rod in the river - clears the ice for a few drifts
This is a nice time of year - for those that hunt rising trouit - but better for those who ply the water with the proper nymph rig - both Jeremy & Jesse have had outstanding trips these past 2 weeks - sub and surface - too many to really count - but all in double digits
Week ending November 17th, 2011
Flow was dropped from 75 cfs to 50 cfs on Monday - we are not sure why, thought it was heading the other way.
Wind has been an issue all week, but between the lulls, I managed to drag a few up with small para-chutes & foam tops - and they were not rising, just casting to fishy spots.
Work continues on West Creek & Horse Creek bank stabilization, so if you find the water off around Deckers / Trumbul, just head above the bridge or a few miles downstream
Thursday I woke to "0" degrees air temp and had reports of ice downstream - once again, if you encounter ice just keep moving upstream - you will eventually find open water.
Nymphing has been very productive on the guide trips, lots of quality trout being fooled - nuclear eggs, scuds, miracles, pheasant tails, mercury midge RS 2's - standard small stuff
The Osprey deal mentiond above is still available - place is fully equipped, just need food, clothes & fishing gear - has a microwave, dishwasher, washer / dryer, full tiled bath, 2 bedroom, views of the river, large deck, fully eqipped kitchen, all linens - perfect winter hold up
Week ending November 10th, 2012
Flow was bumped today up to 75 cfs, hoping it will hit 100 cfs by the weekend
Pretty chilly week (this a.m. I read "0" degrees on the outside thermo, but hit mid 50's by noon) & the weekend looks even warmer - mid 60's predicted. No snow this week, storm due Monday into Tuesday went south - still some snow on the north facing slopes from last week, but not enough to cause any discoloration to the river when it melts
What is causing Horse Creek to go a little off is bank stabilization on West Creek, Douglas County is placing granite boulders along some of the washed out areas from the summer storms along Rt 67 - and as they place them, some debris ends up in the creek - if you find dirty water below Deckers, just go upstream of the bridge, or head a few miles downstream - it should be clear & I know they will not be working on the creek this weekend
Still finding rising trout after noon to small midge & BWO's - gotta hunt them out, but they can be found - don't even have to be rising to work them up with the right patterns - foam top, parachute and cripple can all work if you cast to the right water
Should be a nice weekend - not many anglers on the river all week - makes the trout a little easier, but they are still spooky with this low flow, so be stealthy and you will hook up with the right patterns and drift - nymphing in the a.m., look for noses in the afternoon
Sun now crests the backyard range at 7:20 a.m. - drops over the West Range at 4:35 p.m. - no reason to really be here before 9 a.m. - starting to get into "Bankers Hours" - only a few days left for full day guide trips - now moving to 1/2 day 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. mode for the winter - shop hours are changing on Monday - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Week ending November 3rd, 2011
Flow started out at 75 cfs, then dropped to 45 cfs on Monday for the DOW (now Colorado Parks & Recreation) trout population shocking survey this week
Cheesman is 7 feet from the spillway - predicted flows for the rest of the winter will be 100 - 150 cfs - flows should go up this weekend, which is a goosd thing, 'cause we had a foot of snow in the valley Wednesday morning and as it slowly melts, Horse Creek has been off in the afternoons & with the main river at 45 cfs, it has gone a little chocolate in the p.m. hours
Ran a real Rocky Mountain weather gammut this week - mid 60's and beautiful days to start, then the the storm and minus 5 degreess air temp at the cabin on this a.m. - that's COLD - but it kept most anglers away - trout got a good break
Weekend looks good though - some flurries Saturday morning, then mid 50's - still finding some afternoon risers to BWO's and small midge - best to fish a dead drifted, high sticked, nymph rig until the noses show
Still a lot of snow on the ground, fun to go out and track the game that shares this special spot with we anglers - not too many Bald Eagles this year that I have seen (had an Osprey on the electric pole next to the cabin on Tuesday) - but a whole bunch of Mule Deer - one little 4 pronger has assembled a little harem of a 1/2 dozen does & fawns here at the cabin - hang around most all day long
Clocks change on Sunday morning, sun will rise at 7:15 a.m. over the back range, but set over the West at around 5 p.m. - the bugs and the trout don't know we do this (they don't care and I'm still not sure why we do it), so adjust your hatch watch accordingly
Not many trips this week, but the ones that went out had outstanding results - small stuff now - millions of midge larva in the river.
Week ending October 27th, 2011
Sun now crests the back range at 8:05 a.m.
Overnight air temps have been chilly to down right cold - 5 degrees on Thursday, most in teens or low 20's, but the weekend should be really nice - 60's predicted - river can fish well starting at 9 a.m., turns on as the water warms and the bugs appear - still some small BWO's & a ton of midges
Storm hit Tuesday night into Wednesday - only agout 4 - 5" on the ground in the valley, but surrounding ranges got a foot or more
Good thing is, nobody fished for 2 days (Thursday was dead too), so the trout got a break and should be eager to take over the next few days
We have gone back to nymphing with small stuff (Mercuries, Miracles, Jujus, Black Beauties have all produced), then switch out to a small parachute trailing a foam top emerger when/if you start to see some noses - worked really well for me on a trip this past Monday
Horse Creek went off a little on Thursday due to some rapid snow melt, but should not affect the river this weekend
Flow is at 75 cfs - little low for this time of year, but it looks really sweet.
Week ending October 20th, 2011 (covers 2 weeks from October 7th)
Flow started out at 105 cfs, then bumped up to 140 cfs on Oct 14th, dropped down to 105 cfs on that Saturday the 15th, then down to 80 cfs on Oct 19th - guess they are trying to fill the reservoir, 'cause it is way down
This is not a bad flow, really good for dry/droppers - but the trout are spooky - real spooky - so stay low and stealthy - that's the key these days - you would be amazed at how many trout you freak out by just looking at the water from a point you think is a safe distance
Tricos are pretty much done for the year - but I found a small swarm at noon today - still some small BWO's here & there, and some trout rising to them today - but a terrestrial with a dropped nymph can be deadly - tons of hatching midge all day
A few calls on the "Osprey" Winter special (see above), Think it will go soon, too good a deal, so don't wait to get in on it, great place to set up shop for winter nymphing - 2 miles from Gill Trailhead & Cheesman Canyon
River looks great, lots of habitat, but you have to be willing to move from good runs to good runs at these low flows - that's what the trout do - gotta think "fishy"
So re-cap - COLD a.m.'s - anywhere from mid teens to low 30's pre-sunrise - highs in low 70's by afternoon - Love the Rockies - Not much consistant surface action, but you can drag some up - nymphs are back to the small kind to cover the midge population - but keep an eye out for the Mayflies - gotta cover all bets.
Some work has started this week on Westcreek by Douglas County - will be stabilizing the banks with large granite - this could put Horse Creek off a little as it enters the Platte at Deckers - but it should not be bad - and anything anyone does will be welcomed.
Still some color up here in the trees, but most have lost the Fall foilage - now the shrubs kick in - I was out on a 1/2 day trip today - spectacular visuals - and some good trout - this is the perfect time of year.
Week ending October 6th, 2011 (covers 2 weeks from Sept 22nd)
Ok, back on track - first day of this report was the 1st day of Fall - September 23rd & it hit 70 degrees air temp - hit 80 the next day - flow went up to 300 cfs, then up to 325 cfs - the Marsten Diversion Canal had to be opened for water rights long ago grandfathered in - and the level of Strontia Springs had to be kept constant to allow the dredging barge to hold position - so the flow stayed high for this time of year
Now, the diversion ditch has been closed, so the release from Cheesman was dropped - down to 280 cfs on Saturday the 1st of October, down to 185 on the 2nd, down to 110 on the 3rd and down to 105 cfs on the 4th - nice Winter / Fall flow
Check out our "Osprey" Winter rental deal (see above) great chance to have a winter haven on the river
BWO's - the small kind - continue to hatc - # 22 - small guys, but you have to hunt out the risers - Tricos are pretty much done, but it was great to see them back in such large swarms - pre-Hayman stuff - flows were just a little too high to get most trout on the spinners, but that can be a good thing for next year - more egg laying females made the complete cycle - more bugs next year !
We are going mostly to dry / dropper rigs on guide trips - I just cast the dry hoping for a hungry trout - but when I see a riser I switch to the small BWO patterns I carry n in the shirt and send a target cast - works about every time - this is good stuff
Fall colors seemed to be nore proninate this year - just electric - shedding pine needles seemed to be more than most years - don't know what it means, but it means somthing - Farmers Almanac calls for a wet December, mild January & February (+6 degrees above normal) then a wet March into April - pretty ideal if it holds
Next week looks great - except for this Saturday - snow and nasty ( that can also be a good thing - fewer anglers - more rising trout) but then back in the 70's - gotta love October and 100 cfs
High 20's, low 30's pre-sunrise - mid 70's by afternoon - just too good to not call in sick
Week ending September 22nd, 2011
Quick report, real busy
Flow was bumped from 195 cfs to 250 cfs on Monday (we do not know why, pretty high for this time of year)
Trico spinner swarms have been impressive all week - like pre-Hayman fire days - but with that much water, not all the trout are getting on the spinners
BWO's - the tiny Fall series - are improving each day
River is gin clear and looks fantastic
Elk bugleing in the backyard range pre-sunrise - really cool - trees are just getting ready to peak in color - couple more weeks and then they go barren
Mornings are getting colder - but day time temps are great - looks like a fantastic weekend - come on up, stop by the shop for the latest info and get out there
Week ending September 15th, 2011
Flow started out at 150 cfs, bumped up to 315 cfs on Tueasday (we don't know why), then dropped on Wednesday to 250 cfs and again today down to 200 cfs
Heavy rains on Wednesday put Horse Creek off, but it wasn't bad below the bridge at Deckers this morning and is clearing pretty quickly thru today - clarity on the whole river should be fine by the weekend and air temps look great - mid to high 70's
Morning air temps still range low 30's to low 40's - swallows and hummingbirds have departed the valley for points south & we spotted the first Bald Eagle this morning - in a little early this year
Water temps are reaching low to mid 60's on bright sunny days, but are generally good - the scare we had this summer seems to have passed
Seeing Tricos, BWO's (in size 18 and size 22), crane flies and the odd caddis - still have to hunt out rising trout, but it can be done - as early as 9 a.m. and can last off and on all day - I took a beautiful Buck 'Bow on an Amy's on Tuesday just fishing the water - turned on the fraud and inhaled it 2 feet down stream from his holding spot - then I switched back to a small foam top and fooled a few more that were rising - they were not steady risers, but you stop and watch, focus on a good stretch - Oh yeah, there goes one.
Fishable light by 6:30 a.m., sun now crests the back yard range at 7:25 a.m.
Some good solid afternoon showers today again put the river off, but I am sure all will be clear by the weekend
Trees are going into color - just the perfect time of year to walk along ( and through ) a mountain trout stream & maybe fool a few - but don't forget to stop and take in the sights - only happens once a year.
Week ending September 8th, 2011
Really starting to feel like Fall this week - pre-sunrise air temps in the mid 30's to low 40's, really helps with cooling down the river & we have not had any problems with water temps all week - on Saturday morning I had to scrape ice for the Jeep's windshield before heading to the shop
Trico Spinner falls continue, same program, just have to hunt them out - and the risers, but it is happening
BWO's also started this week - as early as 11 a.m. - another size 22 rusty May Fly has appeared - first time I have seen it, so really don't know what it is & all kinds of Caddis in all kinds of sizes and colors - sporadic but present
Gotta study the rise forms to figure out what bug is being eaten or just fish the water with a hopper type pattern in the afternoons, maybe drop a few nymphs - all kinds of fun
Flow started out at 200 cfs, dropped to 150 cfs on Wednesday - pretty ideal conditions. No, I take that back - ideal conditions
River is off color just slightly below Deckers, lots of rain in the Horse Creek drainage on Tuesday & Wednesday, and the new swamp about 4 miles from the shop is not looking very nice, despite some work done by CDOT last week - they didn't really do much - still looks nasty, but West Creek, before it enters the damaged area is gin clear, by the weekend all should be fine - you would not really notice the clarity until you get above Deckers where the water is truly crystal clear
Major marijuana plantation bust on Tuesday - all kinds of law enforcement, SWAT teams and 2 helicopters - Jesse, his brother Shane, Jon and I watched from the porch as net full after net full of plants were air lifted out of the farm from over the back ridge. These are sophisticated operations in the National Forest - drip irrigation, the works - and some pretty scary farm hands tending the crops - not somthing you want to stumble upon during Elk & Deer season - so we are glad they are gone, but we were all hoping to see one of the nets bust open near the home hole
So this is it, the absolute best time of the year (allthough it is always really good up here) but this is my favorite, low clear flows, hungry trout, lots of surface action and perfect air temps - some of the Cottonwoods are already turning, along with the 2 Elms out front - yup, you oughta be up here, Hell, rent "Bernie's" or "Osprey" for a couple of nights, do a 1/2 day trip so the boys can get you into the rhythm of the river, then just explore on you own - nothing could be finer - trust me
Week ending September 1st, 2011
Flows started out at 325 cfs, dropped to 270 on Monday, down to 225 on Wednesday and down to 200 cfs on Thursday - great fall flow, river is really turning on & looks fantastic - lots of habitat and trout are looking up - some real good ones
Trico's continue to hatch, mate and spin down - it is sporadic - some swarms are massive, some not so much - you gotta hunt them out - the risers too, starts as early as 8 a.m. and continues to 10 a.m. or so
Jeremy, Duane, Jon, Jack & Jesse (back from the tour for a few weeks) have all had good to amazing trips this week, lots of trout fooled, some of them even brought to hand.
Dry / Drpper has come back into play - the river changes (ie. trout feeding patterns and food sources) throughout the day, so you have to observe and adjust - which we do & it works - even a little anticipation of what is gonna happen gives you a real edge, or what just happened and how to take advantage of it (OK, drowned Trico Spinners)
Now into my favorite time of year on the Platte (after this weekend !!!) - next 2 - 21/2 months will be lights out & if you want to fish with us and really learn the river, now is the time.
CDOT started working on the new swamp created a few weeks ago in Westcreek about 4 miles from the shop - not sure what they are trying to accomplish, but the work is making the Creek ugly below (gin clear above) - so Horse Creek is off as it enters the Platte across the street from the shop - not bad enough to discolor the river at all - but I hope they get this one right - at present the jury is still out (from my observations)
A few weeks ago, Jeremy got his client Jay into a Brookie downstream from the shop, this week Jon got his client into another - solid 12" and picture perfect - in all my years on the river I only fooled one, about 10" - on a streamer - the wonders of the river and the trout in the drainage.
Get up here, now is the time.
Week ending August 25th, 2011
Flow remained consistent at 325 cfs, river is gin clear from dam to confluence with the North Fork
Tricos continue to hatch & swarm - best surface action from 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. on Spinners, but it all depends on where you are - just gotta hunt them out. Drowned Spinners can work for up to an hour or so after the fall
Have had up to 5 adult males in the morning on the porch screens, then some mornings none - swarm at Deckers was huge on Tuesday, not as good on Wednesday
Water temps are still a real concern - best bet is to get up here early (6:30 - 7 a.m.,) hit the Tricos and quit around noon, 1 p.m.
Hoppers are really starting to turn on - hit the banks and pockets with the right patterns
Week ending August 18th, 2011
Flow started out at 400 cfs, dropped to 360 cfs last Friday, down to 295 cfs on Monday & the river looks fantastic - all the feeder creeks have dropped in volume and the river is gin clear from Cheesman dam to the confluence with the North Fork
Trico spinner falls have been massive to skinny, just depends on where you are - and more importantly - where it occurs, but more and more trout are getting on the spinners - this is fun stuff - you just have to hunt it out
Air and water temps have been a concern all week, we have had nice cool nights in the valley (avg about 40 degrees pre-sunrise), but high 80's by the afternoon - water temps have hit 70 degrees downstream from the shop, as stated before, we quit fishing at 67 degrees water temp., we hope you do too.
Hoppers are starting to come into play, more so in the meadow sections downstream from the shop, but I picked up a nice rainbow above the bridge on a Crystal stimmie today, so they (the trout) are looking up - saw him splash, must have been a caddis or moth, only thing I had close in the hat brim was the stimmie, tied it on and 2nd drift, subtle take, delicate set and a nice reward - easy 18 inches
Worked the shop this past weekend, typical parking lot zoo (can kinda drive you crazy - people have no common sense), went out the door to have a smoke, stood on the 1st wading boot wiping mat (we have 3) looked down, and on the 3rd mat out were 2 dog turds, out on the boardwalk was another, that one had already been walked thru (it tracked towards the General Store - sad for them, happy for us at the shop)
I got rid of the 2 on the mat, Alaine ( from the store) & I washed the "walk thru" off the deck - these kind of actions dictate why we don't keep firearms in the shop on summer weekends - just the short aluminum bat and a 3 pound sledge - that way, I can only be accused of a good beating, not thinning out the gene pool (which it sorely needs) - what do people think? - this group probably had left the buckets of worms my buddy Tim found down in Trumble by the bridge. Some people just have no respect, no clue.
If I had caught them, they would have had a shit shampoo (washes off my hands a lot easier than hair) - Boy, I miss January on days like that.
Thought I had a new concept on directing people downstream, instead of telling them to walk over to the bridge, throw a stick in the water and follow it, I tried this rendition- "Don't go left out of the parking lot, don't cross the little bridge on the dirt road across from the shop, don't cross the big bridge over the river, just bare right and follow the river" - 'So, I go that way?", as they point to the way to Woodland Park - (a left out of the lot).
Nope, tell you what, walk over to that bridge, pick up a stick .............
But the summer is ending, just a few more weeks and we get the river back from the abusers, and I have a real gut feeling this is going to be an epic Fall season - it is just all adding up - big trout, low, clear water, fall colors (a few of the Cottonwoods are already starting to color on the tips) & plenty of surface action - 2 weeks away from my favorite season on the South Platte - and that runs all the way to Thanksgiving (and beyond)
Week ending August 11th, 2011
OK, Back on track with the weekly report
Lets start with flows - Last Saturday (7/30) we were at 400 cfs, the river was pretty much unfishable due to clarity below Deckers bridge, we figure the flash flood came in at 60 - 70 cfs from Horse Creek. Sunday the flow was bumped up to 430 cfs, Monday to 490 cfs, Wednesday up to 555 cfs, Monday (8/8) down to 505 cfs, And yesterday down to 450 cfs, today, Aug 11th, down to 400 cfs
We were thankful for the push to 555 cfs, helped wash out debris that came down in the flash flood (s) - yup, had another bad spell last week- right now the river looks great - gin clear above Deckers and into the Canyon, 9 out of 10 in clarity below Deckers - a remarkable recovery considering the damage done from the heavy storms in the Horse Creek drainage - we are very impressed, 'cause it was real ugly. The new 'Swamp" - 4 miles from the shop is pretty nasty looking, but on Tuesday, West Creek went into it clear and came out of it clear.
Trico mating & spinner falls have been very impressive - like pre-Hayman times - but unusually high flows for Mid August have not seen too many trout getting on the spinners - just a matter of time - had 3 male tricos on the porch screens this a.m., watched them go thru a final molt at sunlight, flew off as soon as the sun crested the back range and hit the screens at 7 a.m. - pretty remarkable stuff - meet up with the hatching females - have a bit of fun, then expire to the river surface - the girls lay the eggs for next years hatch - guess the boys have a smoke - why not, gonna die anyhow
Surprised not more of you are taking advantage of our "Osprey & Guide " special - scroll up above the report to see the details.
As the flows continue to drop, the river should really start to produce, seeing lots of hoppers, caddis are still around, Pale Morning Duns were a little dissapointing this summer (compared to last year) and even though trout are not rising consistently to Trico spinners, they are gobbling up the drowned ones. We have had great success with certain weighted nymph combinations.
Water temps are still a major concern, so please heed the last report and put away the rods at a water temp of 67 degrees
Had 2 Golden Eagles in the Backyard on Tuesday the 2nd, rare sight - did not hang around - only witnessed one other in the valley all these years.
Had a fawn last year that broke her left forleg - not surprised the way they hop around like bunnies when so young - lots of ankle snapping holes - even for humans who don't pay attention - She hung around the cabin alot last fall, then dissapeared, thought the Lions got her - last week she re-appeared, had to be the same girl - pretty amazing she survived the winter and the Big Cats - then 3 days ago she was back - with twins - what a fighter - kinda like the South Platte here in Deckers
Week ending July 28th, (+ Friday the 29th, and Saturday morning)
Flow started out at 600 cfs last Friday, was dropped to 535 on Tuesday, 430 on Wednesday, and down to 400 cfs on Thursday.
P.M. rains started Tuesday, the river would go brown from road run off after 4 or 5 p.m., but cleared by the next day - these were pretty intense cells, but the river did great
Then Friday afternoon we got slammed in the Horse Creek drainage - one of those nasty cells (blocked the sat signal at the shop for internet & TV)
Went out this morning (Saturday) to check - Wig Wam creek was clear, 4 mile (Y camp creek) was off but low, Horse creek was a mess - river was chocolate downstream from Deckers Bridge, clear above
Drove Horse Creek to the confluence of West & Trout creeks (that make up Horse Creek) - they were both chocolate - can't follow trout creek because of private property, so no idea how far up the washouts affected her, so I follwed West Creek to Mile Marker 94 (6 miles from the shop) and she was clear - but the washouts I found between MM 97 & 94 were pretty bad - some new swamps had re-channeled the creeks - so it will take a day or 2 to get things cleared out - this is a big test of the drainage - how soon it clears.
WATER TEMPS - they are getting critical in the river - we, along with a few other reputable Outfitters, have agreed to stop fishing at 67 degree water temps on guided trips - we have seen some dead trout and it is all temperature related - the expired trout were probably faught too long, mis-handled upon landing, or just not revived properly.
SO PLEASE, Follow these basic guidelines - PINCH DOWN THE BARBS, PUT AWAY THE 3 (AND EVEN 4) WEIGHT RODS, GOT TO 4X OR 5X TIPPET, LAND & RELEASE ALL TROUT AS FAST AS YOU CAN (TAKE PHOTOS IN THE FALL) & MAKE SURE YOU SPEND TIME GENTLY REVIVING THE TROUT IN SLOW WATER - WHEN THE WATER TEMPS HIT 67, PUT THE RODS IN THE TRUCK & HONE YOUR SKILLS BY STALKING THE BANKS AND SPOTTING TROUT - ALL WILL BE VERY GREATFUL & WE THANK YOU.
If you missed it, scroll back up to just above the weekly report, we are running a great special in August on a lodging and guide package
Got a good one - last week a father & son from Mid West came in, kid really wanted "to try this Fly Fish'in" - they were a little odd, but I rented them some rods"Dun't need no waders, weese just gonna fish from the bank" - I rigged up 2 rods with big dries and gave them some basic instruction, sold them 2 backups just in case. They were back within 45 minutes and all was a mess - kid "how you s'pose to catch a fish with these" - he lacked the fly I had tied on, the dad "Dun't mean to complain, but this here pole broke raht here, I think you need to re-glue it" - he was pointing at the ferrull of a 2 piece 9 foot rod.
I asked them how hard they were casting, he demonstrated with 2 hands gripping an imaginary rod "we wanted to get out in the middle whar the big'uns are, but the line jus wudn't come off the reel" He put the 2 backups in the cup on the counter and they departed, dad remarkig "I jus' dun't thank this is ahr thang"
So, to re-cap, the river above Deckers Bridge thru the Canyon to Cheesman dam is gin clear, be a day, maybe 2 before it clears below Deckers
Week ending July 21st, 2011
Busy week on the river and in the shop - so this weeks report is short, but pretty sweet
Flow was dropped from 800 cfs to 600 cfs on Monday - we will now see outflows matching inflows at Cheesman, run aff has peaked, so the outflow will gradually come down thru the next weeks.
Cheesman is currently about 1 foot down from the spillway with about 625 cfs coming in ( a little less)
No significant rain this week in the valley - river is pretty much gin clear
No real surface action (though nice Trico Spinner falls have occured) - justy too much water to even drag them up - dry / dropper can work in some sections, but nymphing has been excellent & the choice this past week on the guided trips
Week ending July 14th, 2011
Flow was raised last Friday from 750 cfs to 800 cfs - even with all the major monsoon rains this week, the river remains clear from Cheesman down to the confluence with the North Fork
That's not to say that some afternoons it wemt brown from "road run-off" - these were heavy downfalls - one on Monday really blew out Horse Creek, but it had little effect on the river overall & Horse Creek looks good now
Sad thing is, that little beaver pond I fished last week has silted in badly, good thing is the dam held and the beaver will just move on and build another one - and he (she) is quite the engineer
Jeremy, Duane, Jack & L'il John have all had good trips this week, despite the high water (have to approach it a little differently) - one admirer of trout being fooled (not part of the trip) asked Duane "What are they taking?" - says Duane "A real good drift"
We are really happy with how the river has maintained this week - few years ago these storms would have had it running chocolate milk for weeks
A few Tricos on the Porch screens this week - was a little worried about the lack of bugs clinging to the screens, but figured it out - Pair of Western Wood Pee-Wees have a nest under the porch - babies just hatched - these things are bug slayers - all day long - and they pick Caddis and Mayflies off the screens the second they land - so adept, they don't even touch the mesh, just pluck them in mid flight, kiting, sometimes you can hear the little beeks clack together
Week ending July 7th + some of Friday July 8th
Flow was bumped from 550 cfs up to 600, then 650 cfs last Friday (2 bumps in one day), went to 750 cfs on Saturday, than 800 cfs Friday (today) - the reservoir level was dropping at 750 cfs, but we got hit with some good & well needed rain Thursday night, started to fill Cheesman again - that was the reason for the bump - we do not expect it to stay at 800 cfs for long
Many are calling to hear about the conditions and whether it is worth the drive - I always say "Yes" - but then some come by and complain - I look at it this way - the trout never stop eating, somtimes they eat different bugs, but they never stop, no matter what the flow or clarity - so you figure it out and cast the rod - and you hook up - so my response will always be "Yes" - it may not be what you are looking for - but this is Fly Fishing - so as long as you don't drown, it's worth the drive.
Waited to file this until Friday p.m. to see what the latest storms would do - the river browned up pretty good Thursday evening (mainly road run off) , had me a little concerned, but on the porch, Friday morning with a cup of coffee as the sun rose, I could again see the sand bars in the back yard - so she cleared herself out nicely over night, Friday morning the feeder creeks were all gin clear.
So come on up and throw some casts - river clarity is great - may look a little off from the road, but step on in, you will see what I mean.
First Fawns of the year started to appear this week - a single with Mom on Thursday, pair of twins this morning (Please keep your dogs close and leashed, or better yet, leave them at home - every year I find orphans that were separated from moms by curiose pets - I love dogs, fish with Gill when I can, but please keep it in mind)
DOW stocked 140,000 1 inch Tasmanian Hoffer Rainbows this week - from Cable Hole to Scraggy View - no telling how they will fair, but fingers crossed.
Fished a Beaver Pond that I found in the area on Tuesday, one of the feeder creeks (private property, but the rancher let me on) - don't think any trout had been in that creek since the Hayman Fire - found 2 suckers, a good size Dace, fooled a good Brown and 6 Rainbows - no Brookies, which surprised me - but it was fun - gotta love them Beavers.
Week ending June 30th, 2011
Flow started out at 150 cfs this week, bumped up to 200 on Friday morning, up again to 250 cfs on Monday, 325 on Tuesday, 450 on Wednesday and 550 cfs today.
E-Mail from Dave at the Water Board on Tuesday said we could see 700 cfs this weekend - 500 cfs from the river out of 11 mile and 200 + out of Tarryall - I honestly did not think we would see these flows this season, but I am happy we are.
Good news, the river looks good (after the initial push of new water) - she clears right up, & you are basically looking at 3 rivers - river right, river left & the middle - forget about the middle and concentrate on the banks, that's where a lot if the trout migrate to in high flows.
Had the following on the porch this past week - Tricos, Green Drakes, Pale Morning Duns and a few types of Caddis - just a bunch of bugs - along with tons of morning midges - healthy river.
Bad ass hail storm on Monday night at 7 p.m., dinged the crap out of the Jeep - came in too fast for me to re-act and move the Jeep under the elm tree out front - these were true "Golf Balls" - even if I did run out, I probably would have had my clock cleaned - Jeremy and the guys would have found me in the a.m. - beaten to death by ice - made the river look like a Rambo Movie - as the hail hit, 3 - 4 foot plumes of water went skyward - just like an AK 47 would produce - never have seen hail like this up here - ever
Watched an Osprey take a nice trout in the back yard on Monday afternoon, quite the angler - then a Sparrow Hawk (book says an American Kestral - Falcon family) perched in the Wood Pecker tree for a while (which does not get used as much as parts of the cabin - little rascals) - and the Goofy Sea Gull continues his / her wandering up and down the river
I like to fish these high flows upstream with a dry or dry / dropper rig - just step into the river along the bank - river bank to your left, lay out about 20 feet of line, place the first cast tight to the bank, next 6" out - and continue in a fan pattern out about 3 - 4' from the first cast along the bank, then slowly move up 3' and start again - very realxing, extremely rewarding at times.
Still, probably one of the most "Fishable" rivers in the stste - just approach it with a new attitude (and tactics)
Week ending June 23rd, 2011
Flow started out at 100 cfs, bumped up to 150 cfs on Wednesday - we are told by Dave at the Water Board that the flow will gradually increase thru the weekend into early next week to about 300 - 400 cfs, matching the inflow.
Cheesman is almost full, due mainly to the run-off from Tarryall Creek, so we should expect the outflow to match the inflow - We do not expect 300+ flows for long - and they will do some good - already have - Pale Morning Duns and Tricos have become very active last few days. I was amid a swarm of mating Tricos on Wednesday - looked like old times, even fooled a sipper with a #22 Para Adams around 10 a.m. (did not have any spinners in the fishing shirt, won't make that mistake again)
Still finding the odd big Green Drake - not so much around Deckers, but further downstream - some are #12, some about a #16 - we don't carry true Drake patterns, but we improvise with what we have and they work really well - probably 'cause they just don't appear in numbers, so anything close will fool them - Caddis, odd BWO - bunch of tiny midges in the morning - just tons of bugs
Goofy Sea Gull is still roaming up and down the river - Swallow family groups are present at Deckers & Trumbull, but the ones that usually hung out at the cabin never returned - along with the annoying House Wren - the book says "A prolific songster" - I just found the consatnt "song" annoying (mainly during naps) - but I do miss it in a way.
If I catch one more #@!hole fishing "Power Bait" in the restricted water, '"cause it says arttificial" on the jar, I am going to go Postal - some know they are breaking the game laws - some are so ignorant, they truly believe they are OK - See, the rules dictate "Artificial Flys and Lures Only", so, since the jar says "Artificial Bait", they think it is OK - I always ask them to read the whole label - then stop them at "Bait"
Jeremy participated in a 100 mile mountain bike race this past weekend - that's right, 100 miles - I have not DRIVEN 100 miles in the last 2 weeks - 100 miles, and he finished - pretty cool (although he stopped 20 yards short of the line, little woozy, "til the crowd cheered him on, then he crossed gotta hydrate Jeremy) - we are very proud of his effort and accomplishment - 100 MILES, in one day.
Fishable light at 5:30 a.m., sunrise at 6:15 a.m., the longest days of the year are upon us, the sun has reached it's morning apex to the North over the Back Yard Range, and will slowly, but gradually start the march to the South
Had a Physics Prof in college, actually diving school, but we all got an A.S. if we finished - it was a real college, just a different program, any way, his first intro to us (50 young divers, mostly surfers, a few good swimmers, couple of engineers, some cowboys & a few bull riders) was this - he tossed a tennis ball into the air and asked "When does it stop moving?" - well, in chorus, we all replied "when it stops going up" - "wrong, it never stops" comes the Profs reply (he wore a Bow Tie, a real one) - he lost us at thet point, and that was the first day, and we had to take the course.
He had a remote slide show button, and would show us bridges collapsing and real gas laws, (which is all we were interseted in - Partial Pressure of gas was crucial to our survival) while he faced us, the screen rolling down on command, the slides appearing behind his back, One time we snuck in and scrolled down the screen, taped on some "Pin Ups" and scrolled it back up - when the screen was scrolled down during class, he got a standing ovation - until he turned around - as I recall we stole the final exam and cheated - but not on the gas laws
One thing I will always remmeber about that class - one formula - M=FA - mass equals force times accelleration - came in handy in bar fights + the gas laws - See, I'm still alive., so I took away some good data.
But he was right, the sun does not stop moving North in the a.m. of June 21st, it just starts moving South - it did not stop - so I apologize - not for the "Pin Ups" - but for the "What ?, it has to stop" also I apologize (along with a few others) for stealing the final.
Storms (Some heavy Boomers and rain) overnight Sunday into Monday had no real effect on the river, Horse Creek was a little off and higher, but looking at all the washouts along Rt 126 anf Rt 67, pretty impressive - river looks good - sun now crests the Back yard Range at 6:15 a.m., fishable light at 5:30 a.m., lasts well into the 9 p.m. range.
I fooled trout this week that made my arm hurt - fat, so strong, incredible colors - browwn, rainbows and "Cut Bows" - all on the surface - a dropper would have produced more, but it was good enough for who it was for.
This river is really doing well - lets go over the bugs again (just 'cause I like the range of them) Caddis, Gren Drakes, Tricos, BWO's and Pale Morning Duns - through in the odd Beetle and Flying Ant - sweet.
Week ending June 16th, 2011
Flow remained steady at 100 cfs, Cheesman is still about 10' down from the spillway, filling slowly - big concern is that the outflow water is coming from the mid-pipes - only 60' deep, so that means warm water to start with - the lower pipes are being worked on, maybe all summer - so keep an eye on water temps, when they get over 65 degrees, try to put the rods away and walk the banks working on sight fishing skills - this will really help the trout.
