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
ON THE RIVER, IN DECKERS
UNDER NEW, LOCAL OWNERSHIP - WE LIVE ON THE RIVER - YEAR ROUND
* Quality Tackle * Rental Gear * Licenses * Shop Tied Flies *
(Hunting & Fishing Licenses are Cash Only)
Open 7 Days A Week 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
303-647-2237
Week ending May 8th, 2008
Flow from the dam peaked at 915 cfs on Friday, then down to 900 on Sunday, to 700 on Monday and 600 on Wednesday, then down to 500 cfs today, where it now stands. Reservoir level is now about 11 feet from the top of the spillway, which is very good - 2 weeks ago it was right at the top & now flows should stabilize or lower as they try to re-fill the lake. Run off in the high country, which eventually finds its way into Cheesman, has not finished - just have to see how things go.
Even with the high flows, the river looked great & fished well in many areas - you just had to find the spots that looked fishy - and they were. The further downstream you went, the clarity deteriorated more & more - takes a while for a big push like that to finish moving debris and bank fluff.
We won't really know the effect of the flush until flows get down below 250 cfs, but it did move things around & it was a good clean flush.
Caddis & BWO sub surface patterns have been the key, along with Candy Canes, San Juan Worms & RS 2's.
Pre sunrise air temps have gradually climbed - last 2 days right at 32 degrees - water temps are in the mid to high 40's, day time air temps have ranged from mid 40's to mid 60's. - snow last Thursday did not amount to much, light rain on Wednesday and today, just enough to wet the valley down with no effect on the feeders or river. Conditions should be great for the weekend.
BWO's and caddis continue to hatch, still not much surface action, but that could change as the flows diminish.
On Monday, between the cabin & the shop (less than a mile), I had to inform 7 visitors to the river, that bait was not allowed in this section - one, in a group of 3, was about to string up a 12" rainbow he had just landed on a night crawler - so I also had to inform them of the bag, possesion, & size limit restrictions for this section of river.
Stop by Flies & Lies for the latest hot patterns and conditions - these days things can change day to day - sometimes even quicker than that.
Week ending May 1st, 2008
We are in run off - flow on Friday was raised from 122 cfs to 522 by 6 p.m , then on Monday up to 750 cfs, another bump on Tuesday to 896 cfs & up to 915 cfs by this morning - 6 days and an increase of 793 cfs - but, the river looks great, good clarity, I was really amazed - the initial increases did look ugly, but she cleared nicely & we have not seen this outflow from the dam in years.
The flows had been higher through Deckers last year, but that was due to feeder creek run off along with dam release & it was really ugly - but the creeks are running low & clear this year (Horse Creek is a little cloudy, but not bad at all and has no effect on the river below Deckers), so the flow from Cheesman is just what we need - a good flush.
May 1st and I am at the cabin, in front of a fire, while a near total white out exists here in Deckers - started at 7:30 a.m. - heavy wet stuff, but we really needed the moisture down here in the valley & I would rather see a time release melt, than an all day downpour. Snow stopped in the early afternoon, only about 2" on the ground & a lot of that has already melted - should be a good weekend.
The high flows have made things very challenging - at 750 cfs we were still getting away with dry / droppers along the banks - that will be a little tougher at 900+ - but a lot of the trout have moved to the slow sections behind sweeps and tight to the banks - basically we have 3 rivers - the right bank out 5 feet, the left bank out 5 feet & the middle - with the middle being pretty much unfishable, but that is OK, 'cause the trout that are down deep out there are getting fat & less wary - just have to wait for the flows to come down & expose them.
Swallows continue to feast on BWO's up & down the river from 12 p.m. on throughout the afternoon - these are big bugs - a solid #18 - good Caddis hatch on Sunday at the Deckers Bridge with more to come in the next few weeks - not too many risers due to the fluctuating flows, but emergers & pupa do well underneath & when you do hook up, hang on, 'cause if they get out in that current you will find yourself into the backing pretty quickly.
As the trout settle into the high flows, I am sure that risers will again appear along the banks and in the slicks. On the warmer afternoons we are finding more & more hoppers & leaving the porch light on at night has attracted all kinds of night flying bugs - some downright scary looking.
Jeremy & a buddy launched his Klackacraft on Tuesday and floated about 5 miles of the river - the innaugural run - and did OK, but mainly just scouted out a route - we may offer float trips when the flows exceed 400 cfs - still working out the kinks.
Hummingbirds arrived at the cabin on Wednesday (just in time for todays blizzard), with morning air temps still mostly below freezing (average this week about 18 degrees), I have not been able to fill the feeders for them - maybe by the weekend - water temp in Deckers on Monday was 46 degrees - air temps have reached mid 70's this week (except for today and Saturday, which never got out of the 30's) - wind again has been a pest off and on, but all days were fishable.
I am once again finding poachers in the restricted areas, as we do every year - if you come across someone who is using bait (in the flies & lures only section) or keeping undersized or illegal trout, please inform them (politely) that they are breaking the law - if they look a little dodgy and un-approachable, just come by the shop & let us know - we can get someone to look into it fairly quickly.
Week ending April 24th, 2008
Flows were all over the place this week - Friday went up from 200 cfs to 255 (of course a Friday), next bump came on Monday to 300 cfs, then on Tuesday morning, up to 335 (which put the river off color for a few hours), then the flow, that afternoon, went from 335 at 10 a.m., to 250 at 2 p.m., to a final flow of 122 cfs, where it now stands.
The reason for the low flow is for DOW to perform sediment surveys on the river bottom, which should be completed by Friday, which should then see the flows going back up. The surveys are the continuing effort to gather data from the Hayman fire impact.
The reservoir, on Friday morning, was only 18" from the spillway - she filled up very quickly in a few weeks (5' from the top to 1.5' is a LOT of water in a few weeks). Due to the decrease out of the pipes & the increase from run off, I expect her to start spilling over the top sometime Friday.
The radical flow changes made things very challenging this last week - downright tough on some days - you really had to work for a strike.
BWO's continue to hatch, a little thinner this past week with only the occasional riser - dead drifting nymphs is your best bet. Wind and bright sun have kept most of the trout from keying in an any surface morsels, but at 122 cfs that could change. Flow is about 160 cfs below Deckers.
Swallows continue to arrive and feast on the BWO's from the river surface up to about 50' - the wind does not seem to bother them.
Horse Creek continues to run pretty clear (last year at this time she was at 105 cfs and very ugly - now at about 25 cfs and looking great) - I even cast a dry / dropper into her this week upstream from Deckers - no takes, but I know some trout have moved up from the Platte - just a matter of time.
First buzzard of 2008 arrived this week - no humming birds yet, but I did spook a lone Bald Eagle down by Scraggy this morning - one of the last hold outs or a new resident - good hunting down there - good fishing all along the river.
Pre-sunrise air temps have ranged from 10 degrees up to 32 degrees, day time highs have hit 70 degrees, but felt colder with the strong winds on some days, all in all, pretty pleasant. Water temps have ranged from low 40's to high 40's.
Flow increases of 50 cfs or less do not seem to impact the clarity, most of the bank fluff and loose soil has now been moved up to 335 cfs, but as the flows go past 335 you can expect off color water for most of that day - increases usually hit Deckers 3 to 4 hrs after they open the pipes, but she clears pretty quickly.
Week ending April 17th, 2008
Flow was bumped from 100 cfs to 200 cfs today (Thursday) - river went off color (that is a big bump) - but not bad at all & should be OK by Friday. Started snowing on Wednesday at 2 pm (hard) and went until 8 a.m. today - about 5" on the ground, but all open areas and south facing slopes were clear by the this afternoon - Horse Creek went a little higher & darker, but not much & did not affect the river at all - a very good sign.
BWO's continue to hatch in the afternoons - some days a bunch of trout are on them at the surface, some days, not so much - last Friday & today they were really up on them (managed a few on the clock at 1 p.m. - too much fun). Started using a dry dropper the rest of the time (when no noses are poking up) and had good success - might be a little harder with the 200 cfs flow (more like 250 cfs below Deckers Bridge)
These BWO's are big - about a #18 - 20 - Jesse, Jonathan & I caught one in front of the shop and placed it on the fly counting sheet - dropped a # 18 Hackle wing next to it - a perfect match.
Water temps have had large swings - from a cold 36 degrees up to 50 degrees - air temps have ranged from low 40's to high 70's in the afternoon & pre-sunrise temps have run from 5 degrees on Saturday to 25 degrees on Wednesday.
The first Swallows of the Spring arrived this week - not the family group that will nest at the cabin, but these did stop to feast on airborn BWO's. A Bald Eagle soared past the cabin this a.m. - beating wings to the north - one of the last left of the winter migrating group.
Have a nesting pair of Red Tail Hawks across the river - watched one of them run off an Osprey that wandered too close (I spotted the Osprey earlier stalking the aquarium hole from the top of a pine while having coffee on the porch). They were both struggling in the 40 mph wind gusts, but the Red Tail ran him off just the same.
Still seeing some Stone Flies and the occasional adult caddis - and more & more hoppers on the warm days - watched one get blown into the river this week - made it to the waterfall unmolested, then I lost sight of it - but I'll bet some lucky trout got it - way too tempting.
Sun now crests the East Range at 7 a.m., drops over the West Range at 7:15 p.m. - fishable light until almost 8 p.m.
Weekend forecast looks great - lots of healthy trout, incredible colors on the 'bows & browns - beautiful river & it is Spring, even if the storm on Wednesday dumped more snow than we have had this year.
Week ending April 10th, 2008
I want to take a few words from the report and welcome Jeremy Hyatt to the family at Flies 'n Lies & South Platte Outfitters - Jeremy (formerly of "The Hatch" fly shop in Pine Junction) is one of the finer men & fishing guides I know. I can't express how happy we all are (so I won't try) to have him join us. With Jesse out on the PGA tour most weeks, carrying the bag for his brother, Jeremy's knowledge and dedication are a major bonus - to us and all who want a quality day on the river - He learned how to fly fish on the South Platte - born & raised in the area - this is his home river, as it should be - for any guide who will work to put you on trout - you have to know your home river, under all kinds of flows & conditions - Jeremy does.
Flow was raised to 100 cfs on Friday afternoon, about 140 cfs below Deckers bridge - pretty ideal. Water temps have hit 50 degrees this week and the BWO's have started to hatch - can start as early as 1:30 pm & goes on all afternoon - not real heavy, just enough to get 'em looking up & boy is it fun.