River is gin clear and looks beautiful.
We have had "0" precipitation, so things are again dangerously dry, please be careful, We understand the National Forest has enacted a fire ban - we sure hope it is true. I know it puts a damper on camping, but the sacrifice is worth it, trust me.
We are offering a NEW accommodation to the operation - "Osprey" is a 2 br, 1 bath loft space above the shop, really nice and across the street from the river - starts at $75.00 / night - check our rates and lodging page for more details - really clean and economical
How close is the river, well this week a guy called in asking that same question, Jeremy replied "If I hawk up a real good loogy, and the wind is from the east, I can hit the water"The caller & everyone in the shop cracked up - or as the late (and missed) Charlie Meyers once described it "an easy double haul cast away"
Guide trips this week were excellent to outstanding - for everyone - Jeremy, Jesse, Duane, Jack & Li'l Jon.
Jeremy had a real character for a full day on Thursday (Duane had the same client the day before on an afternoon trip) - Jay, from Lohng Eyeland - Jeremy said "He could flat out fish", so the guiding was easy, and get this, they took a Brookie, a nice one, downstream (only the 2nd or 3rd I have ever known to be in the river - and one of them I caught) - They must have come in from Sugar or Pine Creek - Jay is the President of a company back east, but tells everyone he is the CEO (Chief Entertainment Officer) like I said, just a character, most of the trout were taken on surface attractors - we think Jay will be back - he fooled some real good ones.
Jesse, on the same day (back from the PGA Tour for the week) took out Mike, who he met on a golf course in Denver this week - they did a half day, slayed them, then ran down to Shining Mountain Golf Course (20 minutes from Deckers) and got in 18 holes - Jesse said it was one of the best days ever - guiding on the water, then guiding on the grass.
All kinds of bugs around - Caddis, Big Green Drakes (my best fly today was an Olive Para Hopper # 14 with the legs cut off), Tricos (yup, tricos in mid June) - still some BWO's and the Pale Morning Duns are just starting up.
We have a goofy Sea Gull hanging around - flies up and down the river every day - seems genuinley lost, and the bears are starting to move into the valley - had one on Bernies porch last week, knocked over the grill, and a few spotted during the day - if you are camping be careful with food and garbage.
Poachers are also becoming a problem (taking undersize trout or fishing with bait in the restricted water) - if you see it happening, come to the shop if you are not comfortable approaching the offenders, we will help - happened this week with me, regular client came in concerned about a group up at Cable Hole - I went up and sure enough - salmon eggs, powewr bait and one gutted 13" rainbow - they left pretty quickly - without the trout
I had a great morning session today - big, fat, strong, beautiful trout - Browns, Rainbows & Cut 'Bows
It's get'in real fun
Week ending June 10th, 2011
OK - we are not in "Run Off" in Deckers - flow was bumped up to 125 cfs on Wednesday from 80 cfs - we would normally be at 250 - 300 - 500 cfs + - this time of year - but we did not get the snow pack in this drainage like the rest of the state - this is Friday afternoon as I sit at the key board and just got the word from the boys at the dam that we are going back down to 100 cfs
All feeder Creeks are low & gin clear as they flow into the Platte here in Deckers.
Now the North Fork is a different story - 600 + cfs and real ugly coming out of Grant & Bailey- as, I understand, are most of the rivers & creeks in the state of Colorado - but not us.
The river flowing past the shop is gin clear and looks sweet & if the guide trips (Jeremy, Duane, Jack & Li'l John) are any indication - fishing great.
So. when you call the shop to ask for conditions, and we say "125 cfs (or now 100 cfs) & gin clear" - please try to refrain from saying "REALLY" - we know the name of the shop is "Flies & Lies" but we only lie about girls & stuff - not about the river and fly fishing. - You may hear me say "If you know what you're doing, it's great! - but that is the truth & nothing but - this is a tough river, low & clear, with wary trout and plenty of bugs in the drift - so, basically, most days, you gotta "know what you're doi'n"
I have had the following on the porch screens this week (and under the porch light that I leave on to see what night bugs are around) - Blue Wing Olives, Pale Morning Duns, a huge Green Drake (#12 or 14) and I swea,r a Trico - Caddis under the light (until the nesting birds come by at sunlight and start whacking them off the log siding - easy, early breakfast, along with assorted moths and other night bugs)
Tim & I got an hour in the backyard on Thursday morning - quick trip up for Tim - and were buzzed by a big bat - only the second time I have seen a bat during daylight here on the river - came close to me so I tried to deter him with my rod - then he went after Tim, who did the same - now we are both gigglig, swearing and swatting away as the vile flier ping ponged between the 2 of us - @%$*^!@ bat !!
But we both got a few trout - me & Tim - not the bat
Week ending June 2nd, 2011
Flow was dropped on Friday to 100 cfs, work was completed on the tunnel, and with run-off from all the feeder creeks on the North Fork, water was not needed from our side - Cheesman Reservoir is still about 17 feet down from the spillway and we just don't see any major run-off hitting our side - which is good news - 'cause it sounds like the rest of the state is pretty well blown out, and those conditions are due to continue for a few weeks
Flow was dropped today to 80 cfs - River here is gin clear and looks awfully good - plenty of trout and some real good ones too.
Still seeing BWO's on the porch screens & a lone Pale Morning Dun today - Caddis are around, but not like the last few years in numbers, it could still happen & plying the river blind with the right patterns can still produce. Finding lots of hoppers downstream, and today a loan adult stone on the water - a good 2 inches long - big ugly bug - Also found a lone flying ant on the porch - about a #16
Dry / Dropper is definetely in play with the low clear flow.
Winds today were a bitch - Started at 9 a.m. right after my first cast - blew me off the river by noon, but they are due to die down overnight so the weekend should be great. Be sneaky, stay low - have fun
Week ending May 26th, 2011
Once again, this report covers 2 weeks starting May 13th, 2011 - just "couldn't get er dun" - at least not in time - I had waited to write it on Friday, after the predicted storms, to see how the river & creeks would fair - next thing I know it is Sunday - just too late, so here it is.
The Creeks and the river faired well - Caddis started last Friday, but to date, not too many trout re-acting to the surface activity.
We have had some well needed moisture in the valley - rain, snow & hail, but no "gully washers" just a nice steady soaking
Now to the flows - Friday May 13th we were at 110 cfs, with a good amount of moss and aquatic vegetation in the drift - flow was up to 120 cfs by Wednesday the 18th, then bumped to 170 cfs on Thursday the 19th - On Sunday it was bumped to 230 cfs in the a.m., then again that evening to 300 cfs (got the message from the boys at the dam, when I opened on Monday) - within an hour of opening, I got the call again "Hey Danny, going up to 390 cfs"
This is why - Roberts Tunnel had to be shut down for repair work on a newly installed valve - Strontia Springs reservoir has to maintain a constant level due to the ongoing barge and dredging work - with the North Fork shut down, the water had to come from our side - so if you were out on Sunday afternoon or any time Monday, the conditions were - well, pretty unfishable - mainly due to all the bank fluff and loose vegetation ending up in the drift
Good news, once the repair work is done on the tunnel, that flow will go up & our flow will go back down (in theory) - Cheesman is now over 17 feet down from the spillway - the huge bump up to almost 400 cfs knocked all the loose vegetation off the bottom of the river (it was not coming from Cheesman reservoir as some thought) - so - at lower flows, not much (if any) will end up in the drift - should be a great weekend.
Yesterday, the flow was dropped to 300 cfs, And down to 150 cfs today - so we think the tunnel work is completed
One note - on Sunday thru Monday's increased flows, Horse Creek was actually clearer than the river - has not happened in 9 years since the Hayman Fire.
One of our favorite guides (works for another shop, but a good guy) had lost 3 rods and reels at the Gill Trail parking lot on Monday - just a slight oversight as he was bidding his clients farewell - realized it a few miles out, went back, but they were gone - came to the shop and told me - this was very sad.
Tuesday morning I get a call at the cabin "Hey, I found some equipment at the trailhead" - me, immediately "3 rods and reels?" "Yup" - Oh man you are a hero - they belong to ******* - call the ***** they can help you return them - that was so cool of the gentleman - probably $3,000 - $4,000 - worth of gear - guides, any guides, can't afford that loss - so, even though it was not us, we thank the man - true honesty.
Then on Wednesday I get an e-mail from a guy who comes into the shop on a regular basis - found a fly box this week, wanted to get it back to the owner - so if you lost a box, send a mail, I will put you in touch with the finder - I am getting very impressed by true sportsmen.
Look for risers to caddis from late a.m. 'till you can'y see your flies - some BWO's still around - with the 150 flow, dry / dropper comes back into play - trout should have plenty of time to settle out by the weekend
Sun now breaks over the East Range in the back at 6:15 a.m. - mornings are still generally chilly - mid to high 30's - but warms up nicely thru the day
Week ending May 12th, 2011
Flow remained steady all week, 110 - 115 cfs - storms on Wednesday into Thursday brought snow, rain & some light hail - but had no effect on the river - which remains gin clear from the dam to the confluence with the North Fork.
Week started out in the low 70's mid days, but we are in the Rockies, so it changes quickly in Spring & Fall (even winter & summer)- ie Wednesday & Thursday - Wednesday barely into the 30's
Great trips this week, lots of action - mainly sub-surface - but enough with a dry / dropper rig to keep it interesting - good o'le Amy
Caddis have not yet gotten into full swing, but it is starting - late afternoons are best - BWO's still hatching - but a little thin - all depends on where you are - and that just seems to be dumb luck - allthough we know of a few sections that have been pretty consistent.
Sun now pops over the East Range in the back yard at 6:45 a.m. - fishable light from 6 a.m. to almost 8 p.m.
We do not expect any great increases in flow - Cheesman is still about 16 feet below the spillway, most of the water for the flat lands is coming out of Roberts Tunnel down the North Fork - so things could get really good to incredible - especially if the Caddis start to pop.
Cottonwoods, Aspens, Lilacs & the 2 old Elm trees in the front yard - all starting to bud out - song birds are getting active - my morning tunes - some of the plumage really starting to show on the displaying (horny) males - reminds me of old bar scenes - the boys trying thier best, the girls pretty much ignoring them - but eventually they do hook up - what girl could resist a mostly drab olive/brown mountain finch displaying, with wings spread and tail in the air, an underlying bright red tuxedo - that'l do it.
Low water, crystal clear, trout looking up ( mainly 'cause the water is so low ) and the possibility of dancing, enticing, good size, egg laying caddis - Oh Yeah.
Week ending May 5th, 2011
Sad news to start the week - Dick Johnson - friend and founder (1992) of "Flies & Lies" has passed away
Dick, as some of you know - was a 30 year veteran of "Special Forces" - Then known as the "Green Berets" - 2 wars (Korea & Viet Nam) - 3 tours in Viet Nam - Sergeant Major when retired - one of those men you thought would always be around - I used to kidd with clients that came in asking about him 'Yeah, he lives down in the Springs now, probably 80 years old - and He could still kick my ass"
Well Dick, We wish you sweet travels and peace - you will be missed but never forgotten at "Flies & Lies" (He came up with the name over cocktails at the old Deckers restaurant - wrote it on a napkin so He would not forget - I will always remember that story Dick, and many others) - not only a priveledge, but an honor to have known you.
Flow was dropped to 110 cfs today from 165 - We still do not think we will see a major run-off in the Deckers section - but you never know, most of the water is now coming out of Roberts Tunnel through the North Fork
BWO hatch has thinned a bit - but the Caddis have started to pop - nothing heavy yet - but should improve this weekend - could really go off.
Last thoughts on Dick - I would not be the Fly Fisher I am today, or the owner of "Flies & Lies" if not for Him - Lord only knows how many other lives he positively affected, but never knew - That's just how he was, no pretensions, no bravado - just Dick - Thanks.
Week ending April 28th, 2011
Flow went up from 150 to 215 cfs on Saturday, then back down to 165 cfs on Wedeneasday - Cheesman reservoir is 15 feet down from the spillway - gonna take a huge inflow of water to fill her to capacity - has to go 15 feet up, and untold feet OUT - lots of acreage feet - run-off has not started in the high country yet, but we do not think enough snow pack remains in our drainage to impact the Platte through Deckers much this year - lower elevation (all the feeder creeks below Cheesman) have completed run-off.
That said, no telling what the Water Board has in mind - we think most of the water for Denver will be diverted thru Roberts Tunnel from lake Dillon down the North Fork - but just an assumption. Right now the river looks sooo good - best since the Hayman Fire & resulting floods.
Went out today, nicest day of the year so far, high 60's, wind not too bad. Rigged up with a tandem dry fly cast and found 6 noses in about an hour of looking - and proceeded to fool 6 trout - All were healthy and really strong, the standout was a beautiful 18" Buck Cutbow, hookd jaw and all, magnificent colors - and FAT - took some agility to bring him to hand - did I say strong - just so much fun & that one in front of Rusty, the mail man - really wanted to hook up in front of UPS Sam - but I blew the cast (he always honks and yells "Get a real job" when he sees me on the river) - a few of the others were also car fish - cars driving along Rt 67 (the river road) that stop to watch you land a "Good One"
This was not a blanket hatch, far from it - it can be sporadic - noses here, none there - and you really have to hunt them out.
One lone Bald Eagle still stalks the river - swallows continue to arrive, then depart - the nesting family groups that set up shop in Deckers and the cabin are late this year - first Hummingbirds of the season arrived today - have had 2 or 3 BWO duns every day on the porch screens all week & another odd Pale Morning Dun - a few caddis are starting to appear - and today I found a whole bunch of hoppers in the grass.
Had some moisture in the valley this week - mini brief blizzard on Tuesday - but we never got that one (or three ) time 2' - 3' snow storm - probably only had 4' total all winter season - so fire bans are still in effect for the valley (no campfires, charcoal grills - open flames of any kind - you can even get in trouble for smoking in grassy areas) so please BE CAREFUL.
Jeremy and Duane had outstanding trips this week (Jesse is at the PGA tourny in NOLA - gold on the golf course!).
Jeremy's client today had 25 trout to the net on a full day trip (the client was counting) - nothing on the surface, all nymphing - Jeremy said it was "Stupid Good".
Sun now crests the range in back at 7 a.m. - weekend weather looks borderline miserable - could be a great hatch - just like last Sunday - Marc came out for an afternoon session, I got out of the shop at 2 p.m. ( Duane finished the day) and found Marc downstream - giggling and fooling trout - on the surface - I stayed for a bit to watch - freezing rain, clouds, wind, 35 degrees - just plain raw - I yell out "I'm going back to the cabin and start a fire" - "OK, - Hey - I got another one!"
He showed up at the back door a little later "Can I come in?" - now he is still in waders - a strict no-no at the cabin - but he was frozen, so I said OK - came in, went straight to the kitchen sink and ran hot water over his hands (now I have to wash the kitchen floor - sometime this week) - the fire was blazing - a cozy fishing cabin - then I found out the real reason for the pit stop "Hey, got anymore of those Hackle Wings?"
I pulled out 4 from my cabin stash and handed them over - he ran (not walked) down the path in the backyard to the river - back in an hour - we measured his last trout landed from markings on the net - 21 1/2" Rainbow - on the surface - on my Hackle Wing.
He warmed himself by the fire (waders now gone) - &, as he was exiting through the front door, it dawned on me "Hey, where are my other stash flies?" - "Oh yeah, 'bout that - they're in my vest" as the front door closed.
He (and the trout) really like those Hackle Wings.
Week ending April 21st, 2011
Flow was dropped last Thursday from 320 cfs to 150 cfs (They opened up Roberts Tunnel on the North Fork) - dropped to 135 cfs on Friday, up to 165 cfs on Monday then down to 150 cfs on Wednesday - river is gin clear and looks fantastic - lots of habitat, lots of nice trout - if you know where to go and what to present - and oh yeah - how to present it.
BWO's continue to hatch - multiple duns on the porch screen all week - and an odd Pale Morning Dun on Tuesday morning - early for that May Fly, but a good sign.
First Turkey Vultures and an Osprey sighted this week - and one lone Bald Eagle on Wednesday - this one was headed North, stopped in the backyard, soared for altitude, then went back South toward Cheesman Reservoir - might be a resident - we get maybe one each year - probably a lot like me - why go anywhere ?- trout are right in the back yard.
This week became "Gold Mining" for Jesse and Jon & Gill - "Trout Mining" for Duane and Jeremy - who both had great trips this week.
We had a guy from Texas with a home built wood camper on the back of a small pick-up - panning the river - came into the shop and showed us some "color" - a few flakes and dust - said it was about " a good $200.00 worth" - I saw about $25.00 at best - and that is the gold quote at $1,500.00 / ounce this week- and that was for a 9 hour work period - but now the boys are hookeed
Pans were found - some with handles - shovels were produced and chairs borrowed from the General Store - holes were dug bank side - Gill showed some interest in the first one - it did not contain trout - so he gave up and laid in the grass - Jesse and Jon dug - looked like ice fishers - Jesse explained later - "I'll dig a bit, but if I don't feel it, I dig a new hole"
Well, they got some "color" - a minor flake - after 6 hours - it was fun to see the enthusiasm - the local Sheriff, Mike, a Plains miner - went and got his metal detector - he lives across the road from my place - the flake would not show up as anything - we think it was too small - then, when displaying it at the shop later with a weak pair of forceps - it popped out and disappeared.
We mined for trout on Wednesday - it was much more producitve.
Gold Miming has since been suspended - but it was fun - they camped out in Jesse's RV in my driveway - Gold miners - Trout Miners - it was all good - and Gill just enjoys any adventure with Jesse - but trust me - it ain't worth the effort - $ to time wise.
Back to the fishing - the hatch can be sporadic - great some stretches - non existent in others - good risers - no risers - I have had no less than 3 head on collisions on the river road looking for noses this week - no one honked though - either other anglers who understood, or tourist too afraid to confront the guy driving England style - this is not a recommeded practice - remember, I live here.
Fire Ban is still in place - no camp-fires or open flames - please be mindful and careful
Bunch of Mule Deer on the move early morning and late evening - be warned - drive slow when you can't see the next bend - let alone the loss of the game (which is always tragic to a car) - they put a hell of a dent in your day.
With the low flow and gin clear water you have to be sneaky - stay low, cast lightly - work midge and May Fly nymphs in the mornig - switch to May Fly Cripples or Duns if you see some noses in the afternoon - Weekend weather looks great for risers - light snow, drizzle, rain - mid 50's air temp - Oh Yeah.
Week ending April 14th 2011
Flow started out at 220 cfs, up to 255 cfs on Monday, bumped again on Wednesday to 320 cfs - then way back down to 150 cfs today - increases caused some debris to end up in the drift, some off coloring, but it wasn't bad at all and it didn't last long -, they turned the tunnel on at the North Fork, shut it down, then re-opened today - that is why we had the big increase, then large decrease - Cheesman is currently about 12 feet down from the spillway - gonna need a lot of water to fill that puppy up.
BWO's continue to hatch, Jeremy thinks it is the best May Fly hatch in years - really got into them on Wednesday with his client Nate - they had a ball, non stop surface action in the afternoon, that was preceded by subsurface action until the noses started to appear
I have hit it & missed it, but when you hit it, well, it feels like old times on the South Platte - starts as early as 11 a.m., but usually 12 or 1 p.m. sees the most bugs & surface lips. You really get a feel as to how many trout are in a run on good hatch days - and it also humbles you - yeah, you got a few good ones on that stretch, but had no idea you missed that many when all of them start to rise.
First swallows of the year passed thru the valley on Sunday - the family groups that stay and nest are due any day now - had another Bald Eagle flying North over the river on Tuesday morning
We received some much needed moisture on Wednesday night into Thursday morning, rain in the valley, but snow on the surrounding ranges, it helped some, but not enough - Fire Bans are still in effect, so PLEASE be careful with cigs & cigars - no open fires are permitted - puts a damper on the campers, but it beats the alternative.
Winds have been off and on all week - mainly ON - so you just have to deal with it. Morning air temps are still cold - still in the teens mostly, but a few odd ball pre-sunrise temps above freezing - highs in the 50's to 60's
Week ending April 7th, 2011
This weeks report covers 2 weeks (from March 25th) We got busy, I got to fishing, and before I knew it, I woke up on Sunday March 27th and failed to file the report - and this is just the beginning of the season - uh-oh - I could have filed one on Momday, but that would have put the whole cycle off - would have screwed me up & I am a creature of (kinda) habit - so I just waited a week.
But, what a 2 weeks it has been - BWO's stared to hatch - on Monday (April 4th) I got out - wasn't gonna, , after a few hours at the shop, did the weekly town run then back to the shop after unloading and stowing - then a poacher drive above the bridge (Please, if you find bait fishers in the flies & lures section or poachers taking undersized fish, come to the shop - we will take care of it, 'cause it is getting real ugly)
So, I stop at a nice run, watched it all unfold before me - light was just right, watching an aquariun - first they are nailed to the bottom, then a few, then more start banging emergers mid water - then one nose, then another - all on the duns - no way to really describe it - unless you are just sitting on the bank and watching it happen, rising trout, big ones, just slurping duns - so beautiful.
On the way back to the cabin, I saw that Jack had pulled up at Flies & Lies - Duane had the shop for the day - told Jack where and how - "No one is in there, you gotta crush it, Duns & Cripple BWO's # 18".
I hear he did
I continued down stream just checking things, got to a nice bend and saw more risers, turned around and found more!! - that was it, went directly back to the cabin, still in street clotthes, pulled on a fishing shirt with a selection of BWO's already stocked in the pockets, draped on my lanyard, pulled on my waders (always hung over the porch rail) and mis-laced my boots - but did not stop - this was important !!!
Got to the run, rigged a dun with a trailing cripple - started whacking them - swapped out the dun with an Elk Hair Caddis - fooled 2 more, then broke off on an airborne Rainbow (forgot to check my knots again !!)
That was a #18 Caddis - all I had left in the shirt was a #16, but tied it on just to keep the leader from dangling in the air.
Then, on the way back to the Jeep, underneath a bridge, I saw a nice pocket - laid in a decent cast, saw a trout rise to the fly, but the current pulled it away - 2 more casts - boom! - swallowed it - a # 16 Caddis !!!
Flow staretd out last Friday (March 25th) at 160 cfs, raised to 200 cfs on Wednesday (March 30th), then up again to 220 cfs on Thursday (March 31st) where it now holds
Pretty perfect flow, gin clear, river just looks great - as I said, the BWO's have started to hatch - depends on wind and cloud cover and where you happen to be - but on last Monday I found them - it looked like the Trans-Pac Yacht race to Hawaii - on steroids - Sailboats everywhere - allmost too good - then slower on Tuesday, then Jeremy got his clients into them big time on Wednesday - said it was one of the best hatches for May Flies since the fire - not bad today (Jesse, Lil John, Gill and I did a little R&D way downstream), but the wind came up at the wrong time - could be a magical weekend though.
These are big bugs - #18 - seems to start anywhere from 11:30 a.m. up to past 2:30 p.m. - but like I said, depends on where you are and wind - sun does not seem to have too much of an effect, but clouds would be nice - lite snow fall even better, but no wind
We tend to nymph or go with a dry dropper system until we see some noses - then switch - we even got a few to eat good ole Amy with the dry dropper rig - in April !!
Thought the Bald Eagles had departed a week or so ago, but saw 2 this morning, looked like one was chasing the other - both heading north at a high rate of speed - did a little aerial display above Trumbull, then just kept going - Swallows are due soon - usually arrive in time for the BWO hatch.
Week ending March 24th, 2011
Flow was raised on Wednesday from 120 cfs to 160 cfs - river looks fantastic, gin clear& ice free - really great flow.
Had 2" of snow overnight last Thursday into Friday, otherwise mild days with mostly sun - but the wind continued to be "irritating to a real pain in the ass" most of the week - the "Big Midge" continued to hatch, but rising trout were few - bugs are just getting blown around too much.
Jeremy & Duane had some good trips this week, despite the wind, all nymphing, except for the last fish of the day on a full day trip for Jeremy and his long time client Neil - tied on an Amy and took the rainbow on the surface - Neil could not believe it would work, but it did.
Jesse had been back in town for a few days and took 2 nice 'Bows the same way one late afternoon - we actually have already found some hoppers on the warmer days.
Last license reminder - your 2010/2011 lic. expires March 31st - you can now purchase your 2011/2012 lic 3 ways - via phone at 1-800-244-5613, on line at www.wildlifelicense.com/co, or at the shop (cash only please - no checks or cc's for lic transactions at Flies & Lies) - This year you have to buy 2 habitat stamps right off the bat, so resident annuals are now $36.00 (up from $31.00)
First day of Spring on Sunday - and this week we saw the first Canadien Geese arrive, all the ducks are starting to pair up, bunch of Western Blue Birds around the cabin & the 3rd or 4th cup of coffee on the porch is now greated by song birds (once daylight breaks), instead of the winter quiet. The Bald eagles are slowly departing for Northern Territories and Salmon runs - gotta love the seasons, all the subtle changes & radical ones - sitting on the screened porch is like watching the discovery channel - (sometimes in in slow motion).
DOW stocked 30,000 sub-catchable rainbows (3" to 5") this week between the Cable Hole and Scraggy View - this is the start of a plan to really get the population up - we will keep you posted.
Another reminder - this valley is BONE DRY - fire danger is EXTREMELY HIGH - both Douglas and Jefferson Counties have imposed fire bans (the county lines run right down the middle of the river) - you can even get busted for smoking in a grassy area - so please be careful. We reckon that about 2 feet of snow has fallen in the valley - all winter - we usually get that in one storm in March, but not this season
Sun now crests the backyard range at 7:45 a.m., drops over the West Range at 7:00 p.m.
We are taking some real quality trout these days on R&D outings - Saturday I got out with my buddies Tim & Marc - Tim had 3 trout in the 18" to 20" + range (and we were not in the Canyon - not even above Deckers Bridge) - 2 were landed - the 3rd thru the fly in an upstream, reel screaming, locomotive run - it was pretty cool - Marc almost matched him in size, think he passed him in numbers, but we were not really counting, just enjoying.
This weekend weather looks like great BWO stuff - we have seen a few of the little angels - but very sporadic - light snow, clouds, 40's in the air, 40's on the water - could be the start.
Week ending March 17th, 2011
Flow was dropped from 140 cfs to 120 cfs today - river is gin clear and ice free from the dam to the confluence with the North Fork.
We still are finding the "BIG MIDGE" hatching, starts about noon, last a few hours - I was using an Elk Hair Caddis as a lead fly and a big midge trailing - actually got a few on the caddis - very cool.
Last Saturday I went back to the spot with the lone rising trout - slot was about 2 feet long, maybe a foot wide, tight to the bank with a bunch of overhanging willows and a fast current on the near side. He was in there again, slurping adult midge off the surface, tried from 3 different positions, got him to look twice, but the rip current pulled the flies out just as he was about to take.
Got to the point where I was considering going up on the bank, rip the willows out, and come back the next day - but that is cheating - not allowed to remove an impediment.
So I kept at it, finally went back upstream and managed to get a drift down in the slot - and he took - great trout, bitch of a spot - at least 45 minutes this time - but a solid 17 inch buck Brown - it was worth it.
Wind was a bitch most of the time this week, but morning temps are getting better, no single digits - 40 degrees this morning - 20 is the norm these days, but we hit 70 degrees on Wednesday afternoon.
Nice time of year - nymph in the morning, some mid-day surface action (if you hit it right) - then back to nymphs to finish the day.
Sunrises at 7:55 a.m. over the range in the backyard - fishable light till past 6:30 p.m.
Week ending March 10th, 2011
Flow remained steady all week at 140 cfs, more like 160 cfs below Deckers. River is gin clear and ice free - looks fantastic.
Minor snow flurries this past week, but no accumlation - air temps started out chilly, but have gradually warmed this week and today hit mid 60's, but mornings are still cold.
The "Big Midge" started to hatch this week. Jeremy got into rising trout on Tuesday during an R&D outing - I found the bugs on Wednesday, but no risers - that changed today when I found the bugs and a few noses - fooled most that I found - could not get to one that I spotted - little eddy tight to the far bank with a ripping current between me and the target - hooked the overhanging willow once too many times and put the trout down - really wanted that one - but I know where he lives now.
This "Big Midge" is about a size 18 - looks like a BWO in flight & fools a lot of anglers - cloudy days are better for rising trout and the hatch just started this week, so most fish are not keying in on the surface strugglers, but that will gradually change.
Upcoming week looks great weather and temperature wise - could really go off.
The Hatch starts around noon and last till 2 p.m. or so, but that will change next week when the clocks get moved ahead - the bugs don't know we do this, so start looking for them after Saturday at 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. - the bugs don't wear watches so that time slot could slip + or - on any given day
We have some great patterns at the shop to cover this bug - put them in specifically for this hatch - and a few tricks to help with presentation, so come on up and give it a shot.
Week ending March 3rd, 2011
Flow was raised on Friday from 115 cfs to 140 cfs, more like 160 cfs below Deckers bridge when you add the feeder creeks. A lot of the ice has melted on Horse & Wig Wam Creeks, with no bad effects to clarity on the river.
Wind has been an issue all week - really blow'in on Saturday & Monday, not too bad the other days.
License reminder - you can purchase your 2011/2012 license beginning March 15th - you can call 800-244-5613 and do it over the phone, they will mail your license and give you a big old # that works until you recieve yours, you can do it at our shop (cash only) or on line at www.wildlifelicense.com/co - you only have a 2 week window to stay legal, so don't forget - your 2010/2011 license expires midnight of March 31st
Bald Eagles have been very active this week, putting on some calories for the northern migration - Woodpeckers have been knocking on just about anything that makes noise - looking for this years mate.
We have seen a few of the "Big Midges", but not in enough numbers to get the trout up yet - pretty soon though - so nymphing has been the tactic of choice (and necessity) and most days it has been great with the right patterns - these trout are healthy, fat in the belly and the colors will awe you.
Sun now crests the range in the back yard at 7:20 a.m. (just about 1/2 way on its march back to the North) - sets to the west at 5:40 p.m. - mornings are still cold - ranged this week (pre-sunrise) from "0" on Monday to 28 degrees on Saturday - but 4 days this week we reached the high 50's, low 60's. We generally reach (and sometimes exceed) Denvers day time highs, but are usually 20 or so degrees below overnight lows.
River looks fantastic, ice free & gin clear - tons of habitat, bunch of trout (if you know where to look and are sneaky) - Jeremy had a couple of good trips this week, really nailed 'em today - He was stoked (Oh yeah, so was the client)
Week ending February 24th, 2011
Another week of wind most days, some not too bad, others a bitch
Flow went from 150 cfs to 115 cfs on Friday - pretty nice winter flow - trout are spooky, river remains gin clear & ice free.
Actually had rain showers here in the valley on Saturday night - too warm for snow - mid 40's.
Jeremy is back on the river since blowing his knee out 6 weeks ago - got it scoped, went thru the re-hab & did his first trip on Thursday - not a slay fest, but they got into them - Jeremy was all smiles - hard to keep a guy like that isolated to the shop - good to see him back on the water - the trout, not so much - Told him he had to wait until March 1st, but I broke down.
Jesse is down in Mexico playing a tour event with his brother in Cancun - miss him on the water, but we did get out for a day with Randy & Gill before they flew out - an old spot we plied last year about the same time - I was already in place - then the crew showed honking and barking - no noses this year (still a little early) - but we each got a good one - and managed to keep Gill from helping us land em.
We have seen a few of the "Big Midge" hatching - not enough to get the noses up yet, but a good sign - it is close to starting full swing - next week air temps are in the 60's - that could be it - with overnight air temps in the 20's - well, we will keep all posted.
I got out twice the past few days, hammered them on Wednesday, not so good today, but I hit some weird spots, just to see - didn't fool much, but saw a lot - they saw me too - game pretty much over.
But it is good to see the overall population of nice trout - I was just too eager - and yeah, just enjoy splashing thru a river in February with a fishing shirt, turtle neck and long-john top (OK, I DID put on the hoody when the winds came up - just to cut it)
Week ending February 17th, 2011
Not so brutal this week - except for the wind - last few days have been tuff - you can fish thru it, but you have to mend accordingly - one for the drift, 2one for the wind with the rod low, another for the drift - just adds another skill challenge - to an already challenging skill - the drift.
Do not be fooled or lulled when drifting sub-surface frauds - drift & presentation are as critical as floating a dry to a sipper - get it right, you get a take - be sloppy, well, just enjoy the day - which have been very enjoyable - for mid February. Hit low 60's, high 50's from Sunday thru today, felt colder due to the wind, but that is forcast to drop off by Friday.
Flow was dropped from 150 cfs on Monday to 100 cfs, then back up to 150 cfs on Wednesday. Most of the bank ice has melted, most of the snow is gone, river is gin clear (creek ice melt and runoff has not been bad so far)
License reminder - you can purchase your 2011 seasonal starting March 15th - you can do it online by going to www.wildlifelicense.com/co or at the shop (remember, we only accept cash for all license transactions at Flies & Lies)
Finally got out a few days this week - Fished tough on Tuesday, fished really good on Wednesday - that's why we love this river - humbles you at times, but keeps you on your toes - trout are fat and spectacular in color - went up and down the river on Wednesday and pretty much found them at every stop. Set up a simple 2 fly nymph rig and had a blast.
Still not finding any risers, lots of tiny midges coming off though, Big Midge is due any week now, then the season really kicks in - almost there.
Week ending February 10th, 2011
Well, that was another brutal winter week in the Rocky Mountains, 4" of snow overnight from last Thursday into Friday, Saturday saw it start again at 2 p.m., another 6" on the ground by Sunday morning, Monday into Tuesday saw another 4" and it pretty much kept up all day, quit around 5 p.m.