Morning air temps have ranged from single digits to mid 20's, with snow, wind, rain & some more snow most of the week, but also some very pleasant afternoons in the high 50's - low 60's. Today was the exception, with snow all day, strong winds and it never got out of the 20's. No real accumulation, just mainly a dusting, but tough conditions.
Found even more hoppers in the yard and along the river this week when the temperature went above 55 degrees - Jeremy & I have also found some large adult Stone Flies on the surface, along with the BWO's (Stones are about 1" long - huge!!) - BWO's are a solid # 20, but I got away with a # 18 on some trout,'cause it is early & they have not gotten wise yet.
Had 3 days of R&D this week - Saturday with my buddies Tim & Marc - nymphs all day and a bunch of trout - Marc didn't even stop for lunch - Tim & I had cheeseburgers. Marc missed out and admitted it grudgingly before dinner, which we had early, 'cause he skipped lunch. Tuesday afternoon, after the weekly run to town, I started off with nymphs, then saw a few surface splashes, paid more attention & yes, they were on the surface & in the air - the big spring Olives - yeah me!
Wednesday afternoon I started with a hopper dropper, got one to splash the hopper - but I was surprised & missed - switched to a Peacock Stimmy with a dropped Barr emerger & P-Tail, had 2 swipe the Stimmy and 2 solid on the Barr's - then around 2 p.m. the Olives started again. I fooled a whole bunch of trout that afternoon - from a 5" brown to a fat 16" hook jawed buck "bow - in a back eddie, facing downstream, deep fast water in-between, pile cast upstream, quick lift of the rod - just a bitch of a spot - I like that spot.
River remains clear all the way to the old hotel - water temps have reached 50 degrees this week - feeder creeks are running strong, but mainly clear - all the springs are gin clear.
Week ending April 3rd, 2008
Flow was dropped from 100 to 80 cfs on Tuesday. Water temps have ranged from low to high 40's - day time temps were another matter ranging from low 40's to high 50's with wind and snow mixed in off and on all week - but the fishing was still great. Pre sunrise temps have run from a cold 5 degrees (Tuesday & Wednesday) to a balmy 30 on Saturday morning.
Saturday was the warmest & nicest day of the week & also brought big crowds to the river - more anglers than I have seen in a long time & most were hooking up with nice trout, but if you wandered downstream aways, you could find a little solitude, some great water and more agressive trout.
A few BWO's have been spotted, along with a few rising trout, but nothing really steady yet - maybe a few more weeks, maybe sooner - the water temps are certainly in the range.
Ospreys are moving back to the valley, now that most of the Bald Eagles have left for the North - funny how they swap out seasons, but they do - just one of those mysteries, but really, how do they know? Swallows should be arriving soon to nest & make babies - that usually signals the meat of the BWO hatch.
Give the Geese a wide berth - it's that time of year - they are OK if they do not feel threatened or spooked - but trust me, they are FAST - like electricity - and they do bite, hard.
Feeder Creek survey on Tuesday found all normal - I am very optimistic - Horse Creek went run off color on Sunday & Monday, but has cleared nicely, most of the snow that impacts her drainage has melted & all of the springs are gin clear. The river looks fantastic.
As I finish this report on Thursday afternoon at the cabin in front of a warm fire - it is a near total "white out" from an April snow storm - big wet springtime flakes - some as big as silver dollors - but that's OK - it is April - it is Spring - Spring in the Rocky Mountains - tomorrow will be sunny & 60 degrees - with a few clouds I may even fool a couple on the surface, with the "honk twice" sign on the shop door.
Week ending March 27th, 2008
Flow was raised from 100 cfs to 126 cfs on Tuesday morning (below Deckers it is closer to 150 cfs) - the increase did not affect clarity at all & the river remains clear for the entire length. Horse Creek is running a little high, but very clear. Most of the snow in her drainage has melted, so we should not see much of an increase in her flow until more snow or rain hits the area.
The flow was then dropped back to 100 cfs this (Thursday) morning.
Typical March week in the mountains, light snow on Saturday night, morning temps in mid teens to a warm 30 degrees on Monday & high air temps from mid 40's to high 60's. We experience 40 to 50 degree swings in air temps these days.
Water temps have warmed nicely - from 43 to 46 degrees & a lot of trout are moving up into riffles and actively feeding. Wind has been a minor problem off and on all week, but definetly fishable. No surface action this week, the "big midge" hatch has petered out, but a few are still around - BWO's should be just around the corner.
TU has started some re-planting & restoration work in the Trail Creek area near the hamlet of Westcreek - this is the area that still impacts Horse Creek from the Hayman burn area & I thank them for the effort - I took the reps into the area last year and explained the problems that still exist & now they are doing somthing about it - quickly & with no fanfare.
On Tuesday, the warmest day this week, I found Hoppers in the back yard - very early for them, but I hope it is a good sign for things to come.
Sun now crests the East range at 7:30 a.m. & drops over the West peaks at 7 p.m., with fishable light until 7:30 or so.
Bunch of hungry trout all over the place.
Week ending March 20th, 2008
Flow was raised 25 cfs on Friday up to 65 cfs, then up to 100 cfs on Wednesday afternoon, more like 125+ cfs below Deckers and remains clear all the way to the North Fork. Boys at the dam tell me they are about 5' from the reservoir level reaching the spillway - that is a lot of water, but we all know it is coming, run off in the high country has yet to start.
Big midge continues to hatch in the afternoons (size 18 or 20) - some sections see good surface action, others not much - you gotta hunt them out and be very observant (and patient) to be successful. Dead drifting correct patterns with the right weight has produced large numbers of trout all week.
Morning air temps have been in single digits to high teens all week, snow on Friday & Sunday night into Monday - about 4" total on the ground & most has already melted.
Tuesday was a beatiful Spring day, Jesse & I went exploring on a stretch that neither has worked for years, downstream of Deckers & found major schools of trout, ranging from 6" up to 15" on average, but a few were an easy 18" - we could not believe our eyes at first (I thought it was a bunch of sticks from a beaver house until they started to move) - over 50 in one pod, at least 50 in another - we had takes in every fishy run, riffle and hole during the whole trek.
Water temps have ranged from 37 degrees to mid 40's, again depending on time of day and section being sampled - further downstream you go, the colder it is.
First day of spring today & first mountain blue birds were spotted at the cabin - Canadian Geese are already starting to pair up & a few of the migrant Bald Eagles have departed for the north. Some days have hit low 60's, we have had some wind, but not bad - just very pleasant days out on the river.
Week ending March 13th, 2008
Flow remained steady at 40 cfs from the dam, 70 + cfs below Deckers, gin clear above Deckers, just slightly off color below -The river just plain looks great & is fishing beautifully.
The big March midge started hatching this week - looks like a BWO in flight, but catch one and you will see - Para Adams trailing a For n Aft or dry midge does the trick - starts after 12 p.m. and last off & on through out the afternoon - depends on where you are, but a lot of trout (and some real good ones) are rising to them up and down the river.
Except for Friday (minus 5 degrees and good sludge hatch) all mornings have been in the teens and the river has been sludge free - day time temps have hit 70, but mid 50's are the average - water temps have ranged from high 30's to mid 40's - all feeder creeks are running high, but pretty clear - very promising.
Sun crests the East Range at 8 a.m. and sets to the West at 6:30 (changed the clocks on Sunday, but the trout and the bugs don't know we do that) - fishable light until 7 p.m. Light dusting of snow early Sunday morning, but otherwise dry all week.
On the warmer days, trout are moving into the deeper (18" +) riffles and feeding agressively - but with the low flow, they are still easily spooked.
Dead drifting patterns along the bottom with correct weight is still the best way to fool large numbers of trout, but it sure was fun to tie on some dries and take a few on the surface this week.
Monday, I hung the "honk twice" sign on the shop door and went to fool some at the bridge when the hatch started - found a good one just underneath a suspended sheet of bank ice - tried to get a cast under there for a decent drift - I was 3" too long & the trailng For n Aft hung up on the shelf, with the Adams dangling just above the river surface - as I was about to flip the rod and free the midge, a fat 14" "bow lept up and inhaled the Adams - 2" out of the water - I don't know who was more surprised - I do know the trout was not happy, fought like a whirling dervish.
Week ending March 6th, 2008
We just went thru a typical week in March on a river in the Rocky Mountains. Friday started out at 10 degrees, hit 60 in the afternoon, had some wind, but pretty pleasant - Saturday started at 22 degrees, hit 70 at 2 p.m., river looked great, no run off from the feeders, gin clear all the way downstream, the feeling that Spring has finally arrived, all was so close to perfection - then....
Sunday I woke to 25 degrees - the snow started at 6 a.m. - by noon we had 6" on the ground & white out conditions - turns out that 25 degrees was the high for the day. Monday I woke to minus 18 degrees, major sludge hatch in the back, but it hit the mid 50's in the afternoon - which started feeder creek run off, got pretty brown below Deckers that afternoon, same on Tuesday, which started out at 12 degrees & hit mid 40's but run off was not as bad. From Saturday's high of 70, to Mondays low of minus 18 - an 88 degree swing in 36 hours - March in the Mountains!!!
Wednesday, woke to 10 degrees & 4" of fresh powder on the ground - hit mid 30's, until the snow started again at 5 p.m., another inch overnight.
Most of this March snow melts rapidly, the south facing slopes are back to tundra by the afternoon, as long as the sun stays out, which it usually does, unless it is snowing. I always enjoy finding game tracks in the new stuff - something small (fox?) came right up onto the porch Wednesday night, and a HUGE beaver leaves his tell tale swath in the back yard every morning as he transits the island.
R & D on both Tuesday & today - both very productive, mainly in the Deckers / Trumbull sections - dead drifting lots of different patterns on the bottom in 2' to 5' deep holes - some were really eaten up, most were accepted - all are available at "Flies & Lies" - today was COLD, water temp at 38 degrees, takes were light and most felt like initial snags, even the smaller trout, but if you stay with them, they explode - even the smaller trout - nice to see some good Browns (except when they take the top fly and do that alligator roll , which they always do, and tangle everything up)
No run off from the feeders today, Horse Creek & Trout Creek were very clear, West Creek still has some nasty ice to melt off, but was running strong and just a little off.
Week ending February 28th, 2008
Flow remained at 40 cfs all week, still 60 - 70 - cfs below Deckers, when you add the feeders.