Total of about 16", I know I should be thankful and sympathetic to those on the East Coast - they have really been hammered - but I grew up there, and it is pretty much what I remember as a tyke - those kind of winters (and closed trout seasons - somthing like April 1st was opening day)
But the COLD - that is what stood out this week - so cold that it did not drop as much white stuff as it could (should) have - last 7 days pre-sunrise, -10, 10, 15, -18, -8, -38, -20 (thats right, minus 38, that's what the inside/outside thermo read in the kitchen - I think it is about 5 degrees off below minus 10, but still !!! - my down vest shell became brittle after a brief stumble to the wood pile)
Major sludge hatch's on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Today in the back yard - mostly gone by the afternoon. If you come across the sludge (flowing, but frozen water) just keep moving upstream, the closer you get to the dam, the less you will find - but always keep a wary eye for bergs, they can really scare the crap out of you when they hit & in the faster water, can send you right on your ass.
Good news, weekend predictions of high 50's, low 60's into next week - expect some afternoon run-off from the frozen feeder creeks - could put the color off a bit.
We had 3 guides out on 2 trips last Saturday (before the storm hit) - Duane, Lil Jon & Tom - all did well for the clients - got trout - but that has been about it - none of us have been on the water since Saturday - pretty much no one has - and the Shop really tanked again (did not even open on Tuesday - saw no clients most days) - so, once again, the trout have been left alone, are probably pretty hungry - should really turn on this weekend.
Sun now crests the East Range in the back at 7:45 a.m., drops over the West range at 5:15 p.m. - days are getting longer !!
Week ending February 3rd, 2011
Week started off great, Friday low 60's, same on Saturday with a flow of 175 cfs. Sunday hit low 50's, then Monday the bottom dropped out of the air temps
Woke to 5 degrees above "0", by noon it had started to snow and had only warmed to 8 degrees - dropped below "0" by 6:30 p.m.
Woke to minus 20 degrees on Tuesday and a pretty good "sludge hatch" in the back yard - flow was raised to 225 cfs after I called the guys at the dam and told them about the ice building up - that helped and the sludge started to dissipate.
Wednesday woke to minus 30 degrees below "0" = stupid cold, reached "0" by noon, but sludge, bank and anchor ice were present in the river.
But it wasn't over, woke to minus 32 degrees this morning pre-sunrise, but it reached 15 above by late afternoon - snow started again at noon, about 4" by sunset
We shut the shop at noon on Monday, stayed closed Tues. & Wed., opened Today, but closed at 1 p.m. when the storm started to intensify. We will be opened all weekend though
Being on the river these past few days would have been dangerous - just too damn cold, but the weekend is looking better. Flow was dropped back to 175 cfs today, that adds another element to getting in and out of the water - that bank ice that developed over that past few days at 225 cfs, is now suspended over the river at 175 cfs - be careful walking out on these shelves, they can break off and send you on a quick downhill run - ending in a big splash. Another thing to be on the lookout for are "bergs" - chunks and slabs of bank ice that break off and end up in the drift.
The bigger ones can give you a pretty good whack on the legs, and in faster water can knock you right on your butt - and with water temps in the high 30's (low 40's) a dip in the Platte is not a pleasant experience.
I was limited to quick trips to the wood pile and keeping the water taps running - last thing you want out here in Deckers are plumbing problems - had to run the furnace way too much, just to keep the crawl spaces warm and the water system flowing.
So, that in mind, the trout have had a nice break from the usual winter pressure & with those cold water temps, they probably did very little feeding- could really turn on in the next few days - hungry trout, gin clear river, great flow.
Week ending January 27th, 2011
Flow was dropped on Monday from 240 cfs to 175 cfs - still a great flow for winter - actually pretty ideal.
Typical winter week - high air temps ranged from mid 30's to low 60's (today) - snow flurries on Wednesday morning & Spring conditions today.
Horse Creek ice melted off some on Wednesday, putting off color water into the river, but just that day, and the river cleared out downstream as the sediment dispersed - & it really was not bad, even for the 1st 1/2 mile below the creek
Mornings can be slow, due to cold overnight air temps which really fluctuated this week - last 7 mornings pre-sunrise - +30, +20, 0, +10, -10, +15 - 0 - that minus 10 produced a morning sludge hatch downstream a ways, but it was gone by afternoon.
You are still looking for water temps of 38 degrees or above to really get the trout moving to frauds - I have found a few - and I mean very few - trout rising to adult midges - but very sporadic - nothing consistent yet, and only since they dropped the flow to 175 cfs.
No real killer midge larva or emerger this week, but we have some great patterns at the shop that seem to be more consistent than others - stop by, we will show you how to rig it up and how we use soft weight to get the right depth & presentation - all very critical for hooking up on the Platte in winter conditions.
Sorry to see not many taking advantage of the "Cabin & Guide" special, or the "Winter Nymphing & Breakfast" - a few have and were just blown away - if you are local (Front Range or Mid Mountains) - just look at a 5 -7 day forcast, pick a good one and give us a call - we can usually put these things together in 48 hrs or less.
Weekend looks fantastic - get on up here ! - You may only fool a few, land 1/2 of them, but the river looks so good - habitat, moss, clarity - and you get to sleep in !!!, 'cause getting here before 10 a.m. is just that paranoid feeling about beating the traffic - ain't much traffic on the way to Deckers - ever.
Week ending January 20th. 2011
Not a bad week, weather wise & we wanted to thank all of you who took the time to stop by the shop last weekend and drop some coins - really helped, every purchase counts this time of year & I know a lot of you really didn't need what you picked up, but the effort was great.
Flow remained steady at 140 cfs, but was bumped to 240 cfs late this morning - should be great this weekend.
Only got out once this week (had to pull 9 days straight in jail - the shop - Jeremy busted up his knee on a mountain, Jesse was in Hawaii at the Sony Open, Duane was in Ohio looking at schools with his son & Rich had the flu) - so one day was all I could manage - but it was good and the river (habitat) looks amazing in most spots - and not too many anglers - got into all the runs I wanted all by myself.
River is gin clear and ice free - minor sludge hatch this morning, ( woke to minus 10 degrees air temp - and last Monday woke to 38 degrees - Rocky Mountains) but with the bump to 240 cfs, that should not be a problem this weekend
If you do hit a sludge hatch early a.m., just move upstream - Gill trail parking lot is open - getting a lot of calls if it is - opened January 1st - both the lower lot and the upper dam trail are OK now for public use - the closer you get to the dam, the less ice & sludge you will encounter - water comes out of the pipes at low 40's - lake level is 5 feet from the spillway.
Still bitter cold mornings, but pleasant afetrnoons for the most part - bankers hours - and water temps of 38 degrees and above are ideal - tons of midges hatching, trail a fraud behind a Stone, San Juan Worm or a Scud - get the weight and distance to indicator right and - wham - trout on.
Week ending January 13th, 2011
Well, that was one #@%$&^* COLD week - Friday wasn't bad, mid 40's and fishing OK at 175 cfs, then they dropped the flow that afternoon to 150 cfs - dropped again to 125 cfs on Sunday - which was not good, 'cause the bottom dropped out of the air temps.
Storm hit Sunday afternoon - semi white out at the cabin by 2 p.m., 15 degree air temp - Monday morning woke to about 5" on the ground & minus 5 degrees - never got out of the teens, then minus 20 on Tuesday morning and the first major "Sludge Hatch" of the season
"Sludge Hatch" is frozen, but moving, water - pretty much un-fishable - and it was heavy in the backyard. If you come across it, just start moving upstream - the closer you get to the dam, the less of it you will see & eventually find open water - the problem was with the drop to 125 cfs - not enough flow to keep it open & flowing at the cabin and shop
It did not last long, they opened the flow up to 250 cfs that morning - mainly because it was so ice packed downstream they had hardly any flow into Strontia Springs - and again, the high did not get past mid teens
Wednesday I woke to minus 10, but it eventually reached the very low 30's (briefly) - today was not bad - 8 degrees above and high 40's by 2 p.m. - the rest of the week & weekend look good - mid 50's and trout that have not been bothered for quite a few days.
Needless to say, we did not get out at all and the shop really tanked - maybe a half dozen visitors the last few days - Ouch!!
Flow was dropped today to 140 cfs - should be fine as far as ice and sludge go - and 140 is a great winter flow - much what we expect for most of the winter season, Roberts Tunnel, that feeds the North Fork out of Grant (actually drains Dillon Reservoir thru the Tunnel under the Divide) has been shut off for maintenance this winter - you could ice skate from Bailey clear down to the old South Platte Hotel at the confluence right now on the North Fork - frozen bank to bank.
Many sections of the main fork (our river) do not see sun at all during the day, so when we do go out we tend to find the sunny sections - could be as much as a 10 degree air temp difference from shade to sun - the ideal position is to be in the sun and fish to the shade - but at the sake of comfort I will always choose "fish in the sun to the sun" if that is what is available - as opposed to standing in a shadowed canyon section.
Week ending January 6th, 2011 (covers 2 weeks from Friday, December 24th - took a week off)
Flow started out at 115 cfs on the 24th of December, bumped to 230 cfs on Wednesday the 29th, then down to 175 cfs on January 3rd.
Big increase to 230 cfs came just in time for the "Big Chill" over New Years weekend
New Years day I woke to 25 degrees below "0" (probably more like 20 below - don't trust that kitchen indoor/outdoor thermometer too much past minus 20), but never the less - brutal COLD - first thing you do up here is check the water, so I did and it was OK - that was at 5 a.m. - at 7:30 I went to start the shower - no water - uh-oh. - had the furnace set to Hi 50's overnight, cranked it to 70 degrees at 5 a.m. - thought I had moved it in time, but no luck.
Ran a space heater into the crawl space where the Furnace and Water System live - bolted to the shop to hang a "sorry, closed" sign on the door, then back to the cabin - eventually heated up some of the emergency toilet water (2 x 5 gallon containers for , well, emergency flushes - if the pipes freeze up and/or we lose power - lose power up here, lose the well pump - no well pump - no water) and poured it over the exposed pipes and hoses in the crawl space - that was the ticket, back in buisness by 11 a.m - thankful for a propane stove and furnace
So the increase to 230 cfs helped save the river from iceing up, not even a "Sludge Hatch" up here thru Deckers - the river remains ice free & sliudge free & should remain that way at 175 cfs - and remains gin clear.
Most other mornings were single digits (above and below "0") - definetely Bankers Hours - say 10 or 11 a.m. to 2 - 3:30 p.m. is optimum.
Gill Trail parking lot has re-opened, the top (dam) trail parking lot has been opened for a week or so.
Had not been on the water much, mainly due to the air temps & some windy days (getting older, river runs thru the backyard) you get to pick & choose - I usually choose a warm fire & a book - big change when I used to try and fish thru the "Sludge Hatch" the first few years I moved to the cabin full time - no matter what, run chapstick on the guides and just go for it - but no matter how you tried, unless the water temp hit 38 degrees, you were still pretty much casting and freezing - and frozen guides ended up as broken tips - sure thing if you hooked a Hog at an air temp of minus 5 degrees - trust me.
Storm hit on Thursday December 30, started at 11:30 a.m., white out by 1:30 p.m., but only dropped about 4" by the next morning - it stayed in place, 'cause it was COLD, and that don't help with day time (or nighttime) air temps. What a difference 1 day can make - that was today, Jan 6th - hit 55 degrees, blue bird sky, no wind - I went fishing - snow started melting, but the river stayed clear.
Horse Creek & Wig Wam Creek are pretty much iced over (found a new huge beaver pond up Horse Creek about 1 mile from the shop - massive dam - good stuff - nice silt trap)
Best fraud today - a Stone - we sell it at the shop - the original gangster - but, sitting on the bank and watching the drift, which I do alot (R&D) - many hatching midges - all kinds - little cream ones, larger black ones, middle olive ones - I carry a small aquarium net to catch the floaters (almost impossible to bare-hand them)
So, little cream frauds, larger black ones #20 - 22 - , purple & olive middle ones worked, but the Stone reigned - Oh yeah, I got back into nymphing, as always, every year I try anything but, then I get serious, rig up right, concentrate on all the little things, and - man, it is a blast.
Not many trips going out, but the ones that do have been excellent - Last Monday, Jeremy & Jesse did a Breakfast & Nymph trip with a dad & his 2 sons (sent a great thank-you e-mail) - and they found a lion kill on the backyard island - pretty fresh, pretty violent - lots of blood and gore - must have been an icredible event - lion came across the river in chase - pretty rare.
Bald Eagles have been very active - I think they miss the old dead Cottonwood that stood in the back, but went down in the Spring due to wind and age - had one circle the back 5 times, trying to land in the big, live Cottonwood still standing, but they hate the twigs of a live tree - finally settled on top of a pine across the river over the aquarium hole - stayed 'till almost dark.
Wanted to thank all who visited the shop in 2010 & dropped a few coins - it was a good year for the river (no major events, ie floods or fires) and all of us at Flies & Lies thank those good friends who always visit, but we still need your support at the start of a new year, so please, take advantage of the deals on Winter Guides & Cabins, Guided Trips or Equipment - or just come by and say Hi, and buy somthing you may need this Spring - we don't sell anything you will not need - come by and drop a few coins - it all helps - trust me - we survive only thru your support - and we really want to keep this going - it is a good thing - for everyone.
Danny
Week ending December 23rd, 2010
Flow was bumped from 60 cfs to 90 cfs on Tuesday to 115 cfs on Wednesday, where it now stands
Completed our year end Shop Inventory on Thursday - main thrust was to count every individual fly in all the box's - Oh Man - what a pain - but Duane, Jeremy, Jesse & I dug in & got 'er done - thousands of bugs.
The conversations and comments were great though - at some point the little "Blue Midge" pattern came up - "why does it work so well in the winter?" - Jeremy "Well, Midges get cold too"
For the rest of the count he was referred to as the following - "Dr. Seuss, Mr. Rodgers & Bill Nye the Science Guy" - But it is true - they do get cold - and blue works well - a true observation, but it was still a lot of fun coming up with the names
River went off on Sunday due to Horse Creek melt down - happened in the afternoon - otherwise all is great - when the creeks ice up, then warm days follow, this happens
1st day of winter on Tuesday - shortest days of the year, sunlight wise - she now starts her treck over the backyard range to the North, every morning she will now inch further away from her South terminus - days are getting longer - but right now, she pops over the range at 8 a.m., drops to the west at 4 p.m.
River looks great, lots of habitat, rolled some rocks on Wednesday, found Stones, tons of Midge Larvae, May Fly Nymphs and a few Scuds - Healthy River - some great Trout - size & numbers - and not many anglers
We like this
Week ending December 16th, 2010
If you were not on the river, any ice free river, ( but specifically the South Platte) on Monday or Tuesday, December 13th & 14th you fall under the following :
You love your job - I mean REALLY love your job.
You make a fat wallet only if you show up - (still not a good excuse, but I understand -yeah, not really)
You are afraid of your boss, 'cause you used up a lot of sick days during the Caddis Hatch ( and you think he is on to you because you came back with a tan in May)
You don't own a fly rod.
Otherwise, those 2 days were exceptional, weather wise, hit low to mid 60's, no wind to speak of (you could wait 'till a low and cast thru it) or just muscle a streamer if you were impatient.
I went on an adventure with my good buddy Marc on Monday - and I never leave the valley to fool fish, but he called me at the shop on Sunday and said he had access to a small creek near Cripple Creek - flows at 53 degrees all year due to a spring, never freezes over in that section - I stalled - then got Jesse to cover the shop, called back "Yeah, I'm in"
What a cool place, full of Wild Brown Trout from 8 - 14" - Marc started with a dry double dropper and hooked up quickly, I played around with a few rigs, then saw a nose, then another - this is mid December - but tons of bugs were coming off - May Flies, Midges - even a few small Stones
So I re-rigged to a Parachute trailing a Foam top, typical South Platte River presenattion - they wanted the parachute, ignored the foam top - complete reversal of the back yard, and I got a bunch to take, snipped off the foam top trailer and cast the single dry - Marc caught up with me so we switched out - this thing is so small and willow banked that all you could do was walk up the middle and cast upstream, switch out from dries in the pools, to dry/dropper in the riffles and pockets
We would get to a pool and swap out, gave him the 9' 4 wt Saint Sage (One of my rods, butt section is a Sage, tip is a Saint Croix - just one of those things that happens with my rods - I just ain't a gear guy - drives Jeremy, Jesse, Rich & Duane nuts - my response "it ain't the equipment, it's the operator"
Still drives them wacky - same thing when I pinch on my indicators, instead of using Yarn or Thingamabobbers for nymphing - that really gets to Jeremy & Jesse - they sneak Thinga's into my wader pockets, but I have a secret stash of pinch ons, if I decide to nymph.
Marc & I plied the upper, easy section of the property, then drove down to find the lower section access - which did not exist - we were on the "Shelf Road" - and I know why it is named - ass puckering drive. 200 + foot drop to the creek below - this is why you keep a loaded revolver in the truck - to shoot youself before you plummet into the valley below and expire in a fiery crash - but now we know how to approach it in the late summer/early Fall with Hopper Patterns - & to avoid that scary ass road.
Got back on Monday evening from the expedition to find Jesse & Gill in the back yard - Jesse nailed 3 good trout in 20 minutes of watching from the porch - one big Buck 'Bow - Gill was a good fishing dog, 'cause the action was quick, kept his attention - reminded me why I do not drive a 100 mile round trip to fool trout - but once in a while it's Ok - friends count for a lot of it, and Marc is really into it, and a good friend - so I go, once in a great while - not so much for the angling, but to visit with a good buddy who needs to fish
Flow stands at 60 cfs, all week, storm on Wednesday night was a bust, just a dusting, really wanted a good 6" but it went south.
River looks great and has been pretty much wide open - as far as anglers go - but with the low flow, the trout are spooky - stay low, move slow, cast gently - amd enjoy the views - I find that many anglers don't stop and observe the vistas the river unfolds
Big Beaver now working on the back yard bank home near the well - this is a big beast - almost the size of Gill (Jesse's Aussie) - 2 mornings in a row, rebuilding the entrance - I guess he dislikes the lower flow as much as we do
Week ending December 9th, 2010 + most of Friday the 10th
Waited until Friday 'cause I wanted to drive down to the confluence and see how the ice and river were doing at 60 cfs - that's right, we are currently at 60 cfs, dropped from 80 cfs on Tuesday
River looked great, some bank ice lower down - we had some bitter cold nights this week, except for last Friday, woke to a balmy 45 degrees, felt like Spring on December 3rd - hit 60 after noon.
But the rest of the mornings were pretty much single digits - today started at 15 degrees above "0" - but again, hit the high 50's - really sweet days, wind can be a bother, but not too bad
Horse Creek ran off color on Thursday, some due to ice melting, some due to the work being done in the swamp about 2 miles from the shop.
Still playing around with streamers, more for the excercise than catching, but it works some of them up pretty good - get serious with a nymph rig and you can really get into them - but all and all - being honest - at 60 cfs - it is tough - spooky trout - gin clear cold water - makes you work for them.
On the upside, drive today saw 1/2 dozen anglers - for 13 miles of river - not one run I wanted to check had a rod anywhere near it - that's good stuff - on the down side, the shop really tanked - revenue wise - but some new and old faithfulls came in and dropped a few bucks - mainly in appreciation for the weekly report (not a BLOG - I started this thing before BLOG became a word describing somthing - and I still have no idea what BLOG means - and don't really care)
I like this time of year, too dry for my taste, fire wise - but the river looks soooo good (most sections, with any gradient) & the trout are in there - trust me - even if you don't spot them - they spot you - and bolt - stealth, approach, read the water - look before you jump - spook one and you probably spooked a bunch
Sun pops over the backyard range at close to 8 a.m., drops to the west at 4:10 p.m. - 2 more weeks and she starts to move back to the north from her cold winter trip towards the south - like it when she stops the south trend - means we are only a few weeks out to the BIG MIDGE hatch
Week ending December 2nd, 2010
Flow was dropped on Tuesday to 85 cfs from 165 cfs - fishing has been great - catching a little bit tougher.
Storm on Sunday into Monday left 2"+ of snow on the ground, Tuesday morning I read minus 10 degrees on the outside thermometer (that you can read from the kitchen - but first step out to the porch for coffee did not leave much of a doubt) - bitter cold - but no ice or "sludge hatch" in the back yard.
River looks fantastic for the most part, lots of habitat, lots of trout - just a little tougher to fool them.
I still walk a lot of river casting streamers - more for the excercise and R&D - nymphing can be excellent, but correct weight, frauds & weight to indicator distance are critical for success
Jesse & I finally got out for a quick session on Wednesday, Jeremy was stuck in jail (the shop) - Gill came along to watch, but things were slow, so he loses interest & tends to wander off in the willows - make a few casts, then "Gill, get over here" - he comes readily, make a few more casts, look around, then "Gill. get over here", 'cause he dissapeared again - it is amazing how fast he can do this. We got him interested in a river rock for a bit, thought he was OK with that, few more casts "Gill, dammit, get over here"
But after dog chasing, lots of catsts (Jesse had dry/dropper that worked really well on Tuesday evening) and another rod rigged for nymphs - I cast and stripped a Slumpy - and got a toad of a Rainbow - easy 20 ", but only a few more bumps (short takes) - Jesse had a few takes, but it was slow (for what we are used to) - then a rise - we both saw it - then another - I looked down and plucked a #20 BWO Dun off the surface, saw a few others struggling out of nymphal husks
We both swiched out to double dries - Jesse got 3, I got one - but the bigger picture was - this is DECEMBER 1st - and we are catching trout on Blue Wing Olive imitations, in the fading light of a mini canyon section near Deckers & a perfect stretch of water it was - pristine.
Sun now crests the back yard range at 7:45 a.m., drops over the west range at 4:20 p.m. - definetly into "Bankers Hours" now - 10 - 11 a.m. to 2 - 3 p.m. (except for Jesse - he stayed after dark 2 nights this week, got an Amy eater for the effort - on the last day of November!!)
Keep in mind this rule of thumb - our overnight temps (actually that hour or so before sunrise) can be 20 degrees (or more) colder than Denver, but our day time highs will equal (or exceed) those of the city.
Take advantage of our winter specials (just scroll up - cabins, guides, breakfast)) - 'cause it looks like a very promising winter session
Week ending November 25th, 2010
Flow went from 110 cfs to 165 cfs on Tuesday, great winter flow.
Wind has been an issue this week, but you just gotta deal with it - and you can, just don't try to fight it
Last Friday, DOW stocked 65,000 "sub-catchable" trout - these are 3 - 5 inch yearlings - from Deckers Bridge downstream to the North Fork Confluence - that comes out to about 5,000 per mile - these are fast growers and at a 20% survival rate that comes out to an additional 1,000 per mile of "catchable" trout by next summer - 40% would be 2,000 - that would be sweet, and just what we needed.
If you get into a bunch of them, just move up or down stream 40-50 feet, they will stay podded up for the first few weeks before they begin to disperse thru the river - get away from the pods - get into bigger trout.
Jeremy has had some good trips this week, but they had to work for 'em - mainly small stuff dead drifted on short lines. I continue to play with streamers, but get into the nymphing now & then - sometimes forget how much fun it is, when you get back into the rhythm, set on a take that is usually a rock, but some times a trout - the head shake and initial run are such a rush, and the gin clear water just adds to the experience. But, remember, if you make the mistake of thinking too quickly that it is a rock, you could lose a hog
I have had a lot more chances to be on the river, and it just looks so good - we are very up-beat about the general condition - habitat, aquatic growth - tons of bugs.
Start thinking about our "Cabin & Guide " winter special - fantastic deal (scroll up to see )- come in and see our new line of Temple Fork fly rods - they are sweet and at a great price - looking for a unique gift - try a "Guided Trip" gift certificate - done really nice with recipients name on an 8 x 11 sheet with pics, etc. You can call the shop with any request and we will gladly post the items - we even have 6 compartment logo fly box's with 13 winter patterns for $23.00
Sorry to be a little comercial, but it is winter, things slow down, and we still have to pay the rent at the shop - I know you understand - some of you guys were ahead of the game these last few weeks - came in and got stuff they didn't really need, but got it anyhow - just to help out - we all thank you - keep on coming - Happy Thanksgiving - 15 at the cabin this year - too much fun.
Week ending November 18, 2010
Trout population surveys were completed on Friday and the flow was bumped up to 145 cfs from the survey flow of 45 cfs, but was dropped on Monday to 115 cfs, and dropped again on Wednesday to 85 cfs, then back up today to 110 cfs
Morning air temps have really dropped - minus 2 degrees at the cabin pre-sunrise on Sunday, but it tends to warm quickly - high 30's to high 50's this past week - some windy days, some flurries, some great afternoons, but we are closing in on "Bankers Hours" - basically 10 a.m. to 2 or 3 p.m. is optimal - that's pretty much where we set the guide trips now - no more full days, but you can still do a 1/2 day with some grub if you opt for our "Winter Nymphing & Breakfast" - scroll up to see the rates, and also a great deal on the River Front Guest Cabin with a guided trip included.
Still seeing some BWO's in the afternoon, and at 110 cfs, a few more risers - flow brings Dry/Dropper back into play, but your best bet is a good old high stick, dead drifted nymph - short line, the right weight and distance from frauds to indicator - these are some of the things we see from most anglers for winter nymphing - too much line on the water, too much weight or not enough, indicator too far from the flies (or too close) - and yup, too much line on the water (I know I already said that, but it is a big one)
Be stealthy, sneak around, stay low - you may feel a bit silly as cars drive past on Rt 67, but who really cares - I look silly most of the time, but tend to hook up nicely - nothing like fighting a trout when a car does drive down the road - we call those "Car Fish"
Bad news about the "Horse Creek Swamp" about 2 miles from the shop down Rt 67 - the one where the water comes in clear, then comes out brown before it enters the Platte at Deckers. Ran into some Forest service people on Tuesday, on my way back from the weekly town/supply run - turns out they "ran out of money", so the work we hoped would be performed will not take place - I was stunned - said they were going to remove some logs, tamp down the rest and that was it - We were right next to the huge pile of granite boulders that were trucked in last year to re-bed the creek - I asked if they were going to be used - "Nope, don't have the money" - Pretty sad.
Big Buck in the yard this morning, following one doe after another - first big one of the season - came around the garden fence after one sleek doe, within 10 feet of me as I enjoyed a cup of coffee on the porch - He could have cared less - the yearling doe following at a discreet distance - giving the adults some private time - NOT - just actually very confused by what was taking place - happens every year
More Bald Eagles moving into the valley - watched 2 in a mating clutch on Tuesday, very high above "Hole in the Wall" - a rare sight, amazing movement, then the actual joining as they spin quickly towards the ground - then release with plenty of time before a deadly crash.
Had a 1/2 day guide trip today - rare for me, being too busy with the shop and cabins, so it was good to get out - a very good angler, although I don't think he thought he was - wanted to pick up some nymphing techniques - so that's how we started - rolled a few, hooked a few, but it was tough - wind came out of no-where (we actually changed dates from Tuesday because of the wind predictions - it was bad on Tuesday, but just as bad today, when it was predicted to be calm)
Finally got a few to the net on nymphs - one really spectacular Rainbow in full colors, then I suggested a streamer, so we whacked a few on a slumpy, missed a few (short takes) and had fun watching some follow the fraud almost back to the rod tip. Then I found a few noses poking up - we had 2 rods rigged ( I can do that with just one guest - just like a gun bearer on safari ), so as he continued stripping the streamer, I rigged the other with a parachute BWO and a trailing foam top emerger - Bob laid out the cast, perfect presentation - and bam - one on a dry (the foam top) - triple crown - nymphs, streamers and a beautiful rise and take - a good day, lots of fun - really enjoyed it - he is a good angler.
Couple of emails this week from past clients, complimenting the operation, the cabins - but mainly Jeremy - for his patience, teaching, knowledge, tips & getting them into trout, most times in water they would have passed by - we sure love this stuff.
Week ending November 11th, 2010
Flow was dropped to 45 cfs this week so DOW could perform the annual trout population survey - we expect flows to go up Friday as the survey is completed - probably back to the 150 - 200 cfs range. Surveys were done in Cheesman Canyon, Deckers and downstream from Scraggy - we will post the results when they are completed - usually takes a few months
BWO's still hatching, just depends on where you are how good it is - pretty much just dumb luck - Tuesday & Thursday we had some weather, flurries, cold, but it did not amount to much.
Jeremy was out on Thursday and it was pretty brutal - weather wise - trout wise it was pretty good - he got the guest into quite a few, even at the low flow.
Duane went hunting deer & Elk (last rifle season) - L'il Jon was after ducks & trout up near Spinney, Randy was hunting and cutting wood
Jesse and his brother Shane were in a PGA event in Florida - but mainly bass fishing - got a call Tuesday night from Jesse - all excited - while stripping and popping a frog pattern and getting a few good Big Mouth Bass on the 6 wt, a 2 foot 'gator started to chase the deer hair - Shane yelled "Jesse, 'gator after the fly" - Jesse "yeah, I see it!!!" and kept stripping and popping - the gator took and the battle was on - Jesse yelled to Shane to get the camera - faught the 'gator around the pond - then, yup, up into the grass - thing was on a tear - Jesse tried to get close enough to get it's mouth closed and release the fly - but the "gator thru it" - seems Jesse had been watching enough Discovery Channel shows to properly land a 2 foot lizard.
Now Jesse thinks he has a knew gig - "Gator on the Fly" - wants to promote it thru the shop - gave me a call on Wednesday night - "still working out the kinks" - seems a 4 foot 'gator is a bit too much, gotta target the 2 - 3 foot beasts - good job Jesse
Had 2 yearling Bucks under one of the front yard Elm trees this week - trying to hide out with a bunch of Does & Fawns - started to play at head butting - looked to me like "Hey, watch my eyes" - "Hey, watch my ears" then they would break to eat some elm leaves, then start up again "Hey, that was my nose" - "sorry" - "Hey c'mon, watch the eyes" - God help them when the real Bucks emerge from the high country this week for the rutt - little late this year, nice long warm Fall.
Back to our river - Wednesday, the first day of the radical flow drop, I walked the river - left the rod and waders at the cabin - just wanted to search for trout in the low flows - and saw a bunch of good ones - but they were super spooky - if you did it right, you could get pretty close - spot a few ones feeding - then one more step and one would spook, then the whole pod - then all the other ones you did not see - it was very cool.
This could be an epic weekend - weather wise - just enough clouds, maybe some flurries, just the right stuff - looking for a little more comfort, try Tuesday and on - looks to be mid 50's and dry
Week ending November 4th, 2010
Flow started out at 190 cfs, up to 200 cfs on Saturday, down to 155 on Tuesday, to 135 on Wednesday and down to 120 cfs today
Lower flows bring dry/dropper rigs back into play
BWO hatch continues (re-started ?), can begin as early as 11 a.m., with the lower flows more trout are looking up, but these are small bugs (#22) and you really have to hunt out the risers on the sunny days, much better with some cloud cover.
Clocks fall back on Saturday night, currently the sun pops over the East Range at 8:30 a.m. (that will change to 7:30), and drops to the West at 5:40 p.m. (which will change to 4:40 p.m. next week) - the bugs and the trout do not know we do this, so things will start to get going a little earlier.
Also found some small Caddis this week - dark body, light wings and we are finding trout just about everywhere - riffles, slicks, pools.
Weather remains incredible for anglers - woke to rain in the valley and snow on the surrrounding ranges on Monday, but it cleared out by late morning & hit high 50's - otherwise COLD mornings (low to mid 20's) and warm afternoons (high 50's to low 70's) - 40, 50 and even 60 degree air temp swings are common in the valley from pre-sunrise to mid afternoon in the winter
Not as many Bald Eagles on the river this year, word has it that most are staged up at Cheesman Reservoir - figure they will move into the valley as the lake freezes over, but plenty of deer, does, yearlings and a few small 4 prong bucks all on the property this week.
We continue to play with streamers off and on, and that's how the action is, on & off - but it is fun when it's on - a good way to find where trout are holding, and we find them in the damdest places - I took 2 nice bows in a fast 6" deep riffle - surprised the hell out of me. Also lets you walk a lot of river, get a feel for things at different flows, and we had our share of that this week. You also get "Chasers" - trout that follow the fraud out of the habitat - but never take, or short take - sometimes, if you feed it back to them, they will whack it - and it gives you a solid idea what sections are holding trout at certain flows for future trips with clients. We like having stash spots that we share (most times) between us.
I typically start out (at the lower flows) with a dry (attractor) & double dropper (forgot to mention the gazillion midges hatching almost all day long), then switch to the BWO imitations when I start to see some noses, but if you are use to nymphing the river, that is your best bet for hooking up. Sub-surface action has been on small midge patterns in the a.m., then almost as small BWO emergers and nymphs in the p.m. - + a handful of attractor lead frauds
Got quite a few R&D trips in this week (shop days are winding down, don't have to cover as much) - one session in the backyard - found a lone riser - far side of a fast current - no particular rhythm, laid out a cast, let it drift - not good enough, but let it get well downstream before I retrieved and laid it out again - that worked - the violent head shake that vibrates from rod tip to hand to wrist then shoulder - it was a good one.
Week ending October 28th, 2010
Last Friday was a winter day - we had a few more winter days, then a few typical Fall days. then a couple of summerfall days, Today started out at the cabin at a true 10 degrees above "0" - hit mid 60's by 2 p.m. - actually a wintersummerfall day - but what an afternoon - perfection for a trout bum - no wind, some high clouds, gin clear river at 200 cfs, you just can't equal this - anywhere
Big winter storms and snow dumping to the north and west - but not here in the valley - though, with some of the over night lows, puddles in the shop parking lot had a good coat of ice
We (Li'l Jon) took Tim, the CEO of Global Diving (group doing the work at the dam) on a trip this week, he had a blast & caught a bunch of quality trout - nice guy, reminded me of my years underwater - sent a really nice thank you note - I think he will visit the project again before completion - during my years no CEO ever visited the job site, but then, except for New Zealand, none offered quality trout, then again, I don't think any of them angled for trout - I could easily have worked for Tim
Browns are really moving into Fall Spawning colors - had one today that was Ken Kesey-ish - just electric - but so are the 'bows, and I hung one CutBow today that was brilliant - on a surface attractor - taking Aunt Amy for a walk, to be exact - just to see what might happen & somthing did - twice actually - but between an awful lot of casts and drifts.