River and feeder survey today - up to Westcreek Village, the lake is still frozen, no water over the spillway, but the bottom draw pipes were running very clear, a good sign. Some restoration work has been done above the lake, but Trail Creek could still be a problem in heavy rains. This morning she was running clear, but the road following into the back country was snow bound, so I could not investigate further.
A lot of ice still clogs Westcreek down to the confluence of Trout Creek, where they become Horse Creek ( 3 miles from Deckers ), which becomes less ice bound and is flowing heavy & clear to Deckers ( I even found some beaver sign, but no dams yet)
Even with the warm afternoons, Horse Creek did not affect the water clarity below Deckers all week, another good sign. Tracked the river all the way to Night Hawk & she was gin clear. Hit a favorite spot down there and had takes on allmost every drift. The river is mainly ice free to that spot, some bank ice still hangs on, some of it at least 18" thick, but 95% of the river is ice free.
Morning air temps never went below 0 degrees all week, most were in the teens, Wednesday, the coldest, was 2 above, but today was a mild 32 above. Some minor sludge hatches on colder mornings, light snow on Friday morning, 3"on Saturday morning & 4" on Tuesday morning, but most of it is all gone. Water temps ranged from high 30's to low 40's, depending on where they were taken and the time of day. Air temps have hit mid 40's to high 50's all week - pretty sweet, after such a bitter cold run this winter.
Midge activity & hatches are picking up, no evident risers, but lots of spent shucks on the surface.
Spotted many trout on todays expedition down stream, most all were still podded up in deep holes & easily spooked ( Just gotta spook one, the rest get the message) I had takes in all areas that I stopped - even switched to a dry ( BIG) & dropped nymph later in the afternoon and got a few more ( on the dropper, no looks or refusals on the dry, but I was casting once again, so it was fun )
DOW stocked a bunch of 4 - 5 " yearlings last week from the cable hole down to Scraggy - not sure of the exact numbers, should have more info next week.
Summing it up. the river looks great, water is clear, trout are starting to feed more & more - the right patterns in the right spots are sure to produce - wish I had a few more days for R & D - so, more often than not, you will see the "Honk Twice" sign on the shop door, while I go get a few at the bridge.
Week ending February 21st, 2008
Slight typo on last weeks report, sun now crests the East Range at 7:20 a.m. and sets over the West a little after 5:00 p.m., not 4:30 - sorry for any confusion.
Flow still remains at 40 cfs from the dam - more like 70 + below Deckers, when you add the feeder creeks. Warm days will see Horse Creek in run off color, Tuesday was pretty bad below Deckers in the afternoon when temps hit high 60's - on my weekly supply run to town today, I checked all the way to Westcreek village and was happy to see that the creeks are all running clear in the morning - the dark color is coming from all the black bank ice that melts down and clouds things up - still a lot of it left to melt, but I am optimistic from what I saw today.
Had an R & D session on Tuesday with Jesse & Jeremy in the run off water below Deckers and did OK (but the clarity was pretty ugly, above Deckers to the dam remains gin clear). Then another session today in the same sections and really lit 'em up (Jeremy couldn't make it, but Jesse and I smiled all afternoon like kids on a playground) - huge change in clarity today from Tuesday, no run off from Horse Creek, water was gin clear - Orange Scud, our shop San Juan worm, Candy Canes, Miracles, Brassie, Mercury, Red midge larva, and the most productive - P-Tails. These trout were beautiful, even landed a small wild brown with a Brassie.
Biggest today was an easy 18" electric Rainbow - one of those sets when you think it is the bottom (but this time I remembered to stay with the snag until I was sure) - & sure 'nuf, the snag started shaking its head - a little bit - then a lot - then Hello!!!
Sludge hatches had been a problem all week in the mornings except for today when I woke to 10 degrees above 0 - the rest of the week, pre sunrise air temps ranged from minus 8 to 2 above - water temps have ranged from 36 to 40, depending on time of day and where you take it.
Walking the banks on Tuesday, waiting fore the sludge to melt away, I spotted many big trout above Deckers & all were actively feeding, even with the ice bergs passing above them. I saw 2 trout rise today to some small midges in the slow bank water.
The river has opened up nicely (ice free) all the way down thru Scraggy View.
Just a reminder, If you have not yet obtained your 2008 license - I have had quite a few customers in the shop lately who forgot to renew - and were reminded by the DOW while on the river - if you do want one from Flies & Lies, remember to bring cash - we do not accept credit cards or checks for license purchases.
Week ending February 14th, 2008
Flow remained at 40 cfs all week, 60 to 70 cfs through Deckers below Horse Creek.
This was the first week since Thanksgiving that we did not have one morning below "0" degrees - Friday & Sunday were right at "0", the rest of the week, mornings were in the low to mid teens - Tuesday & Wednesday were beautiful - some wind at times, but not bad - day time temps hit high 50's.
The river has opened up nicely through Deckers and Trumbull. Some minor sludge present in the mornings. Watch out for ice bergs when wading - large slabs can break free of the banks and whack you real good (had a big one scare the crap out of me this week)
Some light (and very small) midge hatches on the nicer days, but nothing rising that I saw. I almost tied on a few small dries to give it a try, but then somebody honked twice and I headed back to the shop.
Small midge or nymphs are still the key, down on the bottom in the deeper runs. Water temps are also key - anything below 36 degrees and getting a take is tough. I took a reading of 38 degrees in the back yard on Tuesday & fooled a few good ones.
Pretty nasty all day today, with snow on & off and air temps in the low 20's - but this weekend, especially Saturday, look very promising.
Horse Creek can discolor the water below Deckers on the warmer days, but I checked her all the way to the village of West Creek on Tuesday and she looked pretty good, it is just the dirt covered bank ice melting and road run off affecting the clarity. The rver is gin clear above the bridge all the way to the dam.
Sun rises over the East Range at 7:30 and is setting to the West around 4:30 p.m.
Week ending February 7th, 2008
Flow stayed steady at 40 cfs all week, I have tried to make calls to find out any immediate future plans for releases, but no headway as yet - Friday started out at 22 degrees above 0 and a lot of open water, morning temps were in single digits, but above 0 until Wednesday (Tuesday had 3" of fresh powder on the ground and snow until noon, with the temps never out of the teens all day).
Then Wednesday the bottom dropped again - minus 20 pre-sunrise, major sludge & new bank ice - today (Thursday) it was minus 18 with a major sludge hatch that lasted all day in the back yard (even though the mid day temps hit high 40's) - but all should be good this weekend - the new bank ice that developed over the past 2 days will break up quickly with the predicted highs & we have not had the winds (or gusts) that the rest of the Front Range has dealt with - we have had wind, but not enough to interfere with an afternoon session.
Should be a nice weekend on the river, from Trumbull up through the Canyon, if the temps hit the mid to high 40's as predicted, and the overnight lows stay above 0.
Week ending January 31st, 2008
Friday started out at minus 5 degrees with a flow of 40 cfs from the dam - we had sun all day, but the river remained iced in below Deckers, fishable in some spots above the bridge, and good in the Canyon - two consecutive warm days (started out above 0, and hit mid 50's briefly) really helped conditions, and by Monday afternoon (which started out at 30 degrees and very windy) the channel in the back yard was again 15' wide (it had been frozen bank to bank for 9 days - that has never happened - I don't recall it ever being solid bank to bank)
Tuesday & Wednesday both had mornings in single digits, but single digits above 0 is good - the river opened up nicely through Trumbull, then Wednesday afternoon it started to snow and I woke this morning to minus 18 degerees, 2 inches of fresh powder, some new bank ice & a major sludge hatch in the back yard - Oh well.
As things started to melt and run off, Horse Creek went off color and disturbed the clarity below Deckers a little - worse day was Saturday in the afternoon, but now it is starting to freeze over again - the rest of the river remained gin clear.
The trout are very sluggish until early afternoon - all depends on water temperature (Sunday, the water temp started out at 33 deg - by 2 - 3 pm it hit 37 deg and activity really increased) - this time of year water temps are critical (if you don't have a stream thermometer, it is a good time to pick one up at the shop - we have some good ones at Flies & Lies) - Fly selection, presentation & stealth are the other keys - but below 35 - 36 degrees, it is a real struggle to induce any takes.
When you do find open water, tiny midge patterns down deep are the best bet - try a # 24 Pheasant Tail trailed by a Miracle or Mercury, then adjust from there - Disco, WD40, Black Beauty, Blue midge have all produced.
Be very wary of bank ice, some of it is suspended above the river and will break off, sending you down an escalator that you can't walk back up - other sections are very thin, but don't look it. Best way is to find an access area close to the bank, below the section you want to fish, then walk up to the area in the river - walking along the top of ice (and breaking through) can spook trout yards away from you - and you will never know, unless you happen to see those shadows bolting in all directions
Week ending January 24th, 2008
I failed to mention last week that the minus 33 degree pre sunrise temp last Thursday was the coldest morning I have experienced since living on the river full time - and I honestly think this has been the coldest winter I have been through (for consistent mornings below "0" for such a long duration)
This week so no improvement with a.m. temps of minus 10 on Friday, minus 22 on Saturday, minus 2 on Sunday, 0 on Monday, minus 22 on Tuesday, minus 12 on Wednesday & minus 18 this morning.
The river is pretty much iced in except for the Canyon - the 15 foot wide channel in the back shrunk to 5 feet on Saturday morning, when I returned from the shop that afternoon, it had stopped flowing completely, packed with ice flows. By Wednesday it was solid ice from bank to bank - the aquarium hole is still open, but closing in steadily each day.
Flow was bumped from 40 cfs to 50 cfs on Saturday, but it had little positive effect due to the overnight temps., then today the flow was dropped back to 40 cfs - which is definetly not helping. We have had some afternoons in the mid to high 30's, but not long enough to help break up the river. I don't recall the back ever being completely iced over, even at our normal low winter flows.
Jesse & Jeremy hiked into the Canyon on Wednesday and found lots of open water, got a few, even a couple on small dry midges tight to the banks. They did mention it was "pretty dang cold" - so it must have been - those two are immune to cold and nasty weather. With the day time temps forecasted to be high coming into the weekend, the river above Deckers, down to the South side of Trumbull, should open up - at least to be somewhat fishable - right now it is just plain tough.