Pretty much back to nymph rigs now, not much surface action to speak of. 'Been playing with streamers again - some days it is really on - others not so good, but it's fun and breaks up the nymphing and when they want to eat it you know about it
Sun now crests the East Range in the backyard at 8:15 a.m. - drops to the West leaving the back range in shadows by 5:45 p.m.
Weekend and all of next week look excellent, weather wise - this sure is a beautiful Fall, the river looks sooo good (most of it) - and the trout seem bigger.
Jeremy & Duane have both been out most of the week with clients and some trips are well into double digits (we don't count, but some of the clients do - as well they shoud) - Jesse is back from golf and is now out shooting ducks with Li'l Jon, expect them both back on the river next week - none of us have had a chance to fish together for a long time - I think that should change next week, as it should - I miss it.
Week ending October 21 + Friday the 22nd (wanted to see what the storm would
Storm hit today, Friday, hail & rain, tinted the river a little, but not too bad, should be fine by Saturday - pretty miserable out there for most of the late morning & into the afternoon.
Flows started out at 100 cfs, bumped to 140 on Saturday and up to 160 cfs on Sunday - more like 180 cfs below Deckers - pretty nice flow, river looks great, plenty of trout, just gotta know what to use and where to go
BWO's continue to hatch (size 22) but still not many trout feeding on the surface, really have to hunt them out if you want to work dry flies. Flow is a little high for dry/droppers. Surface action - rising trout - should improve this next week
Some very cold mornings this past week - mid to low 20's at the cabin, but most days turned out brilliantly - low 70's, little to no wind - perfect Fall days - and Fall has lasted a long time, sad to see the hail today, knocked most of the color out of the trees, but still plenty left
We started to push guide trip start times back to 9 a.m. - no reason to be out any earlier.
Trips have been very successful, lots of nice trout to the net, a lot more on long distance releases, then you hit a dry spell & wonder what happened to all the fish - then, boom - back into them again
Week ahead looks a little chilly, some more fronts due in, should be fantastic.
I know, this weeks report is a little thin, but it has been just too sweet on the water to concentrate too much at the desk - so I didn't - I fooled fish and it was fun & I'm gonna do it again next week.
Week ending October 14th, 2010
Flow has been all over the place this week, started at 80 cfs, down to 75 on Sunday, up to 120 on Tuesady, 150 cfs Wednesday (called and said they were going to 200) then down to 100 cfs today - makes things challenging
When the flows go up, the debris in the drift increases, lots of aquatic vegetation being knocked loose - sign of a healthy river, but a little frustrating - even gets tangled up in a dry fly
River is gin clear, rain on Monday night into Tuesday had no affect - had to run to town for supplies Tuesday morning, rain all the way, then snow at the golf course - heavy in town - on the way back it snowed all the way to Westcreek - 8 miles from the shop, then drizzle and gradual clearing.
Today, Thursday, was just incredibly beautiful - no wind, mid 70's air temps in p.m. - colors are just at peak - words just do not describe this time of year in the valley - and the bugs - all kinds - Tricos, BWO's, Red Quills, tons of midges - so many it makes selection a challenge
Had to do another town run today - weekend & early next week with full day guided trips - lunch food, propane for the grill, etc - got back around 1 p.m., unloaded, stored, then pulled on the waders - started with a big dry with 2 droppers - did OK, but it felt a little clumsy - found one lone trout along a cut bank, in the shadows of overhanging willows, actively feeding on Cripples, Duns, BWO's, Quills - I had no idea
Switched out to a #16 Para-Adams (closest thing I had to the Quill) & a #20 Cripple Olive (always a good bet for any hatch) - tough cast, hit the willows twice (just 2 inches too far) before I snaked it in there - amazed I did not spook him, then he took, nice 15 inch Brown - on the Cripple
That kind of trouit is worthy of an early departure - besides, could not find another trout eating surface bugs - bright day, good hatch, but no risers - except in the shadows - I have seen this many times - same amount of bugs on the surface, no trout rising, then a cloud covers the sun - few minutes later, all kinds of noses on the surface - see, it's like putting on a pair of polarized glasses - for the trout - they can't focus on surface bugs with the glare, but give the bugs a backround (clouds) and - well - now the bugs are - present - and readily available - and I truly think trout like to feed on the surface - I think they like breaking into that other world - for a brief second - to eat - I swear they get a kick out of it.
Jeremy has been on the river all week with clients and really getting into them - despite the fluctuation in flows.
Oh yeah, the Wild Turkey was good - settled on fried - out in the drive on Sunday - Jesse did a good job - but I made him take both fireplace extinguishers with him - just in case.
Week ending October 7th, 2010
OK, I can't remember when the valley looked so pristine & the river so inviting - fall colors are just about peaking, river is gin clear, flow from the dam at 80 cfs, more like 100 cfs below Deckers when you add the feeder creeks.
If you were ever thinking about a guided trip, or just a day on the river - this is it !!!
Tricos, Quill Spinners, Blue Wing Olives - and an assortment of other food abound - just too nice to really describe.
As I sit at the keyboard, I hear stomping on the back porch steps, then a gobble, gobble - human kind - I look over to the dutch door, and there dangles a good bird, in the grasp of Jesse - good weight, nice size - 3 miles from the cabin - 20 gauge, #8 shot - one shot - nice.
Debate is now how to prepare her - I voted for the grill - Lil Jon wants to fry her - gonna do it on Sunday - probably the grill - still too dry up here to mess with the big fry pot & easier to breast and leg her.
So off they went to finish the cast & blast - headed downstream to fish the hatch's & the water as I sit writing the report - but I got my R&D in this morning - and it was good - so many places you can't get to at 150 - 200 cfs, are now wide open - and the trout are - well - not so dumb as easily fooled - OK, kinda stupid - 'cause all I had were some big ugly dry flies and a Prince Nymph and a Buchskin - which I dropped, reluctantly, when only a few trout would smack at the dry - Buckskin worked good, but the Prince was key - other drops would have been better, but they were back at the cabin.
Not a slay fest by any means - but good enough for what I had and who it was meant for - more just looking and exploring - the river is so pristine in some stretches.
One thing we are seeing this year, more since the Hayman fire - lots more - by the thousands - are small fry - 1/2 inch up to 2" - all along the river - slow spots, back eddies - try not to disturb them too much - those are our future big wild trout
Dawson. our area DOW enforcer, has completed this years project (almost - a few more small signs are needed) on re-posting the regulations on this section of river - a big heart felt thanks to him and all that assisted - they look good - most are bi-lingual - it should help tthe poaching problem - but as Dawson and I both agree - if an @#%hole is gonna poach, signs do not matter - but, as Dawson also pointed out, it sure will be easier to write up the ticket - thanks Dawson.
Get up here, now is the time, weekend looks great - see you at the shop
Week ending September 30th, 2010
Last Day of September !!!
Flow started out this week at 134 cfs, got up to 144 cfs, down to 120 cfs on Tuesday & down to 95 cfs on Wednesday
River is gin clear and the surrounding colors are outstanding
Pre-sunrise air temps have hovered right at freezing all week, but mid days have reached high 70's, low 80's
Morning Tricos & Rusty Spinners - p.m. BWO's (small kind) and hoppers and beetles and Stimies - just depends on where you are if the spinners fall or the BWO's hatch - or if the trout are reacting to surface bugs.
Afternoon winds have been off and on - strong on some days, but last Friday was picture perfect
Fishable light at 6:45 a.m., sunrise at 7:40 a.m., sets at 6:35 p.m., fishable light until 7 p.m.
Too nice to be in the cabin writing this - so I'm gonna go fool a few - you should too
Week ending September 23rd, 2010
Flow remained steady at 130 cfs all week, river is gin clear and water temps are low to mid 50's - just perfect
Lots of bugs hatching, tons of midges, Tricos, Quills, assortment of other May flies and the small fall BWO - I mean small - #22 - #24 - had quite a few on the screened porch this week - they are just too cute, little wings and all - but so SMALL.
Got way too hot at the start of the week, air temp wise - record heat - 90 degrees plus, checked last years logs and saw that it snowed this week last year - Rocky Mountains.
Had some nasty winds hit the valley on Monday afternoon - blew some of the garden fence down - again - a spooked doe that ran into it the day before did not help - gonna have to anchor that thing properly one of these days - probably next Spring - winds remained off and on the remainder of the week, but lots of lulls.
Work has re-started on the Horse Creek Swamp - 2 miles from the shop & 14 months after the creation of the thing - nothing like "Git 'er Done" with these people - let's get another consultant - called job security, I guess - but at least some work is "get'in dun"
Last day of summer Wednesday, felt like it, lite drizzle from 3 p.m. on into the night & chilly - had the first fire of the season in the old Pine Ridge Stove - felt good - did not really have to fire it up, but I enjoy the sound and visuals - by early February I will come to view it as a pain in the ass - needed, but a chore less well recieved - hate having the propane furnace fire up, so I use the resource of fallen timber.
You can slay them on dry / droppers, lightly weighted nymph rigs or single dries (when you spot rising trout) - key is to figure out what they are on - emerging BWO's, Rusty Spinner falls, Trico Spinners, Midges, BWO Duns - caddis (been lots of small dark - black - caddis flitting about)
Walk and observe - well back from the bank - you can gain immense knowledge from just watching one trout as it feeds - and where in the water column it stays & what bugs are flying around and what rise forms are displayed. Jeremy cracked it this week with the rusty spinner - took a day or two, but he figured it out - this is not a spinner fall that we are used to here, but he stuck with it & results were excellent, I was duly impressed.
This is THE time of year on the South Platte as far as I am concerned - I love all the seasons, they all bring a different challenge - but right now, this place is spectacular.
Week ending September 16th, 2010
Sorry, never filed last weeks report, started it, did not like what I had down, then got slammed at the shop and on the river & never got back to it - happens a couple of times a year
Rich needed one of his days off, Jeremy was on the river every day, Jesse went to Utah with Gill to caddy for his brother in a couple of Nationwide tournaments (next one is in Idaho - casting flies and hitting little white balls as straight as you can) - end result - I got stuck in jail (the shop) for way too many days
So this covers 2 weeks, from Friday September 3rd, to Thursady Sept 16th - Flows started out at 165 cfs on the 3rd, dropped to 150 cfs that next week, bumped up to 240 cfs Saturday the 11th, down to 215 cfs on Sunday, then again down to 95 cfs on Monday, then back up Wednesday the 15th to 130 cfs, where it now stands.
River had been fishing tough through all the fluctuations, plus, a lot of aquatic vegetation ended up in the drift as the river went up in volume - we thought the reservoir had turned, but the boys at the dam did not think so - so that made it even tougher - dry flies were picking up moss !! - nymphing was a bitch
But, that has now pretty much cleared out - I went on a morning session Wednesday and had an outstandin time - started with a Para Olive trailing a foam top - got enough to look up and take to stay with it - then tied on a new pattern the boys brought into the shop - Wholly Cow, first drift and a nice fat (distorted belly fat) 14" 'Bow - 3rd drift after that a true trophy - 20"+ Hen 'Bow - I think the nicest trout I have taken on the surface this year - way downstream from the shop - little stash spot - fooled another brown and a Cut 'Bow before the 5th take broke me off (yup, always forget to check the knot and leader after a few fish - always - and it is so important - do it all the time when I am guiding - just not when I am fishing)
Nice Blue Wing Olive hatch on Wednesday - small kind, #20 - did not stay through the meat of it, but I bet it was good - this should be the start of the Fall Hatch - low, clear water, it should just get better as the days pass.
Today, Thursday, got another morning session in - found Trico Spinners at 10:30, BWO's hatching at 12:30 - + small dark caddis and a bunch of tiny midges - drove all the way downstream to check some runs that can't be fished at higher flows (best at 75 to 120 cfs) - got in the river, went to dress my dry flies - no lanyard around my neck !!- still hanging on the coat rack at the cabin !! (just too fast getting away from the phone and civilization - if you can call Deckers civilization - and I do - much more civilized than the rest of the world) - so I did what I could, with some old 5x tippet found in the waders and no tools (old bottle of dry shake was also found in a wader pocket) - and I did OK - broke off my big dry attractor on a good fish, spinner fall began so I tied on some #22's with 5x - no way to cut the tags - caught fish - some nice ones, but they had to be pretty dumb.
COLD mornings these past few weeks - sub 30's, ice on the Jeep some mornings, then hits high 70's - wind has been an issue on some days, mornings and afternoons, but it can be sporadic - don't fight it - use it - or cast in the lulls.
More Bald eagles have shown up - we are sure some are winter residents & the Deer have really started to herd up - many does with fawns on the property all gathered together for the rutt & a few small bucks (don't think they know what they are supposed to do yet)
Trees are starting to turn with autumn colors - along with the bank side bush - lots of local names, I have no real idea of what they are - but golds, yellows and fire reds abound - this is it - the time of year you have to see - and cast a fly in.
I can't do any real time in jail right now, just to sweet outside in the river, so if you see the "Honk Twice" sign on the door and need somthing - then honk - twice - if you just have some questions, then wait - I won't be long - or, just walk over to the bridge - you will find me 75 yards up or downstream - no more, no less - otherwise I can't hear the honks.
Week ending September 2nd, 2010
Yup, September - and it felt like it today - chill in the air, little too much wind, but if you worked with it, an easy upstream cast was available - right at 30 degrees air temp pre sunrise - cabin felt it - as usual, I left all windows open - Whoa - feet hit the floors and sweats went on -Now, Right Now, is my favorite time of the year on the river - another 8, maybe 10 weeks of bliss - if you were considering an outing - Now is the time.
Flow started out on Friday at 145 cfs and has remained steady all week, then bumped today to 165 cfs - river is gin clear from the dam to the confluence at the North Fork - just too prettty for words - and water temps are great - mid 50's - ideal for feeding trout & moving bugs
Had 3 guests in last week, all friends from all over the States - I think from the following - Oklahoma, Tennessee, & North Carolina - 5 nights in Bernies, 1/2 day trip on the first morning ( Monday ) to get a feel for the river, they checked in on Sunday afternoon at the Shop - got all the rental gear from us - so they could travel light - then ventured on thier own for the next few days - we set up "T" times at Shining Mountain, for the last morning ( Friday) , the one & only local golf course, in the shadow of Pikes Peak, 20 minutes away - rental clubs provided - yup, travel light - - 8,000 feet elevation - drives really fly - 18 holes and then up to Denver for a Rockies / Dodgers baseball game at Coors Field - spend a city night - then home.
That's a quality week - well planned and thought out.
Most of the Humminghirds have departed, along with many of the swallow groups - Jeremy & I both spotted Bald Eagles this week - very early, but they could just be migrating through the valley, maybe not the ones that set up winter residence - if they are, then it could mean an early winter - they usually show up mid October
Lots of hoppers around - imitations work best in the afternoons and evening - odd May Flies - BWO's and some Tricos, but the Fall BWO's should be just around the corner. Nymphing or Dry/Dropper in the mornings, then switching to surface attractors or hatch matching in the afternoons - unless you stumble upon a morning spinner fall - and you could.
Sun crests the East Range in the backyard at 7:15 a.m and has really started its march to the south., drops over the west range at 7:10 p.m.
Weekend looks to be sweet, high 80's predicted, clear river & lots of it
Week ending August 26th, 2010
Flow started out at 345 cfs this week, down to 300 on Friday afternoon, to 200 cfs on Sunday, then down to 175 cfs on Monday. Good news is that the dam is now able to release some water from the bottom valves, not much, but it really helped. (last update before report filed had the flow at 145 on 8/27/10 - please watch the water temps - at high 60's, either move upstream or call it a day - we thank you for that - as do the trout)
The divers actually benefit from the flow out of the bottom pipes, clears out the sediment they disturb when working - I use to do what they do - oceans to mountain lakes, some pretty big differences (atlitude, fresh water) - would have been nice if they performed the bottom valve work first, before the summer air temps hit, but they had to make sure that the engineering procedures worked on surface diving operations, before they send divers into saturation.
No underwater opertions are easy - the commute can be a bitch, but on this project, well, everything is a one timer - I used to love those projects, normally called out on them - but now I am a true Trout Bum- so I wish them safe times - I survived my early years as a an aquanaut, and loved it, some say we crave it, not sure about that, but probably correct in some aspects - people ask me what I did with all the money I earned from under the ocean - pretty simple - I spent 80% on women & booze - I just blew the other 20%
Water temps are now back to low 50's up to low 60's, depending on where you are and , of course, bright sun & hot days - it all has an effect on the water temps - especially the further away from the dam you cast a fly.
We had some heavy storm cells hit the valley - big one on Monday afternoon, but none have caused problems with the creeks or the river - warmest morning of the summer on Monday - overnight clouds kept the heat in the valley - then that strong cell, then waking to rain on Tuesday, rained all morning, but it was that "Oregon Drizzle" - kind of a nice change, kept things cool - pretty rare to wake to rain up here, usually an afternoon event - not so with snow & blizzards.
Things were again scary until Monday - water temp wise - but that seems to have passed. Dry / Dropper rigs are really working well, nymphing with a small shot and adjusting with "Mojo Mud" is pretty deadly - I mostly continue to cast a single dry attractor and get a few - sometimes a lot - but I am casting - to the water, any likely spot & I am pleased with the rewards.
Tricos have started the morning mating swarms - even in Deckers - bigger ones downstream, but the swarm on Wednesday around the bridge across the road from the shop was pretty impressive - not many trout sipping the spinners, but that should change over the next few weeks as they start to key into the helpless egg layers and spent adults - truly should be great with the low flow and clear water - oh, yeah, forgot to mention that - the whole river is gin clear.
Today I went on a full R&D run - all the way down stream, from the Cable Hole above the Bridge well into the dirt road past Night Hawk - I have to admit, at 175 cfs, the decomposed granite has really shifted and covered up some good habitat - at 300 cfs it was not as evident, at 175 - well it became more evident - I found trout everywhere I cast - but was dissapointed at some favorite old runs - but, move up or downstream a ways and - voila - back into habitat and trout - and at 175 cfs it ain't too hard to move around.
So if your favorite run looks a little different, move up or downstream, you will find a spot.
Sunset over the West range at 7:15 p.m., breaks over the back yard East range in the morning at 7:10 a.m. - still a bunch of time to cast a fly - maybe fool a few.
Week ending August 19th, 2010 + Friday the 20th
What a week - river looks - well - lots of descriptions (adjectives or adverbs?), but it is epic - gin clear, flow at 345 cfs, bunch of trout - many looking up - most will take the right surface pattern if presented well
Flow started out at 630 cfs last Thursday, then the drop off began - down to 485 on Friday, up to 500 on Saturday (a minor adjustment), down to 450 cfs on Tuesday, to 400 cfs on Wednesday, and down to 345 cfs today (which was Thursday when I started the report) - then down to 300 cfs on Friday (I waited to file this weeks report because major storm cells hit the valley late Thursday night - wanted to see how the Creeks did - and they did good - river remains clear)- and I will repeat myself - it is just too cool looking - if a Trout stream was going to be preseved in a museum, it would be the South Platte in Deckers right now.
All kinds of new aquatic vegetation, all kinds of bugs (no steady hatch, but Red Quills, Drakes, Olives, Caddis, Stones, Hoppers - lots of Hoppers in the willows)
Don't get me wrong, we are still aware and scared to our boots of a major event or storm cell hitting the wrong area - we hold our collected breath as "Wizard of OZ" clouds move over the drainage - but we have been blessed this year so far - dodging bullets - we have been whacked - Wig Wam Creek was hit really hard Monday night, river was off in the morning, but it cleared by the afternoon, Horse Creek drainage was not affected by that storm cell - Creeks clearing that quickly is a more normal pre-fire situation - the creeks will always blow out - that's what creeks do - but it is the recovery time that matters.
Two R&D sessions for me this week, neither at the best times of day - Tuesday, after the weekly supply run to town - 11:45 a.m., about an hour and a 1/2 - every run I wanted to explore was open - no one up here !! - just cast a big dry attractor upstream - no droppers, pure R&D - then today, Jesse and I did a split shift at the shop, Jeremy was out on a 1/2 day that went very well - I hit the water at 11:30 a.m., again, should have been nap time, but that is what I had - worked the Rock Garden - North side - from Johnson's rock to the bend hole - again, no one on my side.
What a classic situation, light was perfect, lit up the river in front of me, I just walked and cast and flashed trout and fooled a few - maybe 8 to the hand in a 150 yard stretch of water - another 1/2 dozen looked and followed for a bit, but they were smarter than my presentation - I never saw any that took, they just materialized out of sweet looking water
Dry / Dropper rigs have come into play this week big time - 2 nymphs dropped off a floating attractor or Hopper abot 2 -3 feet down and 10" - 12" apart with a micro shot between them - lot of fun to work (once you get the hang of it - and if you struggle with it, try a 1/2 day trip - Jeremy, Jesse and the rest of the gang will show you some easy techniques) and once in a while the trout nail the surface pattern.
Water temps - high ones - may come into play again at the lower flows - keep an eye on your stream thermometer and give the trout a break if it nears 70 degrees.
Gotta say, the trout are healthy and spunky - some real qualty trout up & down the river - fat bellied and colors that amaze - quite a few Cutbows this week - look for the orange gill slash
Weekend rubber hatches (tubers & other river recreators) - should start to thin out - school is back in session - last weekend was pretty packed, campgrounds full by Friday afternoon, etc - we are entering that great time of year in the valley, summer is almost over, the Fall really can be oustanding - trees turning, crisp mornings, warm days, low flows, gin clear water - hungry trout - they know winter looms - gotta eat.
As I said, I have just been casting a single dry fly - turned some clients onto them today - 5 -6 patterns - they called later (did not need a guide today, they will be back in late fall, they only had a few hours between meetings in the flat lands) - they got 'em - one pattern in particular & it was not Amy - made my day - those patterns could make yours
Week ending August 12th, 2010
Flow started out this week at 600 cfs, bumped to 640 cfs on Friday, bumped up again on Monday to 665 cfs, then today dropped back to 620 cfs - we expect to see high 500's by the weekend as the inflow to the reservoir abates - it really cranked up due to heavy rains in the upper drainage - on Monday the distance to the top of the spillway was less than a foot - a good south wind would send little whitecaps over the top
River has been doing great - still a little off downstream, but just keep moving upstream and you will find clear water - gin clear above Deckers Bridge on into the Canyon
West Creek was still high and off color all the way back to the lake on Tuesday, but is slowly dropping and clearing, Trout Creek was OK, and Horse Creek is off, but not bad - only off because of West Creek - Last significant rains we had were on Monday night in the drainage, air temps are predicted to cool this weekend, should be great.
Porch screens had all kinds of bugs this week - 2 very small (#22, 24) PMD looking in color on Sunday night - really not sure what they were - they were joined by a true PMD Monday morning #16-18, then a few Blue Wing Olives #18-20 during the week - some small lime green caddis, a few tans and dark browns, then yesterday evening a big o'le Hopper slammed into the porch and hung out for a while - then another of those big Drakes today, after a storm cell moved through the valley - I mean BIG - #12 easy - quite a spectacular bug - got a real good look with my flip foculs - dull green to gray, 5 spots down each side of the underside abdomen - tails almost as long as the body - huge thorax.
With the higher flows you had to approach the river differently this past week - basically 3 rivers, left bank, right bank & the middle - not much you can do with the middle - and most of the river course you have one bank or the other to work - but that is where we are finding Trout. Now, of course, this is a vague rule, since sometimes you can fish the middle, and do really well - Jeremy did it sightfishing today with 2 guests - and whacked 'em - did not land many, but the action was steady - it can be done in the right places (with the right guide)
Jesse, on the other hand, decided to work river left, which in that section, you could only work river right - unless you wanted to climb over a huge, slippery rock outcropping, then hike (whack) down thru the willows without even a game trail to follow, then turn around and fish the bank upstream - and some middle - where they ( He and the guest) raised and hooked - for a second - a huge Brown, Jesse said it was a "monster"
Last evening, 5 p.m., watched the last of the remaining swallow groups go nuts for some kind of hatch in the backyard home hole - hoping it was male tricos - could have been the big Drakes - left it to my imagination and first (well deserved) cocktail of the day - should have hiked down - but - nope - I like surprises and tonight I will rig up and do a propper R&D session.
Sun now pops over the East Range in the backyard at 7 a.m. - shadows creep up the range at 7:10 p.m. - total shadows by 7:30 p.m. when the sun drops over the west range - fishable light until 8 p.m. (or a lttle later)
Week ending August 5th, 2010
Flow started out this week (Friday) at 220 cfs, bumped to 275 on Sunday, to 350 cfs on Monday, 540 cfs on Tuesday and all the way to 600 cfs today - all is due to the heavy rains in the drainage and the effort to keep the water off of the spillway. We are stll being fed downstream by the mid level (60 foot depth) outflow pipes - Jeff Spohn (our area biologist) took a water temp reading at 60 foot of 61 degrees while doing some Kokanee work in the reservoir last week - still pretty warm
West Creek was slowly starting to clear during my Tuesday morning run to town & the river remained clear above the Deckers bridge, fishable below
Everything was looking good by Tuesday afternoon - even though we had some heavy rains in the drainage - Wig Wam Creek had flooded twice - pretty ugly both Monday night and Wednesday night, but cleared nicely by the a.m.
West Creek & Trout Creek were holding thier own until Wednesdays storms - looked pretty nasty last evening, not great this morning, but both were starting to clear about 3 miles from the shop.
The higher flows from the dam came just in time - even though the river looked ugly at times, it had no affect on the trout - plenty of clean water dilluting the brown stuff.
All in all, with the amount of rain here in Deckers and in all the surrounding drainages, we came out looking good - the fact that Wig Wam cleared so quickly, 4 Mile was never affected (until last nights deluge - she was brown this a.m.) & Horse Creek - well what can you say - last night after I closed the shop I came home, sat on the porch with a cocktail and waited for the first logs to go floating by - they never did - was sure they would - Deckers was under a flash flood warning - not just Douglas County, or the Hayman Burn area - but specifically Deckers.
Despite the flows, rain, & off color water we have had some excellent trips go out this week - Dry Double dropper in the right water, nymphing in other sections - it all worked
I went on a little R&D session this morning above the bridge - enjoying the morning and casting a large dry attractor upstream working the banks and out to mid river - not a crushing, but got a few good ones to rise and take - all this during the bump to 600 from 540 cfs - we are still seeing Pale Morning Duns, Blue Wing Olives, all types of Caddis, Midges, Stones and a few Hoppers.
At 600 cfs, dragging the bottom with weight and the right patterns is your best bet.
Jeremy & Jesse just got back to the cabin for cheesburgers with our regular client Rick and his group on a full day trip - and all I see are smiles - not a slayfest, but plenty of trout fooled and most landed - I think Rick enjoys the lunch almost as much as the angling - told him once we would change the menu some days, since he has had plenty of cheesburgers - told me not to bother & he meant it !
p.m. showers again today, but right now not too heavy - should have little affect on the river - Canyon is clear, above the bridge a little off color but looks really good, below the bridge at Deckers is clearing - should be good by the weekend - monsoons are predicted to abate for a few days.
Due to so many calls at the shop, I inserted the following on Sunday evening >>>>Sunday, August 1st - Flash Flood warnings for the drainage have not developed as of early evening - river remains clear<<<<<<
Week ending July 29th, 2010 + most of Friday the 30th
Flow started out at 370 cfs this week, then dropped to 270 cfs on Monday, down to 220 cfs onTuesday - release is still from the mid-level valves at 60 foot depth - so the water entering the canyon is already warm
River conditions (water temps) were much better this week due to the higher flows (at 130 cfs it was scary) - but you should still keep an eye on water temps on hot, bright, sunny days - see last weeks report - Please!
Waited to file this weeks report due to some intense rains Thursday afternoon - really hammered the West Creek drainage, but also Wig Wam Creek - 2 inches of rain in West Creek in less than an hour
Did a full creek survey at 5 p.m., Wig Wam had flooded, but receded quickly, water out of the Canyon was clear & Wig Wam Club water looked fine, 4 mile Creek was not affected, Trout Creek was a little off but not bad - West Creek was ugly - which made Horse Creek a real mess where it enters Deckers.
Drove the 8 miles to West Creek Village and found that Trail Creek had flooded (it feeds the lake) - but again receded quickly - went to the outflow of West Creek Lake - spillway was gin clear - but the bottom outflow pipe water was brown? - lake looked OK - must have been a submerged river of mud going directly to the bottom pipes - I really do not know.
Drove back to Deckers and West Creek was just a mess all the way. River was not fishable below Deckers - Uh-Oh
Got up this morning and walked over to Bernies deck at first light - I could see the bottom !! - not great, but a huge improvement - definetely fishable - and Jeremy, Jesse & Jack proved that on our trips today.
Allthough still a little off color today below the bridge, storms predicted today (Friday) did not develop - so the weekend should be fine - gin clear in the Canyon and above the bridge - clearing quickly below Deckers - dodged another bullet
Came home Monday afternoon and found a HUGE Drake on the porch screen - # 12 or # 14 - really cool - Pale Morning Duns and Blue Wing Olives have also been present on the screens this week - along with all kinds of Caddis.
Jack was due to visit in-laws at a reunion this weekend in Phoenix - we booked a bunch of trips so he wanted to stay - Wednesday night he drank a few beers then approached his wife with the matter (sequence went like this - 5 p.m. Jack calls me to see if the trips are still open - I call Jeremy to hold off, we may have Jack - Jack calls me and says he will know in a half hour, almost done with his beer courage - I call Jeremy and relay (Jeremy is Kayaking so this is all on voice mail) Jack calls back - "I can do it!!!"- well, He's in trouble deep, but he did not have to go (I call Jeremy again and tell him we are covered - voice mail again - 3 funny messages all in a row)
You have to know Jack to appreciate this - our Merry Mex - comes in Thursday to take out our guests - says to me & Jeremy & Jesse"I really like the in-laws, but, Man - too hot down there - and in total dead-pan "and I may have been deported!!!" - we all bent over in belly laughs - my stomach hurt.
Surface action and dry / droppers have been excellent in the clear water - all the screen porch bugs and more.
Had a new, but probably steady customer this week - (at least I hope after the following) 2nd trip this month, this time he came with his wife and stayed at Bernies - they were looking to buy somthing near the river, but after the night at Bernies, have decided just to rent from us instead - says Nancy "I'll let you worry about the pipes and septic, we can just enjoy" - I agreed - that's the right attitude.
Jeremy took Dave out on a full day trip, then we all met at the cabin for lunch - I start to tell a story about an angler in the backyard last night who had worked his way downstream from "Hole in the Wall" - got up real close to the rock I tripped on last year trying to avoid death from that Bull Snake - only rock out there - I am on the phone and see him hit it and go right on his butt (as he concentrates on drifts at the exact spot where I almost lost my nose to lighting quick strikes) - doing the horizontal moon walk as he drifted downstream
Over our excellent home made chicken salad sandwiches (too hot for burgers) and my special potato salad, Dave asks "Did you laugh" - "Well know, I was on the phone, but I could easily have - wanted to go out on the porch and start clapping" - well Nancy and Jeremy start cracking up - turns out it was Dave - not the other guy I saw working downstream - that one must have stopped at FBI Johns - talk about a red face - we all had a good laugh - now Dave knows where the rock is too.
Week ending July 22nd, 2010
Flow was dropped to 130 cfs on Friday, when Jesse called me from the shop with the new update from the dam, I called our friend at the Water Board to see what was up, 'cause the water temps were getting dangerously high - seems they had to keep a steady level to mobilize & launch the diving barge over the weekend at Cheesman Reservoir.
We were getting water temps at 70 degrees downstream - and that was at 230 cfs - at 130 cfs we were certain of damage to the trout, bright sunny days in the mid 90's - not good, plus the next phase of the diving project was on the bottom valves, which had to be shut off, so the outflow is coming from the 60 foot depth, warm water.
Pat Dorsey called me on Saturday with the same concerns - he had taken mid 60 degree temps in the Canyon, 1.5 miles from the dam - this was not good - I don't like being on the phone (as some of you know !!) - 5 minutes with me is an epic conversation - I think Pat is about the same - but that call lasted 20 minutes - that's how concerned we both were.
He cancelled all of his Canyon trips for Saturday. Jeremy, Jesse and the rest of our team only allowed 1/2 days in the mornings for out of town clients, but kept a sharp eye on water temps and trout activity, we re-scheduled all local clients.
Bob Dye, also from the Quill, cut trips short in the Canyon when he knew the trout were struggling & this was prior to the radical drop to 130 cfs - the clients understood - though some were dissapointed, the overall concern for the fishery from all of us who love the river was enough to convince them they were doing the right thing. Bob even told one client after releasing the last trout fooled that struggled to revive "You don't have to tip me today, but we have to stop" - the client "but it was only one trout", says Bob, "yeah, but we may get 8 - 10 more, and all these other guys (20 + in the Canyon that day) may get 2 each - thats 50 damaged or dead trout - just not acceptable to us".
That is how Jeremy, Jesse and the rest of the team worked that week - no joint concensus, no iter-action between all, just knowledge and concern - we learned about each others actions after the fact.
A few things to keep in mind for the next few weeks (the bottom work on the dam will run through August, so we are looking at warm water outflow for the rest of the summer) - put away your 3 weights and bust out the 5 weights - 5x or 6x tippet (lose the 7x) - land and release your trout as quickly as possible - keep them in the water as much as you can - handle them as little as possible - wet your hands before cradling the trout - pinch down all your barbs - then you won't have to grab them - just be gentle - spend some time to revive them, even let them recover drafting behind your wading boots if they want.
When the water temps near 70 degrees, put the rods back in the truck - then spend the rest of the day sighting trout and exploring the river. The closer you get to the dam, the cooler the water will be, so move upstream during hot, bright days & keep checking your stream thermometer.
See, as the water temps increase, and the water flow decreases, the oxygen level drops - so the trout will move into aerated water - shallow riffles, pockets - but then they expend more energy than they take in - so they will feed as much as they can, but they are allready stressed - not a good scene
We had an increase on Monday to 190 cfs (the barge work was done), then up to 200 on Tuesday, 240 on Wednesday a.m., then up to 370 cfs on Wednesday afternoon, where it now stands - Water Talk Number is back on line 303-831-7135 - so you can now get current flow rates again (the shop had turned into the auxillary Water talk # these past few weeks) - but it is still only water from a 60 foot depth - still too warm to start out at.
We had some real gulley washers this week, but the one on Tuesday night hit the Trout Creek drainage - fishable below Deckers in the morning, but not pretty - hung the "be back in 10 min" sign around 10 a.m. on the shop door and drove the 3 miles up Horse Creek to the confluence of Trout & West Creeks - Westcreek was high, a little off, but Trout Creek was ugly brown.
Then, I walked over to the bridge at 11 - 12 and found Horse Creek much worse - nearly black and much higher than the morning - either graders were knocking out snags or we lost a beaver dam up Trout Creek - only explanation
By 5 p.m., heading home from the shop, water looked better - this morning it was back to fishable - this afternoon it looked really good in the backyard - but at 370 cfs, it was high - back to bank fishing.
At 190 cfs & gin clear you could fish the whole river - I went out on Tuesday late morning after the weekly run to town for supplies - got in the middle of the Pale Morning Dun hatch once again - Not trying to blow any smoke up anyones A?!@ - but it was a clinic - a schooling of trout - I was on & the trout were willing - too innocent - lots of car fish (when cars stop on the road to watch you land them) - and one Fed-Ex trout (the guy who usually drives 20- 25 mph over the limit) slowed & honked as I played a real acrobatic rainbow - he casts a rod whenever the delivery options allow - when I say "slowed" he was just over the limit for that stretch - impressive.
I have had Caddis # 14-20, Pale Morning Duns #18-20 & Blue Wing Olives # 20-22 on the porch screens this week - real buffet - for the trout & nesting birds - lots of moms with tiny fawns have appeared - and I mean tiny, barely shin high and lots of spots - kinda like a Cutthroat - Ed, up at Wig Wam Club, watched a mom head butt a coyote that was after her young'in - said it was too cool - knocked the coyote right on its ass on a dead run downhill.
My best friends and Partners, Tim & Mitzi, came up with a new T shirt last week - on the front " I met the Really Mean Guy at the Fly Shop in Deckers Colorado" - I countered, when I arrived back at the cabin to hear the news - "Yeah, and on the back should be an imprint of my boot sole ""and he made me buy this shirt" - see. it is mid summer - I already miss January
Two surprises these past few weeks, one steady and true client walked in and dropped off a bottle of "Pure Honey Wild Turkey" - tasted real good if you only splashed a little Coca Cola on it - a gift for our shop & a slight change from my usual lightly orange colored evening beverage - Then another visitor, who I honestly can't re-call in the shop, purchased about $50.00 in gear, charged it, then dropped a $20.00 bill on the counter as he was leaving "That's for the report" - I "no, that's OK, no need, we just do it" - well, he ran out the door smiling.
So I called Tim and said I was a paid author - he called me a bad name & hung up.
I really do like it up here.
Week ending July 15th, 2010
Flow was dropped from 250 cfs to 230 cfs on Monday - have not seen the river look this great in quite a while.
Sorry about last weeks report - it was a little thin (so I have been informed) - but hell, we were slammed, woke up Friday morning and realized I had not filed it, less written it, and I had to cover the shop at 8 a.m. + clean the cabin for weekend guests, etc.
Should have put a note at the end, to be continued.....
So now it is - Wednesday morning, went to the shop to take care of a few of the more than I can count, loose ends, had my gear and had been eyeing a few runs between the shop and the cabin - looked so juicy, but usually occupied (by anglers who approached the water in a way that I would not), but not today - so I jumped out and wadered up - 10:30 a.m. - bright sun and already warming up (started out at 40 degrees air temp pre-sunrise, but now in the 70's) - saw a few splash the surface - tried O'le Amy - nuth'in - tried a cast of caddis - nuth'in - then saw a Pale Morning Dun drift by, then another airborne - tried the only patterns I had, a little interest, but no joy - I knew what I needed.
Ran back to the shop and grabbed 3 PMD Sparkle Duns and 3 Cripples - zoomed back to the run - still vacant!! - got in and started casting upstream - my favorite way to fish the river - and Blam - sweet, fat Brown - 2,3 casts later, Blam - little Cut 'Bow - and it continued.
Quit at 12:30 'cause my arm hurt - 20 easy, not all to the hand, but most - from 9" Rainbows, 14-15" Browns, to 2 slabs of Rainbow trout, both well over 18" - all on the surface and only about 100 yards of water between the 2 runs I worked, about 1 mile apart.
The river, besides the incredibly beautiful fish - well, looks better than I have seen her since last fall - gin clear, sparkling clear - new aquatic growth, trout everywhere that looks fishy - and some spots that don't.
The cast, drift back towards you, stripping in line - the boil,, the set and the rod comes alive - what a sweet feel, now it is up to you.
Went back out today for a repeat - it was good, but not like Wednesday - Jeremy had taken a client dowstream - and that was where it happened today - same times, different section - you just have to scout around looking for slurpers - but try to stay on your side of the road.
Saw the first muskrat in the river today since the Hayman fire & floods - 8 years - and Fawns are being dropped up and down the river - saw a pair today with mom, could have only been a few days old - way too cute. If you fish with your dog, please keep them under control - lots of moms get run off hiding the babies, then the whole family gets seperated - happens every year up here, you can tell the yearlings (if they survive) by the limited growth from not being fully weened.
Incredible trips this week from both Jeremy & Jesse & Duane, nymphing, Dry/Dropper, surface patterns to match the bugs - and the Tarryall Ranch Property is "on fire" - fishing the best it has all year - could be a good time to call Marc at 719-650-8106 and book the cabin and water - great way to spend a few days - that is one pristine mountain valley - one of the few left.
Had some clients in from the east coast this week - 2 nights at Bernies, full day with Jeremy & 1/2 with Jesse on departure day - they had a blast, at one point Jeremy had spotted a nice feeding trout in a slick, told Rich that they had to be stealthy, slip off the high bank and sneak up - now this is one of those banks where you roll over on your belly, slide into the river & when you stand up, the bank is at chest level - Jeremy enters first "OK, now you, nice and easy" and starts to walk to the casting position then hears "Cannon Ball" and a huge splash behind him - yup, they were having so much fun, fooling so many trout, that he just coud not resist. Cracked Jeremy up, when asked if the trout spooked "Well, yeah"
Next day with Jesse, way downstream to end the day so they had a headstart to a 4 p.m. DIA departure - bunch of trout fooled, Jesse back at the shop just before 1 p.m. to pick up Gil and drop off the rental gear, 5 minutes later, Rob, one of the clients walks in -"Hey, what are you doing, you need to get to the airport" - Says Rob "I left the rental car keys in the waders !!"
Jesse retrieves the keys and runs Rob all the way back downstream (he hitch hiked the 10 miles up to the shop - made pretty good time)
Well, bets were made on whether they would make the flight - I lost, 'cause we got an e-mail the next day that they had -& that they had caught more trout than they had dreamed of & Rob had the biggest trout on, in all his days of casting a fly rod - didn't land it, but got a good look.
Hot afternoons, cool mornings and evenings - sun crests the range in back at 6:15 a.m. - close to 14 hours of fishable light - did I say the river looks amazing? - Some pretty good afternoon storms this week, gully washers, but no affect on the river - fingers crossed, but a very good sign.
Week ending July 8th, 2010
Flow was dropped on Friday to 320 cfs, then down to 250 cfs on Saturday
River looks amazing, pretty much gin clear down to the confluence with the North Fork
Some p.m. showers this week with boomers and electricity, a real heavy cell on Wednesday that was so thick it blocked the cabins sattelite signal, but thay have had little to no affect on creeks or river clarity - such a relief - storms usually move through in an hour or so, then sunshine & great action if you can wait them out
Pale Morning Duns, Caddis off and on all day but better in afternoons / evenings - midges early morning - a few hoppers.
Major Rubber Hatch (tubers & rafters) over the Holiday weekend made things a little tough + a ton of anglers - but right now the river is really producing - and it is so beautiful.
Water Talk gage at the outflow from Cheesman is still under repairs - being replaced from what we are told
Week ending July 1st, 2010
Flow was dropped to 350 cfs from 400 cfs on Friday, river looked amazing and fished even better, flow was bumped to 420 cfs on Wednesday, morning, no bad effect and it still looks great.
Water Talk # has been out for a week or so, not sure what the problem is, but it locked up on last Wednesday's p.m. report for a while, now it just says "no information available" - but the boys at the dam give us a call whenever they are going to adjust, so our board in the shop is accurrate
DOW has put up a bunch of regulation signs along the river, with more to come - but the poaching has been pretty bad - one weekend on the way home from the shop (this is less than a mile) I informed 10 people that they were not allowed to use bait in this section - 6 of them were parked right in front of one of the old brown 3 x 3 foot signs - I made 1 couple release a 14" brown that they had swimmimng around in a cooler - I put my tape to it and showed them the 16" mark that it did not meet.
Another day on the way home, I found 5 using bait - and they were parked directly in front of one of the new signs - turns out none had bothered to purchase a license either.
Then on Monday, Jesse and Jeremy were on the way back to the shop from a 1/2 day trip downstream - stopped at Platte River Campground to inform 6 adult males that they could not use bait and the trout they had on the stringer was not big enough to kill - told them they needed to move downstream another 5 - 6 miles - these were not nice people.
The boys came up to the shop and let me know, so we started calling - DOW Operation Game Thief, then Douglas County Sheriff (we had seen Deputy Dan around earlier and hoped he was still in the area)
He was, and came back to the shop to get more info - I told him where they were and the 2 vehicles thay were driving - He said they were not at Platte River anymore - they had moved upstream to the bridge right below the shop. So he said he would go have a look. Then we got a call that DOW Dawson was on the way - he got the call clear out in Fairplay, so started heading our way - in the meantime, Jeffco Sheriffs heard the call so one of those Deputies came on down too.
Long story kept short (they all came back to the shop to let me know how it went) they got busted, fishing bait, undersize trout (2 of them killed) & some with no licenses - over $300.00 in fines - they paid on the spot 'cause they did not want to go to court - wonder why.
Then, As Dawson was about to leave the shop, our 3 morning clients walked in (they were doing 3 nights at Bernies and the 1/2 day to get to know the river - they were having a blast) - Dawson says "you want a couple of trout?" - well they took them back to Bernies and grilled them up - sad we lost 2 trout, but at least they were not wasted entirely. We were very happy with the response for help - from all 3 agencies.
Pale Morning Duns are starting in the afternoons & evening Caddis has been very good - Jesse was out till way past 9 p.m. this week just ripping them downstream on the surface.
Dry / dropper rigs are still doing well in the right water - not too deep, not too fast - most on the droppers, but some good ones on the surface to keep your attention - like I said, the river just looks great - lots of habitat, gin clear water - bunch of trout - pretty sweet stuff.
Week ending June 24th, 2010
Flow was dropped to 580 cfs from 780 cfs on Friday, then down to 500 cfs on Sunday, down to 450 cfs on Monday - looks like the high mountain runoff is done - we sure were looking for a 1,000 + cfs push, but we are happy with what we got.
River looks fantastic - as close to gin clear as you can get at 450 cfs - and the trout are hungry - and all over the place - we are finding them in shallow riffles, along the banks - and in certain pockets - and even gravel beds about 2 feet deep - we are having a great time - healthy, fat & sassy trout are being fooled if you know how to approach the river and make a good drift with the right patterns - and we have them at the shop.
Gil pulled a real good one this week (the sweet pup that Jesse adopted when found abandoned near the Gill Trail) - did you know that the trail was named after Rob Gill, who owned the present day Wig Wam Club back in the 1920's, before he sold it to the original club owners - back then it was just a resort - Gill's resort - in the 20's - a fishing resort - pretty cool stuff - now, the club members, under the efforts of Eddie, the manager & great friend, do a lot of incredible stuff for us - us being those who ply the water downstream of the Club - by mainly catching all run-off and Haynman Fire Debris from the Canyon and Wig Wam Creek - in ponds - and digging it out - on thier own - and it is not an easy task - of course it improves the quality of thier water - but, hey, it improves our public water, on a level thet would amaze you - trust me.
Anyhow, Gil loves Tootsie Roll Pops - stole another one this past week from the General Store next to the Fly Shop - comes trotting out with the white stick jutting from his jowls - I guess he thinks we won't notice and he can slink back into the Fly Shop and grind away - nope, busted.
So, a new guy has started working at the store - left his salami & cheese sandwich on the outside table as he went in the strore to ring up a customer - well, Gil was on that tidbit like stink on a monkey - Jesse was on shop duty (jail) and I was on R & D -I just happened to stop by - we both saw the attack - Jesse got most of it back from Gil - and he was trying to put it back together and - I think - place it back on the top of the baggie where the general store guy left it..
"Jesse!!! - we have to throw it out in the shop garbage" says I - so we do - then put Gil in jail (the shop) - hung the "honk twice" sign on the door - and both of us walk briskly to the river at the bridge - Jesse already had a rod rigged - hanging on the nails outside the shop door - a very quick escape.
The guy did come by later and asked Jesse if Gil had been out lately -"nope, don't think so, pretty much been hang'in with me today" - the guy doesn't fly fish so it's OK
We are now in a flux time of surface action - you can drag them up, and even work a dry / dropper rig, but 450 cfs is still a lot of water for trout to re-act to surface bugs - so nymphing is still the most productive.
We are seeing Drakes, Pale Morning Duns, BWO's and Caddis - off and on all day long - this is a great time to be on the river - no matter how you approach it - We expect flows to gradually drop over the next few weeks, but that is not a solid bet - just a good one - any way it flows, well, this is just a magical place.
Week ending June 17th, 2010
Flows started out at 400 cfs this week, up to 460 on Friday, 550 on Sunday, 700 on Monday 780 on Wednesday and going back down to 540 cfs Friday the 18th - weekend should be incredible.
Even at 780 cfs the clarity was good thru Trumbull and it fished - well - like you wouldn't think it would - Jeremy, Jesse, Duane & Jack (and even me) all had succesfull trips this week - some real quality trout hooked, and even some landed (which is not easy in 700 + cfs) - they get thier haed down and sideways into the current, and you just can't turn most of them - and chasing them can be a fatal (wet) mistake.
Rain hit last Friday night and lasted pretty much through the weekend until Monday - and it was cold & raw - first time I have ever had a fire going in June - and I had one 2 days in a row - then the end of the week back into the high 70's - low 80's. Horse Creek went off color a little but is fine now, having no affect on the river - all the other feeders and springs are gin clear.
River should be close to gin clear after this drop, could take a while (Sunday) to clear all the way to the hotel
Trout we are fooling are mainly tight to the banks - dry / dropper has been fun in the right spots - nymphing even better - I had my client on Tuesday standing on the bank 5 feet from the rivers edge and drifting real close in with nymphs - felt funny, but it worked.
Caddis are still around - returning egg layers all day long - occasional May Flies (had 2 BWO's on the porch screen this week) - and I found a ton of hoppers way downstream in the willows - crack a clackin all over the place.
Flows should continue to drop gradually - estimate about 450 - 500 cfs entering Cheesman, so to keep it off the spillway, they will match that with a little more coming out of the pipes.
No Pale Morning Duns yet, but they are due soon.
We guess all the reports of flooding rivers in the state have kept the anglers away, 'cause we have pretty much had the river all to ourselves - a rare summer treat.
Week ending June 10th, 2010
Despite the reports of most of the rivers in the state being blown out with high mountain run-off, that just ain't the case here in Deckers - Cheesman release went up to 300 cfs on Saturday, to 340 cfs on Tuesday, up again to 360 cfs on Wednesday & all the way to 405 cfs today. They are letting out a little more than is entering at the inlet + Goose Creek, into Cheesman reservoir to keep it off the spillway - so this is all clear cool water from the pipes.
I am sure it will slowly increase over the next few days and weeks, but all the feeder creeks are clear, and the small % of volume increases are not having too much affect on the clarity of the water or the trout. Today was a little more than a 10% increase, but we have not been at 400 cfs for a while, so new bank material will certainly join the drift. Don't get me wrong, we could see some major flows as the snow pack releases from the high mountains, but you just have to approach the river with a new attitude - you end up with basically 3 rivers - river left, river right & the middle - forget about the middle - side channels can be very productive.
Full river survey today (before the latest bump to 405 cfs) showed that from the confluence with the North Fork at the old hotel, up to the "Chutes", was fishable but off color. As you traveled upstream the clarity gradually improved to near gin clear - at these flows you will probably never see true gin clear water - but that can be a good thing.
I stopped and cast a dry dropper rig here and there - and did OK, not a slay fest, but good enough - it was mainly an R&D run anyhow - had to go to Conifer in the morning, so dropped down Foxton Road to the North Fork (which is pretty blown out) and followed the Platte all the way home - mainly just wanted to see what things looked like - and things looked good - but fooling a few is a nice part of it.
Sun now pops up over the east range in the backyard at 6:15 a.m., fishable light at 5:45 - sets to the west about 8 p.m. - nice long days to explore.
Found many hoppers downstream in the grass, still a few caddis hanging around and one lone May Fly on the porch screen on Tuesday evening (BWO ?) - I did not find any risers, but I was out early. Still cool mornings (mid 40's) and hot afternoons this week, with a few showers late p.m. - we need the showers, things got pretty dry these past few weeks - also helps the wildflowers kick in.
Flows like this I like to work upstream, casting in a fan pattern, starting tight to the bank and working out in small increments to about 3 - 4 feet from the shore - I normally lay the first cast out about 15 - 20 feet ahead of me & cast the fan pattern, then move up 3 feet and try it again - nice way to spend a session.
Week ending June 3rd, 2010
We seemed to have moved straight into summer from winter - I don't know what happened to Spring, but it kinda passed the valley by.
First week I did not have to have a fire, even an evening fire going, to keep the chill off - since September.
Day time highs have been in the low 70's - low 80's - and boy did it dry out quick - another week without moisture and it will get a little scary - and this is only June, the first week of June - mornings have been in the mid 30's, but Saturday pre-sunrise was a balmy 58 degrees, Sunday low 40's - then on Monday I had to warm the Jeep up to melt the windshield ice - thermo read 25 degrees - but it hit 80 degrees in the afternoon - 55 degree swing.
Flow has remained steady at 270 cfs - river looks great, Caddis continue to hatch, more important, egg laying females return each day - you will see them off and on (I saw trout rising to them at 8 a.m. on Friday) - but usually not until the afternoon - these are the ones that dip on the water, deposit some babies, lift off, fly upstream a few feet, then drop down & do it all again - really gets the trouts attention.
Jeremy & Jesse have had some great trips this week - some together, with multiple clients - what a dream team - that does not happen very often, but when it does, hell, I would hire us - they are mainly nymphing, but with some good dry / dropper action (you should see these rigs) and some even on the surface.
I continue to cast the dry fly, and am surprised and satisfied with the results - but that is me, and I have done a lot of it this week on the clock, hanging the "Honk Twice" sign on the shop door and laying out a few drifts at the bridge.
See, the area is limited - you can only go upstream to the 3rd live pine tree, or below the bridge to the downstream tip of the island - otherwise you can't hear the horns a honking - but find a splashy rise & you found a Caddis feeder, then just lay out a good drift with the right pattern & wham! - but you have to be on your toes, 'cause wham! could be a nano-second that the fraud is in the lip area - these trout ain't stupid, but they can be fooled - and not just once - a short take means a different patten, not just a better drift, swap it out and wham! - sometimes - then again, sometimes it was the drift - but with Caddis it is not so important - the Caddis are moving all the time.
All the feeder creeks are clear, as is the river - but we are still waiting on the high mountain run-off - good thing is, it will be clear water from the dam - we just don't know how high it will get.
The Caddis hatch is thinning out a bit, but the fishing gets better, not too many real ones on the drift - so get up here and give it a try - you may just hit it.
Week ending May 27th, 2010
Well today was fantastic - in regards to the compnay - my good friend the Lt Col who is stationed in the near east, came by with his sweet wife Holly en-route to pinning a nephew at the Acadamy Graduation this week - so he got a 2 week break from duty - sweet - 'been a while. One look at this man & his wife and you feel secure
Now, on top of the 4 hour trade off - Me & Gary fishing, Holly & Gary hitting the malls - sorry son - but a good trade off, a new good friend, John Gierach shows up at the shop as we were getting Gary legal - now John and I had traded phone calls during the week about the caddis - notth'n definite, but Thursday could be the day - so rolling into the parking lot he does - Ok, Rich has the shop, Jesse is out on a full day trip, Gill is shop dog for the day & Jeremy is in the desert with his wife and little girl on camping vacation
Holly falls in love with Gill, feelings are mutual, watching his back leg swim in air as Holly gives him a good belly rub - now the Lt has not cast a line this year of 2010 - John & I have, so we decided to explore downstream - got Gary into a fat rainbow at the second stop - kind of an R&D session, I wanted to see how far down we could go before surface action was not gonna work, John was along for the ride, Gary just wanted to cast a fly rod.
Gill was great, kept Holly company until Gary hooked a hog, then he was all about helping land the trout - Jesse & I need to take Gill on a training mission - I am still not sure who had more fun today - Gill, me. Gary, Holly or John - Not many trout fooled during the first few stops - John & I were at gooseeggs, but casting dry flies for the feel of it - The Lt was up by one
So we continued to move upstream - then we found them - trout rising to Caddis - John got one real quick, then another - and as he worked the trout to the release area he looked at me and said the words I always think "I just never get tired of this" - so simple. so true, and we never do - each cast, drift, take - tussle - so unique, so special - the one that stays in your mind until the next - but then 1 trout, 1 cast, 1 drift - well it makes the whole day - I had 2 of those - Gary below me and John above - what a sweet day
I think John & I spent as much time on the banks talking as casting- the Lt stayed true to form - casting dry flies and cursing at every miss - at one point I had to say it - "they let you fly jets?" - that got a giggle from Holly, and John pretended to inspect his rig - I got an officers stare - ouch!!
So, we get to the meat of this weeks report - flow went from 365 cfs to 310 cfs on Friday, then down again to 270 cfs on Tuesday - all the feeder creeks are pretty much clear. but the clarity still gets bad down past Scraggy View - just the nature of the current stream bed and hydraulics - whatever is loose will continue to be kicked up, some lite, stays in the drift, some heavy, settles quick, but can be kicked up depending on where it settles. Whole river should be clear in a few days - could even be great by Saturday.
Caddis are hatching, with many coming back to deposit next years hatch - good to great to not happening - just depends an where you are, and cloud cover helps.
Still waiting to see what the high country run off will do to flows, but right now it is ideal
Week ending May 20th, 2010
Well, what a week of cfs fluctuations - we started out at 90 cfs last Friday, went up to 110 cfs that afternoon, then up to 170 cfs on Saturday, 200 on Sunday, 250 cfs on Monday, then the big bump to 350 cfs on Tuesday. Horse Creek is clear, along with 4 mile - Wig Wam Creek is still off, started to run brown on Friday night.
Currently the Canyon is clear - good water above Deckers Bridge, not bad downstream to Bridge Crossing, then the clarity starts to deteriorate - but every day the clarity improves further and further downstream.
Incredible what the increase did at the Deckers Bridge - the gravel delta that appeared when Horse Creek ran off has been scoured out - what was only a few inches deep is now a good 3 feet - bad news is it still has not pushed all the way down - a lot of it ended in the backyard, but it is slowly pushing out.
Caddis hatch started on Monday night, pretty much up and down the river - not in full swing yet, but quite a few starting at about 2 p.m. - no real surface action yet, clarity and not enough egg laying returners to get things going - we think that should start happening this weekend - once the egg layers start flitting about and bouncing off the surface - well, it attracts quite a bit of attention. 4 p.m. at Deckers Bridge today and the air was thick with hatching adults.
Even in the bad water, Jesse & Jeremy had good trips this week (except for Tuesday afternoon, when the bump to 350 really killed things in the afternoon) Jesse, Lil John and I did an R&D excursion today - they were going to float, but the water was too ugly down to the pullout - so we hit the banks - got into them nicely - all fat & healthy - some pretty stupid, almost all tight to the banks, but some were in kinda funny runs, and some mid river.
They were both nymphing, I chose a big ole Amy's with 2 droppers - they got more than me, but my best trout of the day - 17 inch cutbow, gobbled up the Amy's on the surface - so sweet
Attended a very informative meeting at Denver water Board on Wednesday - learned more about the way things work in the drainage - Jeff Spohn, our area biologist from DOW did a great presentation - from Spinney all the way down thru Deckers - 3 things of note - Roberts Tunnel will be shut off this winter for maintenance - bad for the North Fork, but good for us - flows will remain well above 100 cfs in Deckers thru the winter.
Cheesman will not be spilled this summer - plan now is to keep it 1 foot below the spillway, so whatever comes in will come out the pipes - now this plan has changed a few times these past few months, but that is the current forecast - the high mountain runoff has not started yet - Spinney is almost full, 11 mile is full, Cheesman is now 1 foot below the spillway - essentially full - once the snow pack starts to release, we could see some high and needed flushing below Cheesman - this could start next week, or the next
Also learned that 11 mile reservoir will always have water over the spillway, but they keep an eye on the water temps in the canyon, and have started a program (DOW & Water Board) to release bottom water (cooler water) to keep optimum temps downstream (50 to 60 degrees) - that is very cool.
So, if you find brown water as you move up the river, keep moving - it will clear the further upstream you go - we think this weekend could really see the caddis surface action take off, but with the predicted high air temps, we could also see the flow increase.
Sun now pops up over the east range in the back at 6:30 a.m., drops over the west range at 7:50 p.m.
Week ending May 13th, 2010
Flow was dropped to 90 cfs on Sunday (from 110 cfs) where it now stands.
Horse Creek has finally dropped and cleared enough to make things fishable below Deckers Bridge - not gin clear, but pretty good. Jesse went on an R&D run Wednesday afternoon downstream and picked up some nice trout
Jesse and I did an R&D above the bridge this a.m. and got some really nice fish, then we went back to the shop, he switched with Jeremy, and he and I went downstream to see how things looked
From Deckers Bridge down through Trumbull was really impacted by more gravel that came in from Horse Creek during this latest run off - still a lot of habitat left, but it ain't real pretty.
Jeremy and I fooled tout everywhere we stopped this afternoon - and all were big, fat and fiesty - they have had 4 weeks of unmolested bliss and they really put on some weight. We did not see any fish kill, but things are still pretty murky - we sure found lots of live trout - it was great, really lifted our spirits - 'been over a month since we could work some old favorite runs.
From Bridge Crossing downstream things looked good - no real changes - seems that the ingress of granite from Horse Creek settled in the first mile or two of river - once the flows pick up, which they will, that will get distributed downstream.
Snow storm that hit this week did not have any affect on the drainage - that's right - May 12th and a total white out at the cabin in the afternoon. still snowing this morning, but no acummulation. This has been one long winter - not too brutal, just long - today was cloudy, high 40's, no wind, then light rain, that turned to snow and thunder in the late afternoon.
Weekend forcast looks great, weather wise, and the river improves more each day. Above Deckers Bridge and in the Canyon the water is gin clear - BWO's continue to hatch - I even had 2 trout swat a big old Amy's today downstream - yup, Jeremy was nymphing, and getting more trout than I, but I rigged a dry / dropper and did OK - did not hook the 2 that took a swipe at the dry - kinda surprised me. Jesse used the same rig on Wednesday's tour
A few Caddis here and there, water temps not warm enough to get things really going - should happen soon - maybe next week if the air temps stay in the 70's, or the reservoir spills - should be great with the flows and clarity. About 250 cfs going into Cheesman, so that's whats gonna come out as soon as she fills.
Week ending May 6th, 2010
Flow was raised to 105 cfs last Friday in an effort to dilute the nasty water coming in from Horse Creek at the Deckers bridge. The Canyon has remained gin clear through the week and is fishing great, upstream from Deckers to the cable hole has cleared nicely, downstream is still pretty ugly, but slowly improving each day. The increase from 50 to 105 cfs helped to aerate the river below Deckers, did not do a lot to improve clarity, but we were very thankful.
We have found a few more dead trout downstream here and there, but we really can't say if it has been very bad - we don't think it has been, but as the river clears, we will get a better idea.
Survey on Tuesday showed Horse Creek not too bad 2.5 miles from the shop, high but normal run off clarity - then it hits the new "Horse Creek Swamp" and comes out chocolate - good news is the run off established a deeper channel, the standing snow in that drainage has pretty much all melted, all the springs are gin clear, so as the volume drops, good clarity will return - could be good below Deckers this weekend - and those trout have not been fished to in weeks.
Great BWO hatch's in Deckers - early p.m. to late p.m. - Caddis are getting thicker (finding a few around the porch light in the mornings) Try standard nymph rigs in the mornings until you see a few noses - or try a Caddis with a 2' dropper and try the pockets - easier to switch to the BWO frauds when the surface feeding begins (plus it's a lot of fun - stop by the shop, we can show you how to rig it)
Humingbirds have returned in force this week - the family group of swallows has retuned to Deckers Bridge, but I have not seen the groups that normally nest and feed around the cabin.
Had a front move in late Sunday - nice sunny morning into late afternoon, then a fantastic snow fall from 6 to 6:30 p.m., big, wet, heavy, flakes coming straight down - hard to describe the simple beauty of the scene around the cabin. Major Mule Deer movements in the valley - be careful on the roads - they seem to pop out of just anywhere.
Winds have been a problem off and on all week, mainly in the afternoons, Tuesday was really rough, but that was our warmest morning - 40 degrees pre-sunrise - but be prepared if you arrive early - average pre-sunrise temp has been in the 20's. Sun now crests the East Range in the back yard at 6:50 a.m., drops to the West at 7:30 p.m. - day time temps have been all over the place - low 50's to high 60's.
Dam has not begun to spill yet, probably another week or so - the increased flows will be welcomed, could really turn the lower sections on.
Week ending April 29th, 2010
Friday's storm really hit hard with over a foot and a half of snow Southeast of Deckers towards Woodland Park - right in the drainage that we did not need it - mainly Trout and West Creeks that join up to form Horse Creek
Found the snow pack on my weekly run to town on Tuesday - I was kind of amazed - 8 miles from the shop all the way to Woodland really got slammed.
All the ranges that had cleared of snow were once again packed in - and the drainage showed it - West & Trout Creeks were not too bad in clarity, but really high, starting at Manitou Lake just outside of Woodland (Trout Creek drainage starts near the base of Pikes Peak - long ways from Deckers) - West Creek drains all of the old Hayman burn area southeast of Deckers)
Well, things still look pretty ugly below Deckers Bridge, not great above the bridge to the cable hole, the Canyon remains gin clear. Talked with Dave B. at the Denver Water Board on Wednesday - the man in charge of water release - and asked for a bump in flow to help in the aeration of the nasty stuff coming from Horse Creek Swamp and Wig Wam Creek - Jeff Spohn (DOW area biologist) also called, along with Ed, Manager at Wig Wam Club - all depended on my survey today.
I drove down to the Old Hotel at the confluence of the North Fork, then spot checked the whole river back up to Deckers - found a few dead trout on snags and island points - not as bad as I had feared - but the dark brown flow and clarity was pretty depressing - no telling what was hiding sub surface - So I called Dave B. and left a message on what I had seen, asked for an increase to 100 cfs (now at 50 cfs - was at 60 cfs, but the gauge guys came up on Tuesday and fine tuned the meter at the outflow - turns out we were only getting 50 cfs the whole time we thought we were getting 60 - gauge was off)
Good news is that we are only a week away (+ or -) from seeing the Reservoir spill - it is filling that quickly - so even if we do not get the requested increase, we are not too far away from seeing a lot more clear water flowing thru the canyon and on down to Deckers - estimate that 450 - 500 cfs is now entering Cheesman - what comes in will have to flow out. Good old gravity.
I found springs flowing today that I did not know existed downstream from Deckers - all were clear - but it shows just how full the drainage is - same reason that the DWB is holding water back - just too much in the system - Dave B. seemed like a nice guy, was generally concerned and I felt he is someone we can work with in the future.
Caddis are starting to hatch in Deckers - Jeremy found some huge ones at the Deckers Bridge this week - he was really stoked and dragged me over to look at them on Wednesday - they were HUGE!! - and the main hatch isn't due for another few weeks - just about the time we figure things should settle out - fingers crossed !!
Just got a call from Dave at the Water Board - flow will go up to 100 cfs on Friday - another week or so from spilling - that increase from 50 to 100 will really help conditions for the weekend - won't be great, but a lot better than what we are seeing now.
Week ending April 22nd, 2010 & Friday the 23rd (filed late due to power glitches hear at the cabin and the nasty conditions above and below the water line)
As mentioned last week, the flow was dropped on last Friday to 75 cfs from 100 cfs, then dropped to 60 cfs on Wednesday.
Horse Creek was slowly improving in clarity, with 150 cfs from the dam, downstream from Deckers would have been OK, but 60 cfs is just not enough clear water to dilute the brown flow.