Week ending January 17th, 2008
Friday started out nice, morning temp was 2 deg above, hit 40 deg by 1 p.m. and the river was open & looked good - then the bottom dropped out again - Saturday & Sunday mornings minus 10, Monday minus 12, Tuesday minus 5, Wednesday 2 deg above & snow all morning - never got above single digits all day (some days earlier in the week briefly hit high 30's in early afternoon)
Then today I woke to a pre-sunrise temp of minus 33 degrees - man, that is COLD - river in the back yard has a channel about 15 feet wide - and full of sludge - just upstream of "Hole in the Wall" it is frozen bamk to bank (as it is further downstream) - the closer you get to the dam, the more open water you will find, further downstream you go, the worse it gets.
I have not wet a line for quite a few days - activity has been pretty much limited to going to the shop or out to the wood pile - shack nasties are starting to creep up on me.
When anglers do find open water, they are still hooking up, but it is very challenging - be extremely wary of bank ice - flow has stayed at 40 cfs all week - that flow combined with the air temps - well, Spring isn't THAT far away.
Depending on any increase in flow, or major rise in air temps, things could be tough for the next few days - I do not see much of a warming trend in the forcasts - but you never know - a flow of 75 or 100 cfs would open everything back up pretty quickly.
Week ending January 10th, 2008
Due to some host problems, the report is a little late this week
Air temps were a little more forgiving at the start of the week, woke to a balmy 32 on Saturday & 20 on Sunday, but the bottom started to drop again on Monday with a temp of 3 deg above 0, then Tuesday a minus 10, Wednesday 3 deg above & today back to double minus digits at negative 12!
All of the bank ice had melted due to day time highs, more sun than not & all looked good - but the Guys at the dam called on Wednesday morning, I thought great!, another 25 or 50 cfs and ice and sludge will be less of a problem, if not eliminated thru Trumbull - but NO, going down 9 cfs - 9 cfs, that's right, down 9 cfs to 41 cfs out of the pipes - I was dumbfounded - so were the guys at the dam - water level in Cheesman is a few feet below the spillway, and filling quickly.
Combine 41 cfs and a minus 12 morning temp (pre-sunrise) & the sludge hatch is a major problem, except for most parts of the Canyon. If the overnight temps drop below 0 degrees it could make things tough until afternoon downstream from Deckers.
Good news is that when you do find open water, you will find feeding trout - and real good ones, too!! - fat, colorful and spunky.
Takes are very light. Stealth, patience & focus are the keys to winter nymphing - along with the correct pattern presented perfectly.
DON'T FALL IN - trust me.
Week ending January 3rd, 2008
This was one brutally COLD week in Deckers - Friday started out at minus 25 at the cabin, never got out of the teens all day - then the mornings hit minus 20, minus 15, minus 10, minus 25 & minus 18 - today, Thursday was the first morning above " 0 " - at 10 degrees!!
The river has iced in pretty badly through Deckers with major sludge hatches, due to the overnight lows & the steady flow of 50 cfs all week.
The Canyon has ice, but not as bad as the lower sections & remains the best bet for open water.
You can find open water down thru Deckers, but the bank ice can be shaky, and you need to walk out on it to get to the open channels - so be careful!
When you do find open water, small midge or P-Tails are doing great down deep.
Week ending December 27th, 2007
Flow stayed steady all week at 50 cfs from the dam, more like 75-80 cfs through Deckers & it is gin clear.
It has been a week of snow and very, very COLD air temps - Last Friday was a beautiful morning, blue sky & 42 deg by 11 a.m., I was just about to hang the "honk twice" sign on the shop door & go get a few at the bridge, but then the wind really picked up, clouds built to the west & it started to snow at 2 p.m - by 4 p.m. we had 20-30 mph winds, total white out & an air temp of 13 deg.
Saturday I woke to minus 15 deg reading and a major sludge hatch in the back yard - Tuesday had a balmy temp of 15 deg to start - and total white out from the Christmas storm (that was predicted to be minor flurries at best) - snowed all day, then Wed. the pre-dawn temp was minus 23 on my outside thermometer.
Through all of this, once the sludge disipated, we were still hooking up, dead drifting in the right places - some really nice, healthy trout were brought to the net. Miracles, Mercuries & small P-Tails were all producers. No hatches of any numbers were evident, occasional small midges were spotted here & there.
Water temps below Horse Creek were mid to high 30's all week, lots of bank ice is now present & all of the feeder creeks have really iced up. Dress warm, be prepared for radical weather changes, pinch down the barbs on all flies & try to keep the netted trout in the water as much as possible - and DO NOT fall in.
Week ending December 20th, 2007
Flow has remained steady at 50 cfs all week - river is gin clear to the confluence of the North Fork at the old hotel.
Snowed all day last Friday, but only about 4 inches stuck, air temp never rose above 20 deg, started off at minus 9, then on Saturday I woke to a temp of minus 20 and a major sludge hatch and lots of new bank ice, Sunday was minus 18 in the morning, but warmed up nicely - sludge continued until about 3 pm in Trumbull, but was OK above Deckers by late morning, Monday minus 5 and sludge until late morning.