Storm hit us hard on Wednesday night, heard it at 9 p.m., and it sounded bad - over an inch of rain in quick time.
Survey at sunlight showed that Wig Wam Creek had flash flooded - that browned up the river above Deckers - even the water coming out of the Canyon above Wig Wam Creek looked a little off, but it is hard to tell in that early light.
Before this last deluge, things were great above the bridge, plenty of midge and BWO's hatching - you could find rising trout from 9 a.m. until dark - even the occasional splashy strike at a Caddis, but that won't be the case for a day or 2 - went up to check Wig Wam at the Gill Trail, looked like it almost came up over the footbridge at its peak, but had dropped back down, could clear by the weekend, already some improvement above the bridge at noon today (Thursday)
Storm was very isolated and did not affect Horse Creek or 4 Mile Creek - sure could use more water from Cheesman, 60 cfs just ain't cutting it.
But then I woke Friday to 2" on the ground and a total white out here at the cabin - pretty nasty all day, but not much on the ground - a lot more on the surrounding ranges.
Horse Creek started pumping again, but not bad in clarity - all in all the storm did not hurt things as far as nasty run off (don't get me wrong, Horse Creek is still ugly) - but shows good signs of improving over the next week.
First Hummingbird and Swallow of the season appeared this week - little guys seemed a little early, Swallows seem a little late.
Canyon is good, Above Deckers OK, below Deckers barely fishable - need more water from the dam and a few dry days.
Good thing is the trout below Deckers have not been hassled for days, are feeding on run off junk and getting kind of stupid - could really turn on soon
Week ending April 15th, 2010
Flow was raised on Friday up to 200 cfs, down to 135 cfs on Tuesday, and again down to 100 cfs on Wednesday - Friday morning 4-16-10) it was again dropped to 75 cfs
I underestimated Horse Creek run off once again - I seem to miss this every year - just when I think she has peaked, she goes up and gets darker - like she did this week - but I think it has reached maximum flow (about 75 cfs) and is once again starting to clear slowly - pretty unfishable below Deckers Bridge all week, and with the low flows from the dam, well it could be ugly over the weekend - good news is the clarity in the Canyon and above Deckers Bridge is very good.
Lots of wind again this week - and lots of BWO's hatching - find some clear water and shelter from the wind and it was pretty good - Nymphing has been great, try some junk down in the dark water below Deckers - you might be surprised - those trout have been left alone to gorge in the off color water for days - and that opens up all kinds of possibilities.
Probably be a week before conditions improve below Deckers - depends on clear water flows from the dam to help dilute the run off stuff - higher the flow the better it will be.
All of the other feeder creeks are behaving themselves. We have spotted the first fluttering Caddis this week - still a month away from the main hatch which can start in mid May and last through June.
Grass is starting to green up - woodpeckers are banging away on anything that will sound loud, looking for mates - all kinds of morning bird songs - even had some turkeys across the river one morning gobbling away - Swallows are due soon, then the Hummingbirds - early springtime in the Rockies.
Week ending April 8th, 2010
Flow went up on Friday to 185 cfs from 75 cfs - a very welcomed call from the boys at the dam - Horse Creek was very ugly and the water downstream from Deckers really looked ugly - unfishable with the low elevation run off and the 75 cfs from the dam of clear water - not enough to dilute the nasty stuff
But, Horse Creek continued to drop and clear, a very good sign, even though no habitat restoration has been initiated through the new swamp, she seems to be finding a clear channel to run in - then the flow was bumped to 220 cfs on Monday - even better, then dropped to 170 cfs on Wednesday, which was even sweeter- river is gin clear in the Canyon and above Deckers, off color below Deckers, but very fishable - actually kind of easy, they don't spook as quickly, and if you know the river like we do, then you know where they are feeding - don't have to see the river bed, 'cause you already know it, 'cause you ply it every day - It's like your back yard - Oh, yeah, it is !!
Wind has still been a problem - sorry to say it finally knocked down the old dead Cottonwood in the backyard that the Eagles used to hunt from - which, have mainly departed for salmon runs in the North West - left a little early this year, but they arrived a little early - how do they know these things?
First Turkey Vulture of the season arrived & so did the BWO's - this is the Spring bug - big for our standards - easy #18, borders on a #16 - Jeremy & Jesse said they looked like Drakes compared to the small midges we have been working with. The hatch can be spotty to huge, just depends - water clarity, bright sun all play a roll, but I got some good ones this week - 2 when I hung the "Honk Twice" sign on the shop door on Thursday.
Bugs can start moving as early as 11 a.m., but seems to get better later in the afternoon - the small midge and the BIG MIDGE also continue to hatch - gotta watch the rise forms to see what they are on, and what stage - dun, emerger, midge?
I have even seen a few small Caddis fkitting about.
Snow storm on Wednesday morning left about 4" on the ground - white out at times, done by 12 p.m., most gone by Thursday and no affect on the river.
Weekend looks great - river is producing nicely, but typical for the Platte - some days you are on fire, next day you get a little humbled - keeps you focused.
Fishable light at 6:40 a.m., sun crests the back yard range at 7:20 a.m., but it is still very cold - some singler digits, most mid to high teens pre-sunrise, warms up pretty quickly, high 40's to 60's - Fishable light until almost 7 p.m.
Week ending April 1st, 2010
Flow was dropped from 105 cfs to 75 cfs on Monday morning.
With the high day time air temps in the 60's the past few days, low elevation run off has started. Wednesday Horse Creek is high and chocolate, West & Trout Creeks that make up Horse Creek are also high & off color - all the springs are gin clear. Wig Wam & 4 Mile Creeks are high, but not too bad.
With the low flow from Cheesman, the river below Deckers is pretty ugly, fishable but not pretty. Above Deckers is good and the Canyon is clear. This should not last too long, and an increase from the dam would really help.
Storm last Friday into Saturday only left a few inches on the ground, but a bunch more in the surrounding elevations. On Tuesday, all the Creeks were good, (did a good survey on my weekly run to town) but that was the first warm day. Another bother this week has been the wind - started on Monday and has not let up much - put the surface action off - bugs getting blown around, riffled water, tough casts - wind and current drag - a good challenge.
Shocking Survey results from 2009 showed an improvement above Deckers in population - about 3,000 / mile, about the same below Deckers as the prior year - about 1,800 / mile, down past Scraggy took a dip to under 1,000 / mile - the Canyon remanined about the same with over 3,000 / mile. You can look at all this data by going to www.wildlife.state.co.us/fishing/reports/fisherysurveysummaries/ - pretty cool site set up by DOW - data goes back to 1995 in some cases.
When you think about it, 1,800 / mile is not bad - say you were walking in 3 foot strides along the bank - every stride you take, somewhere in the line from the left bank to the right is a trout.
Gill, Jesse's adopted pup, (an Aussie Shepherd, not Heeler as I mis - reported) has become quite the shop dog - greets you out front, may lick you, will always let you pet him (approach him with the back of the hand to give him a quick sniff first) - but, PLEASE, do not feed him - "gives him the wind somthing fierce" - made the shop "unfit for human occupancy" at one time over the weekend - We all had to run out for air - even Gill - probably 'cause he thought we were gonna do somthing fun.
We had some great trips this past week, lots of trout fooled, a good portion landed. With the off color water below Deckers, nymphing will be the rule - I did find rising trout above Deckers this morning in the clearer water. We have some great Stone patterns at the shop, that, worked with other selections should produce in the water below Deckers.
Week ending March 25th, 2010
Flow started out at 120 cfs this week, was dropped (not even the boys at the dam knew why) to 55 cfs on Wednesday, then bumped back up today to 100 cfs - again, unknown to all
So, with a pre-sunrise air temp today of minus 8 degrees, and a flow of 55 cfs, a major sludge hatch developed thru Deckers & Trumbull along with a lot of bank ice. Most of it gone by noon (but with the increase in flow, lots of Bergs were in the afternoon drift)
Storm on last Friday started at 5:30 a.m., off and on all day with white out conditions, then near clearing, then white out again - Woke Saturday to 6" on the ground and minus 10 air temp - again sludge and ice in the backyard - first day of Spring !! - I said last week it comes a little later up here.
By Sunday we were back to mid 50's in the afternoon, Horse Creek got a little ugly from snow melt, so the river has been a little off downstream from the shop.
Got 2 good 1/2 day trips in on Tuesday (Jeremy & Jesse), before the next storm hit that night - woke to 12" on the ground and still coming down until noon on Wednesday.
Then most of it was gone by today's sunset, but another front is due Friday into Sat. a.m., then things get really sweet - mid 50's to high 60's - gotta love the Rocky Mountains.
BIG MIDGE is still hatching - still getting reports of p.m. BWO's, but I have yet to see any.
With the passing of this next storm, the warmer air temps and low flow, dry / dropper could come into play - just depends on clarity - same thing applies for any surface action with hatch's.
Next week I will have population numbers from 2009 and stocking programs for 2010 from the DOW.
Final License reminder *** your 2009 / 2010 lic. expires this coming Wednesday (March 31st) at midnight ***
We can re-new you at the shop, but CASH ONLY - no credit cards or checks for licenses - your next annual license will be valid thru March 31st, 2011
Week ending March 18th, 2010
Flow remained steady at 120 cfs all week - river remains gin clear and ice free - a really nice flow for the BIG MIDGE hatch - less water for the trout to move up through and gorge on surface meals - and ( in some sections) gorge they do - just depends on section and clouds and time of day - usually from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Otherwise, dead drifting nymphs can be very productive (with the right patterns) and we have them all at "Flies & Lies".
Another March week, some sludge down by bridge crossing on Friday morning, Horse Creek went off color in the afternoon from overnight ice melting when the temps went from 3 degrees in the morning to mid 50's in the afternoon - snow on Sunday afternoon - 60's Tuesday / Wednesday - big storm due Friday, then back into high 50's low 60's - gotta love it.
Ducks & Geese are returning this spring in good numbers, we will see how many stay and nest, but looks like one of the best years since the Hayman fire.
Sun crests the back yard range at just before 8 a.m., drops over the West Range at 7 p.m. - the morning sun has reached about 1/2 way to the North thru the Range on its seasonal track - mid summer it will pop up behind the big pines on the North side of the property. Spring is close - First official day is Saturday, but it comes to the mountains a little slower
We have been guiding a lot this month (19 trips thru 18 days so far) and all have been good to exceptional - Jeremy, Jesse and Duane have been really on - it's good to see them ( + Randy, Jack and Li'l John) all getting out on thier own when they can - no surprises on the trips that way - lots of info exchanged between all - we are also having a good shop month, and we wanted to thank all who have come by and bought stuff, it all helps and really leaves us with positive attitudes - we must be doing somthing right & we sure love what we do - so thanks - and keep coming up and buying stuff, or spend a few nights at the guest cabin, or take a guided trip - it is a blast.
Or meet Gill - Jesse's new dog - found abandoned near the Gill trailhead about 2 weeks ago - really cool Aussie Heeler (we think) - just a sweet pup - Jesse got him all cleaned up (he was a real mess) and took him to the Vet for a check, then to a communal dog bath (that he loved) then a good brushing (that he really loves) and now he hangs at the shop when Jesse is guiding (sulks a bit, really took to Jesse, but then sneaks out and steals tootsie rolls from the General store)
Good dog
Week ending March 11th, 2010
Flow was dropped on Monday from 185 to 120 cfs - looks really good. River remains gin clear and ice free.
Typical March week - snow, wind, cold days & perfect days - sun now crests the East Range at 7 a.m. (but morning temps still range in single digits to low 20's) - Sets over the West Range at 6 p.m. - but we turn the clocks ahead on Sunday - more afternoon light - the bugs don't know we do this (neither do the trout) - so the hatch will come off a little later in the day - right now we have found rising trout as early as 11 a.m. to the BIG MIDGE
Surface action really picked up this week, and with the lower flow, less water for the trout to move thru and pick off floating meals. Reliable reports of BWO's in the Canyon, but we have not seen any in the lower sections yet - not to say they are not starting, we just have not seen them.
You can purchase your 2010 / 2011 license starting Monday the 15th - if you come to the shop to pick it up please bring CASH - we do not accept credit cards or checks for license transactions - we do accept credit and debit cards for retail purchases.
Most of the little snow that we had this week has melted & this weekend looks great weather wise - high 50's and sunshine.
The whole river has been fishing great - good time of year to explore new areas - I would get up here
Week ending March 4th, 2010
Flow was bumped up from 165 cfs to 185 cfs on Tuesday - river continues to be ice free & gin clear for the entire 13 miles from the dam to the North Fork Confluence at the old hotel.
The BIG MIDGE continues to hatch along the whole river - best from 12 or 1 p.m. till evening, just depends on where you are, cloud cover, and a few other variables - you may find one lone riser in 50 yards of river, you may find 20 trout slurping away in a 30 foot run - keeps it interesting - keeps us on our toes and lots of R&D - which we diligently perform for free, that way our clients don't have to work thru a guessing game on guided days - we know where the good runs are - if it is going to happen, we get you on them, if not, the nymphing is still explosive.
DOW license reminder - you can get your 2010 / 2011 license starting March 15th - your current license (annual) is good until March 31st 2010, the next one will be good until March 31st 2011, but like I said, you can't buy it until March 15th (we do not know why)
5" of snow on the ground Friday morning, most of it was gone by sunset - day time air temps in high 40's, mid 50's all week, but a.m. temps are still cold, first week in a while that all temps were above "0" (warmest morning was 20 deg. above on Monday when we had an overnight dusting).
Weekens looks great, mid 50's and mostly sunshine. Big herd of Mule deer hanging around the cabin all week, bedding down near the garden and under the pines in back - watched 2 of the Bald Eagles perform an aerial act in the backyard on Tuesday, talons clutched as they spun each other around, breaking off 50' above the river.
Lots of new flies in the shop, stop on by and stock up - we even put out some "Cup Flies" - patterns that are great, but we are going to discontinue - 50 cents each while they last.
Week ending February 25th, 2010
The BIG MIDGE has started to hatch - we do not know the latin name for this bug - but neither do the trout - so it remains the BIG MIDGE - about a #18, looks like a May Fly in flight, but it is the BIG MIDGE - it is early, and it is so welcomed, 'cause today we really got on the trout with the imitations - my first surface trout of 2010 - in February !!! - Yeah us!!
Flow remained steady at 165 cfs all week, river looks great and is ice free, gin clear.
Today, walking the road down to a seldom fished run, Jesse spots a lone feeder - really nice trout - but we are on the pavement, 15 feet above the river, with a "0" degree slope - I mean straight down hill to the river on an ice packed 12" inches of snow incline, a potential mini avalanche. He looks at me and says "I'm Gonna Try" - "How you gonna land him?, as he starts to fake out the cast and I look for oncoming traffic that could cause a backcast snag.
Well, he got the cast out, just missing a little lady in her sub - compact (the hold was 15' below us and 3 feet out from the bank) - we both saw the take before the indicator budged on the first drift - and he is on - I start to giggle, Jesse does not hesitate - right down the slope, kinda feet first, kinda pretty cool - and Blam, 15" "Bow in hand - inspected, showed off and released - now Jesse has to walk 50 yards upstream to get back to the road - I did not wait, it was my turn to enter the river in less near fatal access downstream, where we were headed.
Just then, Jeremy drives by with his 1/2 day client, Jeremy - he booked 3 x 1/2 days and 3 nights in the guest cabin - nice when your client has the same name, one less thing you have to remember - so I relate Jesse's down hill medal run and tell him about the section upstream where we found risers, but left it for them, 'cause we were on R&D - Jeremy was headed downstream, to other favored sections - they had already landed the trout of the trip - 22" 'Bow - probably, conservative, 20+ landed trout on each 1/2 day trip. Jeremy was a great guest, told Jeremy thet he had the best 3 days of trout fishing - ever - and he angles pretty much all over the globe
Jesse and I trade trout for trout with nymph rigs, then see a few surface, then start to see the BIG MIDGE in flight - such a quandry - switch out, or stay with the nymphs? - We already had a bunch, so switch we did. This was between sunshine and blizzard conditions - truth - right now I am in total white out around the cabin - spring time snow - and we had it off and on all day - rising trout more evident in the snow & clouds - We fool a few that we saw come up for adults, but it was technical casting & drifting - not a perfect presentation - no take.
We got a few, which was really cool, then decided to move up where we saw a bunch that we told Jeremy about. It was a slay fest - almost every good drift enticed a surface rise and take - double dries, a parachute you could see & an emerger you could not - so set on any boil near the fraud you can focus on - between the snow flakes. Your Parachute was the white dot that did not melt.
Turns out Jeremy & Jeremy did go back to that section after they saw us on the road - he called that evening to say they really nailed them with dries - and they were in there before Jesse & I - gotta love the first rising trout of the year - noy very educated yet.
So, this week was pretty exceptional, when you figure in snow & clouds Friday thru Monday, a solid "Sludge Hatch" on Tuesday (only the second one of the season in the backyard) when I woke to minus 15 degrees pre-sunrise - Jeremy & Jesse found a way thru it in the a.m., and it was gone by 12. - just an excert from Jesse's client - Kris, from Michigan - on the 23rd via e-mail
"Thanks once again for the trip today. To say the least, it was awesome. Hands down, the best day of Fly Fishing I've ever had"
"You guys run a first class operation in my book. Jesse is a great guide too - good times for sure. I learned more in 4 hours than I have in the last 10 years trying to figure it out for myself. Guided trip was worth every dime , and then some,,,,,,,,, "
Yup, a pretty good week
Week ending February 18th, 2010
Flow was raised back up to 165 cfs from 140 cfs on Friday - river just looks fantastic!
Earth mover near Trumbull completed work on Friday afternoon removing sediment from the gaging station in the river - took out yards of debris, and it still looks about the same - pretty amazing, but that is sediment that will not end up in the backyard or further downstream after run off this spring - mainly decomposed granite from the storm cell last July that caused major flash floods.
Work on the "Horse Creek Swamp" continues, but at a slow pace - mainly just log and stump removal - some minor grading work - we were hoping the project would move a little quicker, a little more aggressive - we shall see. The Creek has been running fairly clear & fairly ice free - river has been gin clear, but we did have our first "Sludge Hatch" (frozen, but moving, water) in Trumbull on Monday. I woke to an air temp of minus 15 degrees - but the sludge was gone by noon - morning air temps have still been in the single digits above or below "0" all week, but most days have hit mid 40's by the afternoon. The further down stream you go, the more sludge & bank ice (and colder water) you will find.
Jesse is back in town & He, Jeremy & I all got out on an R & D session Tuesday - a rare day that all 3 of us are free from the shop & guiding on the river, or in Jesse's case, guding on grass -I had a cheek hurting grin the whole time - river fished a little tough - we think one of Jeremy's patterns had some shark scent on it.
I was doing OK, Jesse about the same - Jeremy, well, lets say it was not his morning - which is so rare - nymphing puzzles me at times like this, until you relate it to surface presentation - you know, 6 good drifts over a rising trout, some interest, maybe even a 2 foot follow & refusal - 7th cast and a take without hesitation - same pattern all 7 tries, everything looked pretty much the same from your point of view - but on that 7th drift it looked just right to the quarry - same thing goes on sub-surface presentations - we prove it time & again - all flipping the same patterns, working thru the same run right behind each other - one gets skunked & then one yells "this is a good one" - the other glances back upstream and says somthimg - 2 syllables - you barely catch the last one - sounded like "hole".
But in the end, we all got into them - Jesse & Jeremy even completed a "Deckers Grand Slam" - a Brown, a 'Bow, a Cut 'Bow and yes - a sucker (Jeremy's was bigger) - some times on guide trips - if a sucker is hooked and lost, you may hear us inform the client, "Oh Man, that was a good Brown!" - once the dissapointment sets in, we always 'fess up - they do fight and look like a brown down in a slot & we always hope they do throw the hook, cause none of us like to touch those rubber lips to get the fly back.
We also noted how easy it was to spook a run, just by rushing in too fast - little and big torpedos zipping here and there - so practice stealth - I had some good action by flipping my rig straight up stream - not as easy as cross drifting, but when managed correctly, very deadly. Trout that are out on the gravel are feeding actively, so look before you plunge in - most are still holding in the habitat, especially at 38 degrees (water temp) or below, but the ones out and exposed are easy targets - the Bald Eagles know this and they can see them from a pine tree 100 yards out.
Sun now cresrs the back yard range at 7:30 a.m. - sections that have not seen the sun since December are starting to see sunshine - more and more each day - Spring is right around the corner.
Week ending February 11th, 2010
Flow was dropped from 170 cfs to 140 cfs on Tuesday. Water is gin clear above Deckers Bridge and in the Canyon - off color below Horse Creek on warmer days and also due to work restoring the creek bed and removing the "swamp" about 2 miles from the shop. Additional work below Deckers in the river is adding to the off color. This project is about a 1/2 mile downstream from the shop - big earth mover in the river removing gravel & sediment, 2 dump trucks on the bank hauling it all away - we think they are trying to dig out around the gaging station equipment, but no matter what the purpose, we are gratefull - every yard they remove is a huge help - means it won't end up in the backyard or further downstream after run off. The clarity of the river is not that bad, very fishable down stream of these projects, and clarity actually improves the further down stream you go.
Received word from Denver Water (nice guy gave me a call at the shop after last weeks report) - the upper trail (near the dam) into the Canyon will remain open during the work on Cheesman Dam - AS LONG as everyone stays on the TRAIL - do not try to exit the Canyon up the road - go back out on the trail, please. If we all co-operate the trail will remain open, if not, they will have to close access. Now keep in mind this is a tough hike, much harder than the lower Gill Trail, and made even more challenging with melting, then overnight freezing, of snow - but there are some hogs up there.
Cheesman Reservoir will be closed to the public through all of 2010 and possibly as long as the spring of 2011 due to the project (valve & gate replacement of some ageing equipment). Major efforts will be made to keep runoff from spilling over the top this year (due to equipment being installed on the spillway)- basically, whatever comes in will be released out of the pipes - which means the overall river temperatures will remain cooler thru the summer, which is a good thing - The diving work that is scheduled to last thru the summer also means they will try to keep major fluctuations in the level of the lake to a minimum - we think and hope that will negate radical fluctuations in stream flows - another good thing.
With the lower flow of 140 cfs and the overnight lows still hovering in single digits, you can expect morning bank ice and sludge up to Bridge Crossing and even Trumbull - as this bank ice and sludge melts it also adds to the off color of the water, and the big slabs that end up in the drift can scare the crap out of you when they slam into your legs as you concentrate on a cross stream drift.
Snow started on Sunday and lasted until Tuesday morning, typ[ical cold winter storm, heavy at times on Monday, but light dry flakes, only about 2 inches on the ground and most all of that has already melted - if this had happened in March or early April it would have been over 18 inches.
DOW License reminder - your 2009 license is valid until March 31st, 2010 - so do not through it away ! (some have) - thing is, we can't start selling the 2010 license until March 15th - (it will be good until March 31st of 2011)
River is doing great, 1/2 day trips are really producing - next month we start offering our full day guided trips again for the 2010 season, but it is still a 10 or 11 a.m. to 2 - 3:30 p.m. river.
Week ending February 4th, 2010
That's right - February - Oh yeah - and I have really got into dead drifting bugs - I know that soon I will be floating them on the surface, I go to bed at night dreaming of drifts and takes like some count sheep - but this week was really cool - river looked great - some minor dis-coloring on the really warm days from creek run off, but not bad at all.
Flow remained steady at 170 cfs - still high for this time of year, but really helping dissipate ice build up. We have found sludge hatchs in the mornings - all the way up to Bridge Crossing on Tuesday - but they normally melt off in the afternoon - no sludge or ice in the Canyon or thru Deckers / Trumbull. If you do find sludge, just move upstream, you will eventually find clear water, then later in the day you can head back downstream, that's how we work the river these days
Work has started on the "Horse Creek Swamp" - removal of dead timber, stabilizing the banks and re-bedding the stream - CDOT, Forest Service & Douglas County are all involved - scheduled for completion by mid to end of March - which is ideal - you may see off color water downstream of Deckers as the heavy equipment works in the stream - but this is the perfect time of year for the project, and with the high flows of clear water from the dam it should not pose much of a problem - no matter what, any improvement on that 2-3 mile stretch will be worth it.
Fishable light at 7:15 a.m., with the sun cresting the East Range in the back yard at 7:50 a.m. - but it is too cold to be out at that time - still single digit readings above or below zero all week pre-sunrise - hits high 30's to high 40's by afternoon. Still a 10 or 11 a.m. to 3 or 4 p.m. river - sun now drops over the West Range at 5:15 p.m. - yup, the days are getting longer.
Dusting of snow last night, but the sun came out and I had another great R&D session until about 1:30 - then some clouds moved in with some wind - still fishable, but I had fooled enough. Jeremy has had some great 1/2 day trips - plenty of happy anglers - Jesse is still on the road with his brother whacking golf balls on the tour - but they call in every other day for river and shop updates.
Major project has started on Cheesman Dam - the reservoir will not open to the public this year - I am still trying to confirm if the upper trail into the Canyon will be closed, but no news yet - the Gill trail and Cheesnam Canyon will remain open during the work.
Storm due in on Sunday night, but the weekend looks great, this is one sweet river - find the habitat & you will find trout - some real good ones.
Week ending January 28th, 2010 + Friday the 29th
Wanted to wait until Friday, so I could check the whole river out - had to go to Conifer on a supply run, so dropped down Foxton Road to the North Fork - which you could probably skate on all the way to Bailey.
Once I got to the Old Hotel and the main fork, it was all ice free - not even any sludge - that was about 11:30 a.m. - surprised me, 'cause it has been cold at night - still mainly single digits above or below "0" pre-sunrise.
Flow from the dam remanied steady at 170 cfs all week - the whole river looked great - some really fishy looking runs up and down - gin clear water - the few times I got out this week were very productive - may even get out today, but at noon it is still hovering around 32 degrees - blue bird sky - 2 p.m. is sounding about right.
The trout I have fooled are big - just picture perfect in color and heft - I had to set the drag a little looser - hard to keep the rod tip up on some of the runs thay make - some real tailwalkers - these trout are "hot" - awful lot of fun, not a real slayfest, but a few here and there - plenty to keep you keen & happy
Light snow fall Wednesday night into Thursday - maybe 2" total, but we needed it - water temps still on the cold side (35 - 43) - no surface action that I have found, but a few reports of isolated risers in the afternoons on the small midge - if you have a hard time seeing the size 22 - 26 fraud, try trailing it 18" to 2' behind a 16 or 18 parachute Adams - then set on anything that risers near the larger fly.
Weekend looks great - air temp wise - January is almost over - February goes by quick - almost Spring !!
Week ending January 21st, 2010
Wanted to start this weeks report with a little reminder of river etiquette - or how to behave on a crowded river in the winter - or any season - I have had more than a few calls or comments at the shop regarding the subject - basically, don't crowd another angler - 50 yards is a good distance to enter the river on a crowded day near another fisherman - if you want to get in closer, just ask the gent or lady - what direction are you working?, do you mind if I slide in here (or there?, and work that way or this?)- so easy to do and usually with great response. If the response is not to your liking - just move on.
Rules of thumb - the angler working upstream has the right of way - to a point - when working around (upstream or downstream) of any angler stay as far back from the bank as you can - so, if working upstream you run into a stationary angler working a run methodically - you should yield the run, get out, move upstream on the bank (as far into the willows as possible - make an effort at least) then plunge back in - but, on the other hand, you see an angler methodically working his way up a bank, do not drop in 30' ahead of them - that's just plain rude. Most of this is common sense.
But, common sense does not always win out- and that is sad - so do your best to treat all who recreate on the river with respect & understanding - this winter we have plenty of open water due to the high flows, it all holds trout - if your favorite run or section is occupied, do a little R & D on your own, you may be surprised at what you discover - it's one of the most rewarding & one of the great parts of the sport.
Flow was dropped on Wednesday from 200 cfs to 170 cfs - looks really great, gin clear and mainly ice free - you may find morning sludge hatchs down past Night Hawk Hill - but otherwise it is just plain beautiful.
Trout are healthy, fat - and once they realize they are attached to your leader, very explosive. Still no surface action to speak of, but nymphing has been very productive - you have to hunt them out - look for the habitat - they are in there.
Weekend air temps are looking to be in the 30's - low 40's, but most of this week has been pleasant - cloudy, but nice after 11 a.m., in the high 40's to mid 50's - water temps in mid 30's to low 40's - depends on where you are, time of day and sunshine or clouds. Morning air temps have still been brutal - hovering around single digits above and below "0" - the woodpile has taken a beating this winter.
Lots of guides doing R&D this week - all having a blast, even the one that was really cold (we were both out too early - he earlier than I - but when we get a day off we both get very antsy - as most do) - love to hook up, see what is in there, what are they eating, how are they feeding - sure hope they throw the hook before the net has to come out - and the hands have to submerge - just another reason I pinch my barbs down - get a look at the trout, the bug he took, then give a little slack or bring the head up slightly and slip the fraud from the lip - gone - usually right next to my downstream boot for a rest, which I always let them have - love to watch them anyhow - before I move the foot and send them back into the run.
Week ending January 14th, 2010
Friday was the last day of a brutal arctic blast - minus 22 at the cabin pre-sunrise - did a full river survey and found that the sludge hatch started around bridge Crossing and was really heavy down by the old hotel - that is now gone and the river is ice free & gin clear. We have had no ice or sludge thru the Deckers / Trumbull sections this winter.
If you do encounter a sludge hatch (frozen, moving water that you really can't fish through), just start heading upstream - you will eventually find open water - as the day progresses (and warms) you can start heading back downstream - the sludge eventually dissapears.
Flow has remained steady at 200 cfs all week - very high for this time of year, but looks great and helps keep the ice away.
Even in all the sludge past Nighthawk Hill on Friday, I watched a Bald Eagle nab a nice Rainbow - pretty remarkable, diving right between the minor bergs - straight up to a dead pine to feast.
Morning air temps are still in single digits - but the last few days have hit mid 50's - picture perfect days - fantastic afternoons.
Sun is slowly tracking north over the East Range - little further every morning - rises now at 8 a.m., fishable light at 7:30 a.m. (but too cold for comfort) - sets at 4:30 p.m., with decent light until almost 5 p.m. - the days are getting longer and this weekend looks really good - temps in the high 50's through early next week with plenty of open water and trout that have not been bothered too much.
Some decent midge hatches (the really small bugs), but really no surface action - too much water at 200 cfs for the trout to move through, but if you are persistent, you may find the occasional nose in the late afternoon poking up along the bank or shallow slicks.
Week ending January 7th 2010
Don't know about you, but punching in 2010 feels realy weird - no way to explain it, just very weird.
Flow remained steady at 145 cfs, then was bumped to 170 cfs on Tuesday - just in front of brutal arctic air due on Wednesday / Thursday, then bumped again today to 200 cfs, which makes us think that the Water Board does not want to see a freeze on this section of the Platte. Some ice was reported way down by the confluence at 145 cfs, but most sections are ice free & look great.
The arctic front hit last night, minus 20 at the cabin this morning, hit a high of 10 degrees above zero, but no wind, blue skies, so it looked good - until you went to the wood pile. Good news, the weekend and most of next week look great, air temp wise - mid 40's to low 50's here in the valley - with plenty of sun - great flow, gin clear water, ice should not be a problem.
Still no real surface action (could change over the weekend), so a nymphing we all go - and it has been really good most days, but still remains a 10 or 11 a.m. to 3 -4 p.m. river.
Had a call from the pay phone in Deckers on Tuesday night - guy apologized for calling after hours (7 p.m.), got the cabin # from the front door of the shop - the sign that reads "Really need somthing before or after hours, call ...." well. he wanted to know where the nearest gas staion was (see report week ending Aug 27th for reference) - I replied "30 miles any direction you go" - "Really", he replies - I asked where he was headed, "to a restaurant here in the valley" (there are none), "No, I mean where are you going to end up at, where is home", "I came through Pine Junction" - "well, that's your best bet, if they are open, getting pretty late" - I think he rang off in a huff - On Sunday I had a family come in and ask "Where can we shoot are guns off at? - honest.
Section from the bridge below Deckers thru most of Trumbull is still pretty graveled in from the flash flood in July, but it is slowly moving out - runs change with every fluctuation in flows, be interesting to see what 200 cfs will do - the rest of the river has great habitat - lots of fishy looking spots.
Again, wanted to thank all of you who came by the shop this past weekend and bought stuff - really started the New Year off in a good way for us - greatly appreciated.
Week ending December 31st, 2009 (covers 2 weeks from December 17th)
Flow was dropped from 175 cfs to 140 cfs on Wednesday, December 20th - still high for this time of year, and we are happy for it - 'cause overnight temps have been brutal - yet the river remains ice & sludge free - and it looks fantastic - gin clear, not really any spot you can't get to, which opens up a whole lot of water. Horse Creek can turn clarity off downstream on really warm days (high 50's), but she was gin clear today (high 30's)
Sun has now hit its furthest track to the south, over the East Range in the back, cresting a little after 8 a.m. - truly a 10 or 11 a.m. to 3 or 4 p.m. river now - we have seen a few mornings these past 2 weeks in the 20's - when cloud cover locks in some day time warmth - but mainly single digits with a few below "0" - minus 10 was the coldest (4 times, 19th, 24th, 26th & 28th)
Sun drops over the West Range at 4 p.m. - many stretches do not see the sun all day - they should be avoided if at all possible - easy 10 degree air temp difference from sun to shade - yet I know of one outfitter that consistently guides on the stretch above Deckers Bridge to the Bend Hole (which won't see sun until March) - his clients look like, well, frozen - with plenty of trout in the sunny runs, it kind of baffles us.
And plenty of trout we do find - fat and healthy, a little sluggish on the initial set, but then they explode, so stay with your sets for a bit if you think it is a snag - we have had enough snags start to move upstream to prove the point.
Most days have been in the 30's, some 40's, a few 50's, a few more 20's - water temps from 35 degrees to 42 degrees, depending on the day and section - but this winter, we seem to be finding willing trout on just about every day.
A few small trout will come to the surface to slurp on the occasional midge, but it is back to nymphing for any sustained action - that includes me, once again dragged kicking and screaming into bouncing weight & bugs along the bottom, and once again, enjoying it after a sketchy start - (Jesse and I on R&D Tuesday and he took me to school - we really never count, but it was probably 20 to 1, and mine still has a midge larva in it's lip) - ego crushed, I went out Wednesday on my own and restored my self esteem - and hung some incredble trout - the last one, a big Ole Brown - upstream run after some violent sub surface head shaking, had contact and some control on the first 2 leaps - the 3rd leap, a real tail walker, well he was on his own, having parted company on the 2nd air flip, when my old reel locked up.
Bald Eagle in the dead Cottonwood in the back last week - typical sighting from the porch with morning coffee - but then one, then another, Crow (a little too small for Ravens, but could have been) took up roost in surrounding branches - they usually give the Eagles a wide berth - so this was odd - the Regal Raptor glances at one, then the other (truth) - proceeds to bend forward, in a stance I have begun to know well, and ejects a good old steamy one (if you have never witnessed this, it is, well - I've seen field goal kickers who lack that trajectory) - now, with another glance at the intruders (and I imagine a smile in the eyes) beats wings down to Bernies Pine tree to set up the next trout ambush, and holding the interlopers in complete contempt- I laughed so hard I soaked my long john top with hot coffee.
Weekend (& Friday) look really good, air temp wise - flow could not be better - views are incredible, still lots of snow on the ground, not many human tracks, and the ones left by the local 4 footed residents can leave you scratching your head - Jesse & I pondered over a set - Lion with a small kill ?, Beaver with no real dam site present ? (but they will build in funny places, or sometimes just mow down willows 'cause that's what they do) - Jeremy was stuck in the shop - (too bad one of us has to be) - then one track with blood near the paws - looked like claws in the track, which could negate a Lion, since claws are retracted during a walk (not always, but most often), a good retriever with a duck in soft mouth? Blood too specific to track we thought - a regular companion with paws cut on the sharp & slippery ice? - more likely, since I almost landed on my ass after a 360 arm flailing spin on the bank ice - man, that was close.
I really love this time of year - just forgot how much.
Following is a PS
I have a Good friend, Lt. Col....., serving as air/control/ support/ air Ops in, well, a very hot spot now a days- Academy Graduate - former (and probably still when he can work it) fighter pilot, Steath Pilot (he didn't like that - too many computers, not enough hands on - see, as a submersible pilot I hated digital, preferred analog, that's how old I am) , now we fish together some, but not enough - started out as a client, but he (and his good friend & lovely wife.....) have , well, become close - he called the cabin on Christmas Eve from the Post in the Far East- but I was on the river - missed it - tried to call the last # I had, but no joy !!! - So, Lt, Col. - Merry Christmas & A Good New Year - GET BACK HERE SAFE - GOT A GUIDE JOB WAITING ( That's what he really wants to do, and he is good enough) (... deletes the names, seemed like the right thing to do - but you know who you are & how I care)
So to all that read this and Serve - Thanks, from boat Captains in the South China Sea (got 1 e-mail), to all who sacrifice - you are never far from our thoughts, we wish you a safe passage and early return - and Lt. Col, I can't wait to share the river again !!!! - that was a good mail box run - remember?
Week ending December 17th, 2009
I wanted to start by thanking all who came in this weekend to "Buy Stuff" - really helped us out - and a few of you were not even fishing that day - just came up to spend some dollars and visit - so, Thanks !!!
Flow started out at 175 cfs on Friday, went down to 125 cfs that same day, then back up to 145 cfs on Tuesday, and back up to 175 cfs today - seems to me that if they held it at 150 cfs all week, they would accomplish the same results - but the magic equations used by the Denver Water Board still baffle me. I know that the North Fork is pretty solid with ice, and one year, not long ago, the DWB ignored this fact and flowed water out of the tunnel, which flooded river front Homes and Ranches - the water flowed over the existing ice - DUH !! - guess the equations were a bit askew. - but we will gladly take these higher flows from Cheesman.
Only one morning this week below "0" - Friday at minus 12 - then a winter warm up - pre-sunrise air temp on Sunday of 23 degrees - today started out at 15 degrees, but hit high 50's, it was, well, spectacular - white puffy clouds, really no wind - and trout feeding in fast water in the afternnon. Mornings are cold, but our day time highs match or exceed those in Denver most days.
Jeremy & Jesse both out today on a 1/2 day trip - Rich had the shop, so I got to play and check on the progress - this was Rick & 3 friends, who have booked us - well - alot this year - he gave me the mouse patterns to try a few months ago (the guides told Tim about the Lion, so I never got to try them) - they were slamming them - smiles all around - good day for all & it was Rick's Birthday - like I said, high 50's, white puffy clouds against a blue bird sky - it really can't be equaled - Rick even mentioned that the trout seemed bigger to him and asked if that was typical this time of year - I said no, you just had the right Guides with the right patterns.
River remains ice free for all of its course - Horse Creek (pretty much all solid ice now) started to melt down today and put the river clarity off below Deckers - not too bad, very fiishable - the flow increase also added to the off color, but should now help. River is fishing great, late morning, early afternoon it really starts to get going - Canyon and above Dekers bridge remains gin clear.
Sun rise is now 8 a.m., sets just past 4 p.m. - dark at 5 p.m., best time to be on the river is 10-11 a.m. to 2 - 3 p.m. - water temps ranged from high 30's to mid 40's - 38 and up, is what you are looking for.
Found out why so many of the sub-catchable trout were stocked above Deckers Bridge - on the day they came to dump them in, Horse Creek was flowing pretty ugly water, so instead of spreading them out thru the top 5 miles, all were dropped above the bridge.
Eagles have been very active this week, mainly around the cabin in the mornings - even had one perch in 1 of the 3 pines not 10 yards from the back porch - never had one in those pines before.
Weekend forcast looks OK - mid 40's, no wind and clear skies, so come on up.
Week ending December 10th, 2009
Well, winter hit the valley this week - and it hit hard - woke to minus 15 degrees (that's 15 degrees below "0") on Friday, then + 3 degrees Saturday, + 12 on Sunday, minus 15 again on Monday, minus 5 on Tuesday - then get this one, minus 32 degrees on Wednesday - thats 64 degrees BELOW fluid water molecules turning to solids - man, that's stupid cold - then minus 10 this a.m. - incredibly, on Wednesday afternoon we reached 21 degrees - a 53 degree swing.
You would think the river would be skate-able with temps like that, but no - flows have remained high - bumped up to 200 from 175 cfs on Friday, and up again on Saturday to 250 cfs - then dropped back to 175 cfs on Tuesday - no ice or sludge through Deckers down to Scraggy View - Jeremy did a river survey on Wednesday afternoon - shelf and bank ice started to appear past Scraggy, some "bergs" floating further downstream, but the whole river was fishable - the river looks sweet, just been to cold to try it - good thing is, no one has been trying it, so the trout should be getting a little stupid.
Minor snow fall on Sunday and Tuesday, but it was too cold for anything to really develop - on Tuesday the temp never rose above 0 degrees all day.. Sun now crests the range to the East a little before 8 a.m. and drops to the West a little after 4 p.m. - When you do go out, try to stand in the sun, and fish to the shade - as much as a 10 degree difference from one to the other.
This week was pretty much limited to wood pile trips and running the faucets and flushing the toilets - just to keep things flowing - when you turn on the hot water faucet and the water comes out - well, submerged in it, hypothermia would occur in 15 minutes - you tend to worry a bit - enough that you forget about using the fireplace to heat the cabin and resort to turning up the furnace (which I hate to do) - but it warms the crawl space where the water system lives, and you have to keep that in mind.
But also this week, we watched Jesse and his brother Shane go through PGA Tour School - Shane hits the ball, Jesse guides him through the course - they were on the tour in 2008 and it was fun to follow them on the weekends, but 2009 had them out on medical (Shane broke his foot) - they played a few tournaments in the Fall, but to get the card back, which allows you into all the PGA tournaments, they had to finish in the top 25 in a 6 day grueling marathon in Florida - 160 players - (most of them had to go through 2 prior qualifiers, but not the boys) - 25 spots - Last day, Monday - tied for 50th place - epic round of golf, a thing of beauty (and I don't even play the game) - drills a 7 under 65 - moved to a tie at 15th place (watched it on the shop computer & golf channel) - got the card - off to Hawaii in January - Happy for the boys, sad that Jesse won't be guiding as much this year on the river - but guiding on grass is OK too - and they have fun - 2 motor homes full of surf boards, shotguns and fly rods from 9 wts to 3 wts & oh yeah, some golf clubs.
Now don't get me wrong, this is a grinding tour - Wednesday Pro-Am, play Thursday & Friday, make the cut, Saturday & Sunday play for money ('cause if you DON'T make the cut, you get no money), Monday travel, Tuesday catch your breath, check the course - Wednesday Pro-Am - and on it goes, week after week. One weekend I did see Jesse off the 18th green, while players were still finishing putts, whack a few good Bass in front of the gallery in the water hazzard - all on the TV - (if you were looking) - with a 6 wt and surface frog.
Best estimate this winter is 4 adult Bald Eagles and 2 immature - but I think one of the 2-3 year olds changed to adult plumage - watched one in the old dead Cottonwood in the backyard preening lots of fluff - really don't know how it works, the change in plumage - but it looked about right.
Jeremy is out on a 1/2 day trip, Jesse has jail duty at the shop, when I stopped in this morning, it felt like old times, Jesse was rigged up ready to hang the "Honk Twice" sign on the door - Jeremy was planning out the trip strategy, we all smiled a lot - good to be with them - I await reports from both as I write
Weekend looks great - mid to high 40's predicted with plenty of sun, gin clear river, possibly stupid trout - I understand that 11 mile is iced up badly 3 miles from the dam - Spinney flows, but air and water temps are brutal - The North Fork is skate-able - frozen solid - needless to say, but say I will, revenue at the shop was, well, non-existent this week - so come on up, enjoy the river & panoramic winter vistas, and buy stuff - or call in and order stuff - any and all helps, trust me.
Week ending December 3rd, 2009
Started out the week with an increase in flow from 100 cfs to 140 cfs on Friday, then another bump up to 175 cfs on Tuesday - river looks great - minor bank ice, no "Sludge Hatch" - and pretty close to gin clear - all the way downstream.
Most of the week was really nice - then the bottom dropped out on Tuesday night - air temps dropped radically and the snow started to fall - light powder by Wednesday morning and the high at the cabin was 18 degrees - flurries off and on thru this a.m., and a high of 13 degrees - pretty early in the year for these kind of air temps - overnight lows stayed in single digits - mainly due to the cloud cover - weekend is looking OK - high 30's with sunshine, but another front is due Sunday afternoon.
Still finding rising trout to a nice midge hatch from 11 a.m. on into the afternoon, but it can be sporadic - higher flow will probably thin out the risers - but dead drifting patterns sub-surface has been great - all now depends on water temps - 38 degrees + and they will feed nicely, moving into the riffles as the hatch (midge) and the water temps rise.
Sun now crests the East Range in the backyard at 7:50 a.m., fishable light at 7:20 a.m., but you mainly just ice up your line guides - things seem to really get going at 11 a.m., when your guides will stay ice free - that helps when setting on a large trout - ice in the guides can break off a trout if you are not paying attention - worse case - you can break a rod (I've done it) - if you can't wait for air temps to reach 32+, try a little chapstick on all your guides prior to getting them wet - it can help - dipping the rod into the river will temporarily remove the ice, but it will come back, chapstick is a good trick.
Sun drops to the West at 4:20 p.m. - fishable light until 4:45 - but once that sun drops over the West Range, it gets COLD. - Pretty much a 10 a.m. to 2 - 3 p.m. river these days - some canyon sections will not see the sun again until March (above Deckers Bridge to the Bend Hole is one of them)
I do not expect the air temps to stay this low for long, just doesn't happen in the valley - rule of thumb is a morning temp of 10 - 20 degrees colder than a Denver overnight low, but day time temps will match or exceed a Denver daytime high - so far it has been an early winter - North Fork has already iced up badly - pretty soon, with the flows up, this will be one of the only ice free sections to angle on for the Front Range (and most of the State) - and with plenty of feeding trout (some of them are almost too fat in the belly) - well, this is the spot (11 mile and the Spinney sections can be brutal with this kind of winter)
Week ending November 26th, 2009
Flow started out the week at 50 cfs, but was finally raised on Monday to 100 cfs, an ideal winter flow - we just hope it holds.
Horse Creek clarity has improved and the whole river looks great - again have found a bunch of rising trout in the afternoon in Deckers - on a small hatching midge - really boiling on Wednesday & today - from little dinks to 16+ inchers.
Mornings are still COLD - single digits to low teens pre-sunrise - but it warms nicely by late morning - had some mid 50's and the next few days are said to hit high 60's - weekend should be great.
Great news about the new swamp that developed in Horse Creek about 2 miles from the shop from that monster storm cell in July that caused some nasty, but very local, flash floods. CDOT and the USFS are going to rebuild the stream bed and banks - they have already started stockpiling huge granite bolders along Rt 67 near Fletchers Ranch - not sure of the schedule or the scope of work yet - but anything will help.
We have had great angling with all kinds of stuff - all nymphing - to both Jeremy and Jesse's surprise, I actually rigged up a nymphing rod this week, and like all years, was surprised - again - how much fun it can be. The trout can get very active late morning & feed - a lot - we have used everything from big Stones (#10) to little midge (#22-24) and a lot in between and whacked 'em. A typical day with the 3 of us exploring will be "Oh, this is a good one", "What did he eat" - "Stone eater" - "look at this one" - "what did he take" - "R2D2" (flash back RS2) and so on.
On Sunday, Jesse in the shop, one of our good friends and great customers stops by mid-afternoon with a nuclear egg pattern lodged firmly in his cheek - he had been in the Canyon - one of those gusts of wind - tried to get it out, did not, but stayed for another hour of fishing - on the hike out he said a lot of people noticed, most averted their eyes, some really stared - quite the trophy Dan.
Told Jesse he was going to go home, have a few shots of whiskey, and start working on it again - "no way" said Jesse - "we can do it right now" (I know, minor surgery in a mountain fly shop) - so Jesse sets up the surgical tray - 3x tippet and a mirror for Dan.
Wraps the bend of the hook with the 3x, tells Dan to push the eye of the hook into his cheek, then tells him "on 3" - well, you never pull on 3, 'cause the patient will flinch - they always do - and the trick is to have the eye down on the skin - so Jesse goes 1, 2 - and a straight back yank !!! - egg ended up 5 feet away, bouncing off the wall - Dan "what happened to 3 - I was ready for 3" - little blood, no pain - whiskey probably went down real smooth.
Had a small buck in the backyard this morning, then, 10 minutes later, a good 8 pointer - both following does - looks like a good gene pool for next year - watched the immature Eagle stoop in the old dead Cotonwood Friday morning - then a mature bird came in with talons exposed - ran the young raptor off - one of those moments that a camera would have been priceless - Oh well, at least I was there.
Week ending November 19th, 2009
Flow has remained steady at 50 cfs all week - we thought it would be raised after the DOW trout survey last week, but no joy.
Storm predicted for Friday never materialized, but the winds did & the air temps barely reached the low 50's - storm predicted for Saturday did materialize - big time - started with light a.m. flurries which gradually grew to a total "white out" by 3:30 p.m. - woke to 12" on the ground Sunday morning and it was still coming down - gradually stopped by late a.m., but it was COLD - air temp never got out of the 20's - even with that, I sold 6 flies at the shop - customer was still a little shell shocked from his drive into the valley - came over Night Hawk Hill from Sedalia - coming down that hill in the summer can scare the crap out of you - I felt his anxiety, wondered about his sanity, was glad for his business - then told him to take Rt 285 back to Denver.
Then it really got COLD - Monday morning I woke to the furnace kicking in at 3:30 a.m. - I set it at 55 degrees, play a little game during the winter with the fireplace - shut off all the rooms I don't need, then try not to let the temp get below 55 by burning wood - but the bottom dropped out of the outside temp - minus 12 degrees - thats 12 degrees below "0" - the furnace won that round.
Fishable light at 7 a.m. - sun now crests the east range in the morning, almost as far South as it will get, at 7:40 a.m., sets to the West at 4:20 p.m., fishable until 4:45 p.m. - but we are really close to that 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. time on the river - all depends on air and water temps now - but most of the snow from the weekend blizzard is still on the ground - even with blue skies all week - usually gone in a couple of days - and with the slow melt off, the river can get pretty ugly, clarity wise, in the afternoon - more so down stream of Deckers - that should be better by the weekend, but if you do find brown water, just move upstream. A higher flow from the dam would help things out - so far no "sludge hatch" - just some minor bank ice.
Morning air temps gradually rose - 8 degrees above "0" this morning, low 50's by 3 p.m. - typical winter fluctuation - we are normally 20 degrees colder than the Denver overnight low - but usually match the day time high - 40, 50 & even 60 degree swings are not uncommon in the valley during winter, from morning lows to afternoon highs.
Still finding great midge hatch's from 10 a.m. on into the evening - but with the low. slow flow where the trout are feeding, getting a take is tough - too much time to inspect & reject your fraud - but get 'em you can - with patience & perfect drifts - nymphing has been very good - match the bugs in the clear water - chuck some flashy patterns in the off color sections
Had a rare treat this morning - an adult Bald Eagle in the dead Cottonwood in the backyard, joined by (one of?) the immature Eagles - we think there may be 2 of them this year.
Week ending November 12th, 2009
DOW performed the annual trout population survey this week - the main reason for the up & down flow rates from Cheesman Dam - started the week at 150 cfs, then down to 100 cfs on Saturday, down again to 50 cfs on Monday - survey work was done on Tuesday & Wednesday - I expect the flows to be increased in the next few days - but no confirmation from the Water Board.
Quickly turning into "Banking Hours" on the river - now 9 - 10 a.m. to 3 - 4 p.m. - soon to be later & earlier - lower teens to mid 20's pre-sunrise - but we hit high 60's most of this week - pretty ideal - start with gloves, hoody and wind breaker - by afternoon I am down to the fishing shirt, and if my waders didn't leak, I would have lost the long johns underneath the sweats - but they do leak, up high somewhere near the butt - gonna find that leak this weekend (I'm in jail) - and attack it with our UV wader repair - remarkable stuff - we even fix dry flies & windshield wipers with it.
At 50 cfs, we admit, the river fished a little tougher, but Jeremy with long time client Bob, really got into them today - last week they had a real battle - just goes to show how the river can give it up, or be pretty stingy - that's why we always go back - because of the tough days, you know they are in there feeding away - you just have to figure out the puzzle.
Yesterday I went on an R & D run solo - no bumps, takes, risers of any kind - had no real nymphing gear with me (still trying to drag them up, so I leave it at the cabin or in the Jeep) - went to a big dry with 2 dropped nymphs I found in a pocket & the micro shots I had in the shirt - still nothing (actually one 11" brown in a fast riffle on a caddis larva - Browns can be goofy) - then switched to bigger dropped stuff - found in the Jeep - first cast nice Rainbow, third drift - bigger Rainbow - all on the droppers - yup, winter is here, even at 50 cfs none that I found would move to a good surface attractor - but if I rigged up a true nymphing set.... - yeah, the puzzle is always easier here at the cabin in front of the fire.
I did find a great midge hatch with many rising trout above the Deckers Bridge on Sunday - tons of midges hatching every day from 9 a.m. on - but I was in Jail (the shop) and being a Sunday and all, I did not bring my gear (trying to stay focused & ignoring the rental stuff in the back room) - would have been a slay fest if I rigged up, but just watching the little (and a few hog) rascals gulping and gorging was what part of the sport is all about (so I tell myself) - observation, how do they feed, how much water will they rise through, any pattern or rhythm to it - lots of info to store, then somebody honks a horn.
Wanted to thank all of you who stopped by on Saturday - really helped us out (Sunday too) - we were hurt by the Big Storm at the end of October, so it was a relief to see so many in the shop - Jesse had the Saturday jail sentence and was pretty proud of the results, had the "Homk Twice" sign ready to hang, but never got a chance - he forgot his keys (I had opened early, so he did not notice at the time - Fishing Guides !!), so I went down at 3 p.m. to lock up - found him closing out the register in waders & boots - next morning I get "The Call" - "I Whacked 'Em" - Yeah, well - Jeremy doesn't forget his keys!!
I obviously did not "whack 'em" on Saturday - but we can't all figure out the puzzle - not every day.
Week ending November 5th, 2009
Flow started out at 50 cfs this week, was bumped to 100 cfs on Tuesday, then up to 150 cfs on Thursday - River is a little off color below Deckers, not really noticeable - great flow for this time of year, and the river is fishing great
Running a winter special on our river front cabin - see the details above - can't beat this offer - one sweet deal
Clocks were turned back on Sunday, so the hatch comes off earlier - but the BWO's have really slowed down - good thing is that the p.m. midge hatch has been incredible - millions of them - we have some great patterns at the shop that cover this difficult hatch - difficult 'cause the bugs are SO small - but the trout get on them in certain areas - we have some good tricks too, that make seeing the take on a size #24 dry a lot easier.
Fishable light at 6:45 a.m., sun crests the east range at 7:20 a.m., sets to the west at 4:40 p.m., dark by 5 p.m. - had our first "below 0" pre-sunrise air temp of the season last Friday - rest of the week stayed in the mid teens to mid 20's - but day time temps have been great - high 50's to mid 70's - weekend looks fantastic and so does next week, couple of minor fronts, but nothing major at this time.
Most all of the snow has melted, so clarity should not be a problem - until the next storm hits - but the higher flow from the dam really helps.
Word is that the reason the flow went to 50 cfs was for the annual DOW electr0-shock survey of trout populations - but some mis-communication had it a week early - they have actually been up in the reservoir checking the salmon population and extracting eggs - so it is possible that we will see the flows dropped back down some time next week to get the work done - then, hopefully back up for a good winter flow rate.
Week ending October 29th, 2009
Winter hours start at the shop on Monday November 2nd - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday Thru Friday - Sat & Sun 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Storm last Thursday left about 6" on the ground on Friday morning - bitter cold to start the week - Saturday was nice, but another front came in on Sunday and it was pretty nasty out there - near white out at 5 p.m.
Flow was dropped to 50 cfs on Friday - river went a little off color from weekend snow melt, but has been fishing well - still getting BWO's in the afternoon - enough surface feeders to keep it interesting, but nymphing has been the most productive - weight and distance from weight to indicator very critical in the low flows. River is clear from the dam to the confluence with the North Fork.
Another storm hit early Wednesday morning (Monday and Tuesday were really nice, mid 50's and only light winds) but the snow started again at 4 a.m. Wed., it is still coming down at 5 p.m. on Thursday - 37 hours straight - 'suppose to stop this evening, but right now it is still blowing and going - we have about 18" on the ground in the valley - deeper drifts on the North side of the cabin up to the bedroom windows - I hear some of the surrounding range - and access to the valley - has up to 3 feet - this was a monster storm that came in and kind of stalled. Have not seen Mt. Scraggy or the top of the backyard range for 2 days - trips to the wood pile have become a real adventure, it being on the North side of the cabin.
I was not going to open the shop on Wednesday, but got a panic call from Kurt - going on an Elk hunt Friday and had yet to get his tag - so I met him at the shop and got him all set - also reminded him that he had 2 months of GOOD weather to get this done - did not want to wait until Thursday 'cause I was sure we would lose power in the valley by Wednesday afternoon - but we didn't - it is still on - pretty amazing - all that heavy snow and all that wind - I never even had to climb the ladder to sweep off the TV dish (yet - it's still coming down)
Immature Bald Eagle got another trout in the home hole on Tuesday morning - getting pretty good nailing them in the riffle - parents taught him (her) well. Still getting huge numbers of Mule deer on the property, but no Bucks this week - have not spotted the Lion or cub yet, but with all the new snow I will check for tracks on Friday - always like checking new snow for tracks - really gives you an idea haw many critters are really out there at night - a lot more than you would think.
Friday weather looks OK, weekend looks even better, mid 60's predicted for the start of next week - all of this snow, along with the low flow from the dam, will probably put the river clarity off on some afternoons - but that can be a good thing - as Jesse & Jeremy say "you can fish a lot of junk", with all the leaching from the banks - bigger, colorful patterns will produce - but if it is clear, you gotta go smalL
Sun now crests the East range at 8:15 a.m., but we change the clocks back on Sunday 1 hour, so that will change to 7:15 a.m. - the bugs do not know we do this, so hatch times will be a little earlier - say starting around 11 a.m. - if it happens.
Week ending October 22nd, 2009
Flow was dropped on Tuesday from 100 cfs to 70 cfs - river looks great. Friday thru Tuesday were picture perfect days - some wind, but it came and went on most days and really didn't make too much of a difference - BWO's are still hatching - bright days it starts early - 12 - 12:30 p.m. and can be sparse in areas and not last long, seems to come in waves - cloudy days it starts a little later, but can get very heavy and last a lot longer - almost too good - so many naturals on the water it can be a challenge to fool 'em.
Snow started Wednesday morning at about 4 a.m. - light and wet, not much sticking, but pretty socked in here in the valley - only about 2" on the ground, then around 4 p.m., it really came in - lasted until about 11 p.m. leaving a good 6" on the ground - 19 hours straight - sure looked beautiful on Thursday morning - but it started to melt quickly - river went a little off color in the afternoon from road and creek run-off - but it fished really good. Clarity should be fine by the weekend - and the weather looks very fishy.
Huge herd of mule deer on the property Wednesday morning - 14 does & fawns with a little 3 prong buck trying to hide among them (probably lost the 4th prong when he met a real buck) - he ain't no dummy - I guess they think the property is home base - rifle season started last weekend
Immature Bald Eagle stalking the back yard this week - got a small trout in the home hole on Friday morning - probably 2 - 3 years old - just getting the white head and tail feathers - almost looks like an Osprey as it matures into a full adult, but as big as a Golden Eagle - these babies are huge, compared to the mature ones - but it is all feathers.
Last week I did a little R&D run in the back yard - just to see how things looked at the lower flows - I was surprised at how much the habitat had changed due to the flash floods of July 21st - really impacted the river from Deckers down to Sway Back Ranch - lot of new decomposed granite - changed a lot of the runs, but still plenty of trout if you know where to place a cast. Found a lone riser near an old beaver house sweep - not too tough of a cast, little upstream air mend, then a good 2 - 3 foot drift before drag would set in, if you did it right.
Made the cast, not great, but I would get the 2 feet I needed - rise, take, set, tension and a head shaking violently - and out of the corner of my eye I noticed movement - looked down and 2 feet from my upstream leg swims a 5 foot (maybe 6) Bull snake - a true monster - thick around as my wrist - probably thought I was a mid stream log he could hang out on, but, I guess, setting on the trout had spooked him.
Now, on the section I was in is a big rock - only rock there - I know this rock well, knew exactly where it was at the time - a little behind and a little down from me - but in my effort to get away from the Evil Beast I moved back and downstream and started to trip over the rock - as I try to retain an upright position, I lose the trout and un-intentionally whacked the Anaconda smack in the middle of his back with my rod - honest - you don't want to f&@! with a big Bull snake - especially mid-stream - but whack him smartly I did.
Now he whips around to face me - doing that "S" thing they do - and I'm still going down - my thought is in a second I will be belly floating, face to face at the Vile Serpent's level - with no defense at all - nose, eyes and lips exposed to a horrible lightning quick attack - but, I managed to remain upright - I really don't know how - it was SO close.
He continues to drift downstream, still doing that "S" thing and makes a 90 degree turn upstream - keeping me in his sights - boy, are they good swimmers - 10 yards down he makes another 90 degree turn and heads for the bank - that's when I got the take on his true size - as he crossed the gravel bar and his head entered the willows his tail was still in the river - yup, more like 6 foot.
Now my friend Mitzi - Tim's wife - does not like going down in the backyard to the river alone - says there are too many snakes - Jesse, Tim, Jeremy and I have always tried to assure her that there are no snakes, we never see any, honest - well Mitzi, there's a big bastard down there now!!!
Morning air temps have been COLD - mid 20's, some high teens, but it can warm up quickly - start with small midge patterns in the morning, dead drifting along the bottom or mid water - switch to emerging May Fly patterns late morning or early afternoon, then if you see some noses, go to cripples or full duns for the surface action.
Used to have 2 packs of coyotes in the range behind the cabin - North pack and South pack - see a few of them in the mornings some times down at the river - they never cross for some reason - but I got used to hearing them every morning with the first pre-sunrise cup of coffee on the porch - both packs yapping away - probably over a new kill - but these last few months have been quiet - then Duane, working the back yard on the far bank with some clients found some Lion tracks last week - one BIG set, and one small set - a cub - Jesse and I found single Lion tracks downstream a few weeks ago, among a bunch of Elk tracks - but not the cub. - Lions eat coyotes - then run the rest off - probably to Castle Rock or Woodland Park where they terrorize residents, small dogs and house cats
A great client of ours, Rick - gave me two mouse patterns a few weeks ago - great looking things with eye balls and all - I wanted to try them for big nasty browns after midnight this year- was also waiting for the bears to start holding up for the winter and the flows to get to - well - where they are now - Theory is that the Big Ole Browns turn into real predators at a certain age and size - sulk all day on the bottom, but come out like sharks at night to chase and eat all kinds of stuff - other trout, mice, snakes, duclklings - Big Cats, don't "winter up" - and with a cub, well - they can get a little testy, so I'm gonna keep those patterns, give one to Tim, not say anything about the Lion, and get him to go with me some night - I think I can out run Tim in a sprint (only kidding Tim, but we are talking about Big Ole Browns - you understand) -
I have also heard that if you run away in a zig-zag pattern, flailing your arms wildly in the air, and screaming like a little girl, you stand a better chance of survival - 'cause the Lion (or bear) is laughing too hard to continue the chase - keep that in mind Tim.
Week ending October 15th, 2009
I have been as busy as a one eyed cat watching two mice holes - so this is a late and brief report - next weeks will be better - including a snake story
Flow was raised from 75 cfs to 100 cfs on Wednesday - if you go back through the last few weeks you will see a lot of fluctuation in flows, but it now , hopefully has settled into normal fall/winter conditions - we like 125 - 150 cfs, but 100 ain't bad.
Last weekend was pretty much winter conditions - no snow or precipitation, but just raw COLD - mainly from wind chill - then it settled into fall conditions - perfect weather and BWO's hatching every day - just depends on where you are, but it has been good - tons of midges too - nymph the morning, then switch to dries if you see some noses
Sunrise 7:45 a.m., sunset 5:45 p.m. - river is clear and looks great - weekend looks fantastic - air temps in the high 60's - get up here.
Week ending October 8th + Friday the 9th
Flow was dropped from 250 cfs to 150 cfs on Monday, then down to 120 cfs on Tuesday, dropped again on Wednesday to 100 cfs then again today, Friday to 75 cfs - drastic cuts in flow rate put the trout off on some days as they move around and find new holding & feeding runs
COLD mornings most of the week, but it usually warmed up nicely - like today - I had 12 degrees at the cabin pre-sunrise with the Jeep covered in fresh powder and the windshield wipers firmly iced in, but it hit the mid 50's by the afternoon - then the next front started to move in and the wind picked up & temps started to drop.
2 inches of snow on Thursday afternoon, cloudy and cold all day - and a great BWO hatch around 1 p.m. that lasted until the snow got too heavy - trout were boiling up where the bugs were thick - looks like this weekend will be a repeat - cold and cloudy - plus a low flow which means none of the trout are far from the surface. Looks like this next front (with snow predicted) will stall North of the valley - but you never know.
Dry/Dropper rigs should now be very effective fishing the water until (if) the hatch comes off - then it is an easy switch to the proper fraud and targeting specific risers.
Week ending October 1st, 2009
That's right - October 1st - where did the season go - this one just flew by - but now it is true fall - Aspens & Cottonwoods are almost at peak color - fantastic visuals - gin clear river, nip in the air with Blue Bird skies, this just simply does not suck.
Flow was bumped up from 185 cfs to 250 cfs on Tuesday, river went a little off color in the afternoon, but looks great today. Surface action along the banks remains good - still getting BWO's in the afternoon with occasional rising trout - Jesse & I did a little R & D on Tuesday - mainly just checking the river before the flow increase hit the lower sections - found a few risers in challenging spots - we got 'em - and these were tucked away in tight, safe (they thought) sleepy little hides - way too much fun.
First Bald Eagle of the season was spotted in the backyard on Saturday afternoon - then again on Sunday - could be a migrator moving further south, or the resident that lives the year round at the private ranch we guide on about 12 miles away - or it could be one of the winter residents - an early arrival, they usually show up around Halloween and stalk trout on the river until mid-April, hopefully not a precursor to a long winter.
Mornings have been cold, ice on the Jeep's windshield almost every morning, except Wednesday, when I woke to a pre-sunrise air temp of 45 degrees - and wind - all day - 30 - 40 mph gusts, finally knocked the power out in the valley at 1:30 pm when a tree just could not handle it anymore - closed the shop at 3 pm, power came back on about 6:30 - just in time for our 3 day guest cabin visitors.
Sun now crests the Rampart Range in the back yard at 7:40 a.m., and has steadily worked its way south, now about mid-way, until it stops and begins to move north in the spring - Pre-sunrise air temps have been in the low 30's to high 20's, but most days have seen afternoon temps in the 60 - 70 degree range - water temps are in the mid 40's, fishable light at 6:50 a.m., sunset over the West Range about 6:30 p.m., and fishable light for another 1/2 hour.
This is such a beautiful time of year - my favorite, even if the wind can add an extra challenge on some days - weekend forcast looks perfect - mid day air temps in the 60's, all kinds of bugs around (Terrestrials, BWO's, Quills or Sulphers, Caddis), Browns coming into spawning colors (hold one gently and really look - the reds, blues, blacks and yellows are unreal) - and enjoy a day.
Week ending September 24th + Friday the 25th
Monday, September 21st - the last day of summer - and it snowed in Deckers - real good in the morning, almost a white out at the shop at 10 a.m.
Tuesday, September 22nd - first day of fall - and it again snowed in Deckers - not as bad as the last day of summer, but it was snowing - the rest of the week was about the same - more rain than snow, but pretty raw, damp & cold - thought I was in the northwest - but the sun came out today & the weekend, into most of next week, looks a lot more normal - low 70's & sunshine
Flow started out at 300 cfs this week, was dropped to 200 cfs on Monday, the last day of summer, when it snowed - then dropped again on Thursday to 150 cfs - but wait - some calculation must not have equated - 'cause 24 hrs later, today, it was bumped back up to 200 cfs.
Went a little off color this afetrnoon, but should be fine all weekend long.
BWO's downstream and upstream from the shop - Canyon too - other odd mayflies, tricos are thinning out, but you never know - could stumble onto the odd spinner fall.
Mornings are quiet, songbirds have mostly departed along with the swallows and hummingbirds - pre-sunrise hoots from the Horned owls are about it, deer rustling around in the willows in the back yard - and a lone screeching Osprey circling at mid morning - might as well snow, sounds and feels like winter - at least this week - but summer is forcast to start again tomorrow.
Week ending September 17th, 2009
Flow from Cheesman started out this week at 275 cfs, dropped to 220 cfs on Sunday, then bumped way back up to 300 cfs on Wednesday. We do not know why - the North Fork was also bumped - must have been a call for water somewhere downstream. Cheesman is about 10' down from the spillway and an estimated 250 cfs is entering the reservoir - which means the level is still dropping. Maintenance work on the dam was completed over the weekend, so we felt sure the flow rate would be cut, not raised.
We now hope to see lower flows within the next few weeks, but 300 cfs is pretty nice - not too many places you can't get to - if you are careful.
River is looking great, did not go off color during the latest bump, but some debris was in the drift for awhile, nothing major. Horse Creek is still off color, but not really affecting the river downstream of Deckers. West Creek looks a lot better this week, all the springs are clear, along with Trout Creek - problems still exist with the newly created "swamp" about 1.5 miles from the shop on Horse Creek
Stll no major hatches in the Deckers section, but Tricos, BWO's & other odd May Flies are bringing the trout up in the Canyon and downstream from Trumble.
With the higher flows, dry/dropper rigs are limited, but still produce in the right water - otherwise, stick with weighted nymphs until you see some risers, then switch - or try a caddis (Goddard got a few the other day) or terrestrial pattern along the banks and shallow pockets, again, until you see some risers - sippers are on Trico Spinners, gulpers are on the May Flies.
Week ending September 10th, 2009
Flow remained steady at 275 cfs all week - river is gin clear above Deckers Bridge and in the Canyon - just slightly off color below the bridge (follow the stick) to the confluence with the North Fork - slightly, meaning not gin clear, but pretty close, meaning pretty perfect - feeder creek survey today showed a vast improvement of clarity on West Creek, which was hammered at its source at West Creek Lake a few weeks ago by one of those "isolated storm cells"
Not a whole lot of new stuff to report - I have had "second hand" reports, from reliable sources, of great BWO and Pale Morning Dun hatches in the Canyon, but I have not been in, so can't confirm - sporadic Trico's - but that should pick up
Jeremy has found good Trico Spinner falls as far upstream as Trumbull - and a few trout keying in on the egg laying spinners - and each one fooled by one of our clients - but nothing really steady - high flows keep the trout from reacting - and 275 is high for spinner falls - keep a sharp eye to the banks, slicks and tailouts for sippers.
Hung the "Honk Twice" sign on the door of the shop this Wednesday and took "Amy" for a walk - "Amy" being a big old ugly stone, hopper, I don't know what dry fly fraud - 3rd cast at the beaver sweep produced a beautiful 15" Brown that just could not resist "Amy" - worked my way back downstream on the opposite bank, practicing mend and pile casts - but without a flash or swirl - was just about to exit river left, and thought, hell, why not - laid out a decent mend cast, big ole "Amy" floating and swirling - then the sweetest rise and take you can imagine - inhaled good ole "Amy" - maybe 12" Brown - probably 11" - but what a great tussle and release - and I mean "inhaled" - right down on the tounge - and I set pretty quick - as surprised as I was that I had a take in that little slot - I was just admiring the drift.
Went back to the shop to see if any one needed help & check the voice mail (a few folks were hanging at the bridge, watching - but they were not clients, just saw the sign, grabbed an ice cream from the Deckers Cafe, and came over to watch) - some just wait 'till I return, not wanting to disturb the serenity with a double honk - trust me, 2 honks are OK.
So, I helped a new visitor to some patterns, then he purchased a "T" shirt to boot - that made my slow day - and I went back out - downstream, placed "Amy" straight upstream in a little shoulder of current - noticed a new stick (read "tree limb") pointing to the sky as I laid out the cast - was not there prior to the last flash floods ( the tree limb/pine trunk) - sure enough, a hog, slab of bacon Rainbow Trout slammed good ole "Amy" - had to be an easy 18" - closer to 20" - amd took me right up and around the new stick (tree limb) - and that's all I got to say about that.
River looks great - flow a little high for this time of year, but that's OK - you can fool 'em with the right patterns and approach - dead drifting on the bottom is still the most productive technique - but I like to practice casting, for when the true hatches come off, so taking "Amy" for a walk seems about right.
Week ending September 3rd, 2009
Wanted to thank all that enjoyed last weeks report - hope no one took it in a negative way (by the comments, mails and in person meetings at the shop, I do not think any one did - but we do not want to scare any one off - so come on by)
Flow remained steady at 280 cfs all week, Horse Creek is still off color, but is not having much affect on the river downstream from Deckers - it is not "gin clear", but really looks good & is fishing great - a "little" off color sometimes helps. River upstream of Deckers and in the Canyon is "gin clear" - looks fantastic - all other creeks and springs are clear, but still running high for this time of year.
We have had some light afternoon showers this week, but they moved on quickly and no damage was done - actually fished pretty good right after them.
I have managed to drag a few up on surface attractors here & there - enough to keep it interesting, but far more were fooled this week with dead drifting nymphs along the bottom - or, in the right spot and water depth, dry attractor with a 2' dropped and weighted nymph (Jesse had a client on Saturday, they switched to the above rig + a smaller nymph (Dry Double Dropper) and had 3 trout on at the same time - one on each nymph and one on the dry)
Jeremy has been whacking them with nymphs most of the week - some days are a little tougher than others (that's why we always come back) - we have been very happy anglers.
September already !!! - this summer flew by - some of the Cottonwoods in the back are already "tipping" - getting some color on the crowns, leaves are slowly turning from dark to light green - this was as cold a summer as I can remember, going by pre-sunrise temps - mainly 30's and 40's with the rare low 50's - sun now crests the East Range at 7:20 a.m. - starting that slow march south, every morning, a little further down the range. Fishable light at 6:45 and just barely fishable until 8 p.m. (more like 7:45 p.m.)
Swallow group that hangs out at the cabin has departed, along with a few of the hummingbirds - a few swallow groups are still present along the river, but probably not for long
Still no real "hatches" in the Decker's sections - bugs here and there throughout the day - Pale Morning Duns, Blue Wing Olives, Tricos, but nothing of any significance in numbers or density, terrestrials are coming more into play, along with some caddis patterns if you want to try the surface - then, if a hatch does come off, your ready for it.
Coming into my favorite time of year - I expect the flows to gradually drop this month (we shall see), and the surface action to pick up (if) as the flows recede - I heard, but have not confirmed yet, that they are dropping the level in the reservoir to perform some maintenance, once they hit the correct level and the work is completed, I think the flows will drop way down, in order to re-fill Cheesman.
Week ending August 27th, 2009
Flow was dropped last Thursday to 210 cfs from the 2 day flush of 500 cfs, then bumped back up to 280 cfs on Monday, where it now remains.
River clarity cleared out nicely all the way to the confluence by Friday and we had a great weekend, with many trout fooled and most brought to the net, up and down the whole river - Jesse, Randy & John had a trip on Saturday with 6 clients - they estimeted that 75 to 100 trouit were hooked on the full day trip - sounds like the "Lies" at "Flies and Lies" were in evidence, but, if you think about it, that's 12 to 15 trout per client - which brings it back to reality - but also puts to bed the stories that the flash floods of July 21st ruined the river - again.
But we got hit with some brutal isolated storm cells on Tuesday night - one really whacked West Creek Village. I made a headwater survey today and found that Trail Creek, that feeds into West Creek Lake, was clear, but the lake was a brown mess - water out of the fall (bottom draw outflow) pipe and over the spillway was chocolate.
Could take a few days for the lake to settle, which means it will take that long for West Creek to start to clear. Trout Creek, that joins West Creek 3 miles from the shop to make up Horse Creek, is also clear, along with all the springs that feed both (some of which I have never seen run this late in the summer, some I didn't know existed until all the rain this season) - so as you sit on the bridge at Deckers, Horse Creek looks pretty ugly as it joins the clear flow from upstream on the Platte from the dam.
Some improvement to the clarity of the river was evident this morning (Thursday) below Deckers, but Horse Creek is still a mess - the Canyon and above Deckers Bridge are excellent - gin clear and lots of habitat - below Deckers is barely fishable - but improving. With a dry forcast for the next few days, the river below Deckers will slowly clear & fish pretty good with the right "Off Color Water" tactics - as I file this report on Thursday evening, the backyard is now (barely) fishable - a good sign.
Huge Flying Ant hatch at Deckers last evening, about a # 16 - PMD's in the Canyon - sporadic May Flies throughout the river - no Tricos in the Deckers section yet - fingers crossed that they will start soon - but I grudgingly had to admit to Jeremy & Jesse, that, yes - a lot more sand & decomposed granite have filled in some good runs - not so bad in the pocket water and riffles, but flat, "meadow" sectionds took a hit from the July 21 hell storm. You have to adjust, once again - if a favored run or stretch has changed - explore a little - find the habitat & you find the trout.
Some of you may notice a change in my demeanor and attitude at the shop on most weekends - gruff, cranky, aloof - just a plain old #$%hole - usually after 1 or 2 p.m. - so I wanted to give you all an insight as to what can happen to a river specific "Fly Shop Guy", stuck in jail (at the shop) for 10 hours, who starts his day in a great mood, but which can slowly (and sometimes rapidly) deteriorate:
Had a group (only once so far this year - thank God) of 4, blow through the screen door and in a loud aggresive voice "are you doctor hook?" - I said "excuse me?" - then, "are you Danny?" - "yes, can I help you", "well. we have sort of a problem we were told you could help us with", and he proceded to spin around his short, but ample female companion, and stuck deeply in the folds of flesh below her left shoulder blade was a Mepps Spinner - "We was told you could get this out", I - "probably could, but, sorry, I'm not going to touch that - Woodland Park is the closest emergency room" - now, on the river, with a client who has signed a release form, I can easily extract a barbed, or barbless single fly hook with quiet ease, and continue the day - but a huge barbed treble hook, embedded deep in multiple folds of flesh, from a party that walks in the door for the first time - well, I could see the lawyers hounding my simple life within weeks "'cause I performed minor surgery on thier client in the back room of a mountain flly shop without a license" well, they left in a huff.
"Hey, got any worms?" - ( 3 -4 times a day) - my standard answer is "Yes, that's why I'm so skinny" - after a blank stare, "No man, nightcrawlers" - "Oh - no - sorry - can't use them in the river - no bait allowed - flies and lures only" - "How about Power Bait?" (honest, I am asked that) - "No sir, but think about one of the words in that product - that one word should answer your last question" - again, they leave in a huff.
"How do we get to Deckers?"(4-5 times per day) - "OK, go back through the screen door (me, as they stand on the deck outside the shop) "your there"
"Where is Cripple Creek?" (1 -2 times per day) -"Well, you have to go back the way you came about 25 miles and take a right" - What!!?" - "Yes sir, you took a right when you should have stayed straight in Woodland Park - about a 1 hr drive from here to Cripple Creek" - "Well, is there another way to go" - "Yes, take Rt 126 to Rt 285, follow 285 to Fairplay, then follow the signs to Rt 24 and Cripple Creek" - "How long will that take?" "about 3 hours" - "why would I want to go that way, it's twice as long" "'cause you asked me if there was another way" - they leave in a huff.
"How do I get to Platte River Campground?" (or somewhere downstream - 15-20 times per day)- "follow the river downstream about 5 miles, it's on the right" - "Oh, so I go that way (as they point towards Woodland Park) "No, drive out of the lot, bare to the right, and follow the river downstream" - "Oh, so that way" (as they point to Rt 126 across the river) - "No, tell you what, I'll make this simple for you, walk over to that bridge, on your way, pick up a stick, when you get to the middle of the bridge, throw the stick in the river - and follow it - the stick is going downstream" - again, a blank stare, but before realization takes hold, I say, "Now, if you want to go upstream, DO NOT follow the stick" - and one more time - yup, out the door in a huff.
"What are they biting on" (40 -50 times per day - honest, the amount of times asked in a day, and my favorite question - unless...) - so I run down the flies du'jour - "Oh, what does that look like", so I go over and show them. "Oh, OK, I got stuff like that, Where should I go?" - "Well, I would try the river, usually fishes better than the parking lot" - now I know they do not have anything like the exact patterns I pointed out, but what they really want to know is what rock to stand next to, the exact amount of line to have out, and where in the drift to place the cast. Now, on the next level, is the angler who picks out 1 or 2 flies and asks the same question - standard reply is "The further upstream you go, the bigger they get and the smarter they get, further downstream you go, the smaller they get and the dumber they get - "Ok, how do I find the small, dumb ones" - "Well, you walk over to that bridge, pick up a stick.............
Truth is, with me anyhow, the more buttons I push on the cash register, the more in-depth information you will get - buy a set of waders and a St Croix rod, and I'll probably hang the "Honk Twice" sign on the door and take you across to the bridge and spot trout for you. I am usually in a great mood and will do what I can to point anyone in the right direction - depending on what you want to do and what time of day it is.
Otherwise, my standard response is, after I say the "standard response" (see 2nd paragraph above line 4 and 5) and I get "Well, where would you go to get some fish today" - "I would hire one of our guides and go with him" - you see, all of us at Flies & Lies and South Platte Outfitters, on any day off we can get, go find trout on the Platte - so that we know how to get you into them without having to figure it out on your time on a guided trip - we do it for free, enjoyment, knowledge, relaxation, satisfaction, adventure - and to know with confidence, that a day spent with us, well you can't find better. Despite how some of this weeks report may sound - we truly and deeply love this river and this sport - and most of all, those who embrace it with us.
Two guys walked into the shop (single event), Evan was sitting at the tying desk, and I hear "Hey, we are really late - 'suppose to meet some friends, do you know where they are?" - Evan started to giggle, me "are you really asking me that question?" - "Yeh dude, any idea?" "Well, no - we have had 40-50 people in here this morning, and I honestly could't tell you where any of them are" - and they left - that's right - in a huff.
Phone call (only once) "How do I get to 11 mile Canyon?" - "Where are you calling from?" - "Hartsell" - "Hartsell?, Ok, do you see Rt 24" - "Yes. I'm on Rt 24" - "OK, stay on it until you see the turnoff to 11 mile Canyon on your right - if you get to Colorado Springs, you missed it" (for those of you who do not know, Hartsell is about a 2 hr drive from the shop - easy 75 miles away, 1 hr past 11 mile Canyon going in the wrong direction - 11 mile Canyon entrance is an easy 1 hr drive from "Flies and Lies" - half way between the shop and the caller)
Phone call "How is the clarity below Deckers" (20-30 times per day) - "excellent", I reply - "Really!!?, I was told ....." - "Oh, OK, I'm lieing" - now this one did bite me on the butt this week, got a call this Tuesday at the cabin and was asked the "Question" - and at the time, before the storms hit, it was exceptional - when I relayed this to the caller, I got the "Really!!?, I heard......." - so I said, "No sir, I'm lieing to you" - brief pause, then I finally blurted out "No, really, it is great" - he hung up - but then the storm hit, and the river turned to crap - I thought about that guy, arriving at the river on Wednesday morning and still wondering if I was a sarcastic SOB, or I really was lieing.
Young children walk through the door and instantly jam thier fingers into the fly bins - I guess they think it is full of candy, 'cause they can't see above the rim - then 'OWIEEE" - just as one of the parents walks through the door - so I walk over and extract a #22 RS2 from the little digit as the parent says "L'il Billy, I told you dun't tuch nuth'n!!!!", as Billy , instantly forgetfull of his last inter-action at the fly shop, procedes to the retractors on the wall and starts to try and play a form of "Pin Ball" - they leave in a huff.( with, I'm sure, L'il Billy still on the up-swing of what "Dun't tuch nuth'n" really means)
'Where is the nearest gas staion" ( 5-7 times per day) - I reply "25 to 30 miles any direction you take", "Really!!? " - nope, I'm lieing again.
"How do I get to Cheesman Reservoir" (20 times per day) - "How do I get to Cheesman Canyon" (another 25 times per day) - "take the road across the bridge, Rt 126 towards Rt 285" - now, interrupting "You mean that way" - as they point towards Woodland Park - "No sir, just bare with me - go across the bridge and follow the road up 2 miles" - again, interrupting, they point to the "Y" Camp road -"That way?" "No, see the bridge sign marked Rt 126 TO Rt 285- go across it, 2 miles, go past Wig Wam Club on the left, just past it is the dirt road #211 on the left to the reservoir, just past that is the huge parking lot for the trailhead to the Canyon, also on the left - (the operating word being "left" - the right is a cliff slope) "OK, got it, do you have a piece of paper I can write this down on?"
One guy will walk in the shop and ask "What are they biting on", I will run through the day's requirements, pointing them out in each bin, and another guy walks through the door, asks the same question, thinking they are 2 separate visitors, I run through it again - then they say to each other "heck, I think we got all of those", just as 3 more walk through the door, greet the other 2 in the shop - (they are all together), then the new 3 ask "What are they biting on?" - so I run through it again - 5 or 6 patterns that will work that day, depending on section angled - then 2 of them will ask, usually in unison, "What was that second one you named?" (now it may be only once in a day that 5 are together, but with 2 -3 anglers, it happens multiple times)
Most times I ask what they prefer to fish -Dry, Dry/Dropper, nymphs, streamers - and the response is "what do you mean?" - so I show them the diagram we sketched out for a typical nymph rig, that can be switched to a dry or dry/dropper rig fairly quickly, and if modified with your nippers, easily used for streamers- now keep in mind, I have yet to push any buttons on the register - "Hey, can I take this?" - "No that's the shop diagram, but I'll make a copy for you" - after 1 p.m. I usually add "If you buy a hat" - "Huh, I don't need a hat!!" - "Well, you don't need a copy either" - remember, this is an afternoon exchange. They leave in a huff.
"Hey, where can I shoot my guns off at?" (3-4)
"Hey, where can I find a campground with no people?"(5-6)
"Hey, where can I find a good stretch of river with no people?" (8-10)
"Hey, where can I find some (Turkey, Elk, Deer, Lion, Bear) to kill? (4-5)
"Can an incompetent guy get lost on the Gill Trail into Cheesman Canyon?" - this one asked while Jesse was in the shop after a 1/2 day trip - I, looking the guy straight in the eye, and seeing Jesse's jaw drop and eyes widen as he stood just beyond and to the right of the man, said "Yes, you sir, can get lost on the trail" - then I saw Jesse's left hand cover his mouth - eyes still wide open, but with a hint of genuine concern - I thought for the gentleman, but it was really for me. Jesse stepped up to the plate and gave the guy detailed instructions on how NOT to get lost on the Gill Trail - then took over for me at the shop, so I went home, following the stick..........
Now, all of the above, and other, though not minor, incidents,(some of the phone calls would really tickle you) happened on one recent Saturday of the summer season - Fridays and Sundays are about the same - these are all of the days I usually pull shop (jail) time.
Thru all of this are the true anglers, novice anglers & all of those in-between, who need and absorb information quickly - or who seek and clearly listen to the information we have, with enthusiasm and down right determination, to at least become competent, or at worse, have a great day on the river, and purchase what we suggest (we honestly won't push or sell somthing you do not need - ever) - so cherished, so respected, so hoped for before 1 p.m. (and who tolerate me from 1 to 5 p.m.) - I apologize in advance (and in hindsight) to any I may have offended if you happened to stop by on a summer weekend afternoon - honest, not lieing this time, so don't leave in a huff, try to understand what may have unfolded before you, then, just cuss under your breath (outside, in Deckers) and come back next Saturday before noon.
Week ending August 20th, 2009
Flow started out at 225 cfs on Friday the 14th, then was bumped to 280 cfs that afternoon, up again to 450 cfs on Monday, but it settled at 425 cfs, then on Tuesday, it was pumped up to 500 cfs, then dropped back to 210 cfs this morning - a minor flush, that was hoped for but not expected from Denver Water Board - but we will take what we can get (I would have preffered 1,000 cfs for 24 hours over 500 cfs for 48 hours) - but, hey, they made an effort to clear things and that is usually not the case, especially when they don't have to.
We are now at day 30 from the intense storm cell that whacked the river on July 21st - and things are fine - no trout kill that we could find, some ingress of sand and gravel, but most should be pushed out after the flush in the Deckers sections - and at 200 cfs over the weekend, well, it should be great. Horse Creek is still off color as it enters the Platte at Deckers, but steadily, still dropping and clearing - 3 miles from the shop where Trout Creek and West Creek form Horse Creek is gin clear - 2 miles from the shop Horse Creek is gin clear - then it enters the new swamp and turns a little off, but is sorting itself out.
Of course, the river went thru some minor, then major clarity issues,during the flush, but that is all good - and the trout really turned on to some patterns during the fluctuations - if you hit it right.
The "swamp" on Horse Creek is an issue - no one will make a move on the clean-up - Douglass County and CDOT say it is too far off the road ( Rt 67) and mostly private - so they are not taking any action - no word yet fro the Army Corps. of Engr's., Denver Water Board, or Forest Service - but somehow, the Creek will need a new stream bed established for about 1 mile, to eliminate the "delta effect" that it encounters before returning to its natural course.
Watching the flow drop as I write this, clarity is good, not gin clear, but certainly fishable (if you know where) - no rain events this week - some days looked pretty scary, but it cleared out to the north & south, giving us a well needed break - heard a tornado touched down at Lake George / 11 mile on Tuesday - but we were in the clear.
5 a.m This morning, cup of coffee on the porch - magnificient Buck at the garden fence - with a doe and two fawns - and trailing behind (which is usually the opposiet) another doe with one fawn - starting a harem - last night I had the lame doe that has surfaced every few weeks - back left leg must have been broken at an early age - but she pushes on - and has survived the lions and coyotes - a true survivor.
Tricos have not made it to Deckers yet, we expect them soon - hoppers and surface attractors should perform better in the lower flow - depends on clarity and pressure - dry/dropper should be fun.
Sun crests the East Range at 7:10 a.m., sets to the West at 7:15 p.m.
Week ending August 13th, 2009
Flow was dropped last Friday from 335 cfs to 225 cfs where it now stands - clear in the Canyon, clear upstream of Deckers Bridge & clearing nicely below Deckers Bridge down to the confluence with the North Fork. We are now at day 23 since the major storm hit the drainage and caused all the Creeks to flash flood - storm last week (not as intense) put recovery back a bit, but no rain this week has things back on track.
Jeremy & Jesse have both had great trips this week - I did some R&D today, could not wander far, "hound" sitting for my partners Tim & Mitzi - Roscoe is a good old boy - did real well at the shop this week - even helped me pick out some flies for some customers - I would pull out a hopper, ask him "is this a good one" - his head would pop up and ears went forward - I said "OK" and dropped it in the cup, pulled out a stimmy, said "is this a good one" - no reaction - I dropped it back in the bin and he waited for the next selection - the clients thought he was the most amazing dog they had ever seen - he actually picks out my flies!!!
Back to my R&D work today - clarity below Deckers is good, about 2' looking straight down - better for a trout who is looking straight ahead - and I whacked 'em in the backyard - all fat, pissed and beautiful.
We have had some gravel deposits settle into holes and runs, but overall, at least in the back yard, things looked good, plenty of habitat and plenty of trout - so do not listen to the "doomsayers of the flatlands" - the river is doing just fine.
Breif showers this afternoon, but pretty much a very dry week, which helped Horse Creek drop & clear even more - Jeremy found major swarms of mating Tricos WAY downstream from the shop this week, and Jesse found good Pale Morning Dun hatches UPstream from the shop - so the bugs seem OK too - Jeremy said no trout were on the spinners 'cause the clarity was still pretty bad, Jesse said thay got a few when they switched to the dun imitation.
Had a regal Buck at the garden fence on Tuesday morning - just coming out of felt - lots of Does and Fawns this year, but it seems, not as many as last year. Had a bear attack the shop dumpster on Monday, this was a bruiser - we know of a smaller one out back (100 + lbs), but this new one, tipped the whole thing off the concrete pad & bent the 5 foot long 3/4" rebar, that secures the lock and straddles the 2 doors, into a banana shape - That is a lot of power - took 2 of us to get it back up on the pad.
Should be a good week ahead - some storms predicted in the afternoons, but the trout have not been hassled for many days, should make them a little easier.
Week ending August 6th, 2009
Flow started out at 280 cfs last Friday, but was bumped up to 335 cfs on Monday - another storm hit last night (Wednesday) - 1.5" of additional rain in less than an hour (with a little bit of hail) - I thought we were really in for it again, but an early stream survey today showed the Canyon has clear water - Wig Wam Creek is high & off color, but not as bad as I expected, 4 Mile Creek was a little high, but surprisingly clear & Horse Creek was a little higher than yesterday but about the same clarity.
Canyon is good, above the Deckers bridge to Wig Wam Club is OK - very fishable - below Deckers the river is still off color from the Horse Creek run-off - you can fish it now, but it ain't real pretty.
Most of the work to repair damage along 4 Mile Creek and Rt 126 (that affects Wig Wam flows) has been completed (work in 4 Mile yesterday put the water off above Deckers for the afternoon) - this all still going on from the intense storm cell that hit us on July 21st - we are now at day 16 and things are slowly, but visibly, improving - last night sure didn't help, but it did not really set us back much.
On Monday DOW stocked 20,000 sub-catchables (4" - 6" yearlings) in the river from Cable hole downstream to Scraggy view - these to replace the "young of the year" that are still struggling to make a comeback each season.
Hung the "Honk Twice" sign on the shop this week and went over to the bridge - started above Horse Creek and had 1/2 dozen in 30 - 40 minutes- then went below Horse Creek - on the Northwest side and got 2 more right away - then a horn honked - these were all big healthy "Bows & Browns" - not the newly stocked babies - so our thoughts of no major problems with the trout population are holding up. Found some hatching Mayflies (BWO's or Pale Morning Duns, not too sure, couldn'y get a close enough look) and one rising trout, even in the off color water
Horse Creek & its new "swamp" are still a problem. The swamp, about 2 miles from the shop along Rt 67, is a collection of logs & debris that has moved the Creek out of its channel - going in the clarity is not too bad, coming out is pretty ugly. 4 miles from the shop the creeks are clear (Westcreek looks fantastic) and Trout Creek is clearing now that work in the area has been completed.
With dry weather predicted for the next few days and into next week, things should really improve downstream from the shop.
Week ending July 30th, 2009
Flow was bumped on Thursday afternoon from 265cfs to 325cfs, then up to 380cfs on Friday, to keep it off the spillway, then back to 280cfs on Monday - the higher flow helped to clear the water (some) above Deckers, and it fished well, then on Wednesday, work began on rebuilding the culvert under the road to the dam (FR 211), and above the bridge went brown again, due to the water in Wig Wam Creek going off from the work. All a result of the flood down 6 mile creek along Rt 126 last week - the Sherriffs were calling it 6 mile river - but it will have minimal impact on the Platte since it is small and hardly trickles most of the year - except for last week.
The Canyon was off color and still is a little - just lots of washouts and we think the reservoir turned some - the water out of the pipes was a little off - probably too much cold water from the rain sinknig fast and disrupting the soft bottom - reports were that it is fishing great - 2 guests at one of our cabins - guides from South Africa - got into a heavy BWO hatch on Wednesday afternoon - after barely surviving a hail storm - they were pretty stoked. Pat Dorsey told me he has had a couple of epic day trips with clients in the Canyon - all this after the flash floods.
The storm last Tuesday night really did a number on the river below the Canyon - no evidence of any major or minor fish kill - but rains all week, some heavy, have not helped in the clarity, especially below Deckers. As I said last week, the Hayman burn area did have an impact on the damage, but the majority of the floods came from areas not in the burn area - a lot came from areas that were thinned of pines after the Hayman fire, by the Forest Service - one washout is just across the river from the cabin - an area thinned 2 years ago. This was a major event - 3" to 4" of heavy penetraiting rain and hail in a very short time in a very small area.
We have found 2 dead trout - 1 nice Rainbow, and another smaller Brown - Ed, the Manager and our friend at Wig Wam Club found 1 big 'Bow and a 9" Brookie (washed down from Wig Wam Creek) on club property - so far that is about it - But every one should know that the Club has done an incredible job in catching sediment, gravel & debris from both the Canyon and Wig Wam Creek and getting it out of the river before it impacts the lower sections - sure, they are keeping the Club clear, but the amount of debris (massive) they have removed has helped in so many ways to benefit all of us who plod the public waters - they do not get enough credit, nor do they ask, for the efforts made.
Talked with Jeff Spohn (our Platte DOW aquatics biologist) on Wednesday (he stopped by the cabin) - we discussed the latest event, and he reminded me that the flood of 2006 that took out Rt 67 between Deckers and Woodland Park had hit over 3,000cfs at its peak and no major fish kill was evident - this flood, more concentrated in the area affected, hit maybe 1,400cfs at its peak. We had a good flow of 265cfs from the dam this time - good clear oxygenated water to help dissipate the nasty water flooding in.
Full river survey on Monday showed that all the banks and islands held up incredibly well - lots of logs and debris stacked up on island points and mid stream rocks, but no major mud or sediment deposits were seen on the banks - which is what you expect from flash floods - the banks and islands have so much thick growth this year that some areas did not even bend to the flood waters. Some sediment (mud) has collected in flatter, wider meadow sections of the river bed, but where the gradient is significant, all seemed about the same.
The real problem is Horse Creek - a new "swamp" has been created along the creeks natural course - maybe 1/4 mile in length - full of trees, logs, debris and one pick-up truck (Stronk's place, which has lost thier bridge 7 times from floods on Horse Creek since the Hayman Fire) had left one of the trucks on the pavement side, so he had a way out when the bridge washed away - well, the truck washed away, and now sits in the new swamp, amid many logs.
Until Horse Creek finds its way back into the natural stream bed, it will be muddy - pretty clear going in, pretty ugly coming out - but it did start to drop and clear until new storm cells hit the area - good news is that one of the beaver dams is still in-tact - right in the middle of all the wreckage - I cannot believe that it held.
So, as I file this report, the river below Deckers is pretty unfishable (I say pretty, because when the work on the culvert put the river off above Deckers on Wednesday, I loaded up Ben, my client for the day, and headed to a feeder creek that I wanted to work, on the way I passsed Jesse with his 2 clients - our new favorite guests Kristy & Brady from Tennessee - and both had trout on, at the same time, in the brown water, in Trumbull, as we passed and honked. Jeremy, the day before, had Kristy & Brady into 14 landed trout above Deckers, when clarity was better, in the morning session, before lunch at the cabin, and they both lost quite a few more)
We won't know how the river bed has been affected until clarity returns - in terms of sediment deposits, etc. - but we know the trout are OK - and since no one is really fishing for them, they are getting - well - dumber - at least as to our evil intentions of fooling, hooking, landing and releasing them - and once things clear, which they will, this place will again be "on fire" - of that I have no doubt
The nesting pair of Red Tail Hawks across the river from the cabin have had a baby - and man, is it a screacher - wants bunny rabbit all day long - and lets everyone know - now flying from pine tree tops to other pine tree tops - one of the parents always close - the other supposedly looking for bunnies, a full time job by the sound of things.
"No Butt", our little House Wren and his Mate (the quiet, working one) have, thankfully, had a family - we did not think he had it in him this year, but he pulled it off and now that he has a full time job of hunting bugs to feed the babies, he has finally shut up - a good thing for "No Butt" - I had no idea a 2" bird could make so much rackett - for so long - over a month - without losing its voice -I have to admit that, probably more than once, I took a long hard look at the 20 gauge, mounted on the cabin wall, while I was trying to take a nap..
Week ending July 23rd, 2009
Flow was decreased from 520 cfs on Friday, to 310 cfs on Saturday, and down to 145 cfs on Sunday - those major changes put the trout off a bit as the adjustment reached them, but it still fished pretty good in spite of Denver Water's mystical calculations on flow rates and water demands - now thought of as the 8th wonder of the world - ie "wonder why they did that?"
At 145 it was fantastic - went out on a dawn patrol on Monday - so perfect - wild flowers, sunrise, chill in the air, gin clear trout stream at a great flow, the aromas of a Rocky Mountain morning - and large trout coaxed to the surface with a dry attractor - epic little session - then made the mistake of stopping at the cabin for more water and picked up the phone call from the shop - Jeremy had a client who wanted a guide - like now - for a 1/2 day - so I did the right thing (which was so hard to do) and went in to cover the shop while Jeremy took the trip (but I made him come back to close out the day) - when he returned I asked the standard question "how was