Past few days have started out above 0 deg (today it was a balmy 20 above) & the nymphing continues to be excellent, especially after 12 p.m., depending on the overnight low. Afternoon temps since Monday have hit low to high 40's, low 50's today. Water temps have been mid to high 30's, again depending on time of day and overnight temperatures
Have not seen any rising trout this past week, only the occasional hatching midge, but sub surface activity is really going off. Same patterns on last weeks report are still the producers - setting up the nymphing rig properly and being very stealthy are critical.
Sun now crests the East range at 8 a.m. & sets to the west at 4 p.m. - Friday will be the shortest day of the year, then the days start getting longer, the sun starts moving back to the North over the East range, a little further each morning, and Spring is just around the corner!!! - Hard to believe when I leave my wading boots on the back patio in the afternoon and they are frozen (solid) to the flagstones in the morning.
Week ending December 13th, 2007
Flow was dropped to 50 cfs last Thursday and has remained steady since. Flow below Deckers is about 80 cfs, when you add the feeder creeks - gin clear & beautiful (the Bald Eagles are in raptor heaven - plenty of trout, easy spotting - I have seen 2 trout taken this past week - one good 'bow in the back yard - Jesse saw a big brown nailed above the Deckers bridge on his way to the shop)
Had our first "sludge hatch" of the winter on Sunday, when I woke to a reading of minus 12 degrees on the outside thermometer ("sludge hatch" refers to frozen, but moving water - pretty impossible to fish through, but it usually disipates in the early to late morning, the colder the overnight temps get & the lower the flow from the dam, the more often it will be present - usually not a problem in the Canyon, but can become a pain in the *!! further down stream). That same day the air temp reached 44 deg.by afternoon
4" of snow on Tuesday, even though it snowed all night and into the afternoon. A light, dry, powder, not like the heavy wet stuff we will see in February / March. Another "sludge hatch" on Wednesday with a start temp of minus 10 deg. Water temp was 39 deg below Trumbull.
Dead drifting nymphs is now the norm, though both Jesse & I managed a few good fish this week with para adams, snow midges, Fore n Aft or Griffins Gnats during the afternoon midge hatch - some were not even rising, just drifting them over a fishy spot was enough. Some favorite patterns that have produced this week (in deep fishy runs, or slight depressions in deeper slower riffles) - Buckskin, small Flash Back P-Tails, WD40's, Miracles, Black Beaties, UFO midge. Jesse's Nuclear Egg, our San Juan Worm or a Bead Head Caddis Larva all worked as lead flies.
We are not fooling the numbers of trout that we had earlier this year (partly because we are not on the river for as many hours in the day - 10 a.m to 3 p.m. are the optimum times) but the average size has certainly increased - I had a brace of 20" plus Rainbows on Friday, and I was not in the canyon, fishing a dry / dropper rig (both were on the droppers in 2 feet of water), nothing on the dry attractor.
The trout are as spooky as ever, I am amazed how they can detect our presence at such great distances - you gotta be sneaky.
Unless we see a good midge hatch with some noses poking up, we are dragging weight on the bottom, some sight fishing, some blind in deep pools & runs - I admit I went to nymphing kicking & bitching, but now that I have the feel back I am having a blast, forgot how much fun it can be to set on a flash or tickle to the indicator, then feel that weight and that head shake before an explosive, reel screaming run.
Week ending December 6th, 2007
Flow was bumped up to 200 cfs on Friday afternoon (from 100 cfs), back down to 100 cfs on Tuesday morning, then down to 75 cfs on Wednesday afternoon where it now stands.
Dry dropper may come back into play at this low flow, it worked OK at 100 cfs last week, but most of the trout are holding close to the bottom in deeper runs and holes. Nymphing with small P-Tails, Miracles, Black Beauties, RS2, Barr Emergers's etc. are best bets for most of the day - Caddis Larva, Buckskins are a good lead fly. Egg patterns work in some sections, but not very well in others, just depends an what the trout are seeing in that drift.
Found some bank sippers on Wednesday afternoon here & there - took 3 on a Para-Adams & one on a trailing Fore n Aft - a very satisfying 1 hour session - could not wander too far, or I would not hear the "horn honks" from the shop - but at 75 cfs, I am sure more were out there to be fooled.
Midge hatch's are fairly constant from noon on into the late afternoon - have not seen any BWO's lateley, but the trout I fooled with the Adams may have been greedy, or saw somthing I didn't.
Saw one of the Bald Eagles nail a nice Brown trout on my way home Wednesday afternoon, just above Brush Creek - crushed it to the river bed, then took off downstream when I stopped too long to watch. When I got home, he was in the dead cottonwood in the back, still had the death grip on the Brown as he finished it off.
Mon, Tue & Wed the air temps reached mid 50's to low 60's - hardly any wind, light cloud cover most of the day - just perfect, allthough the mornings are still starting from single digits to high teens. Water temps have been right around 40 deg & the river is gin clear and looking great - at 75 cfs, it should be a fun day to fish the water with dry flies and hunt out the slurpers.
Week ending November 29th, 2007
Missed last weeks report due to the Holiday, had 18 for dinner at the cabin, quite the group - one big long table in the great room - lots of stay-overs, had to rent a cabin in Deckers for the over flow.
Flow had reached a high of 250 cfs last Friday, but has now been dropped back to 100 cfs. (Wednesday the 28th in the a.m.). COLD mornings, the bottom really dropped out the day before Thanksgiving - minus 12 was the lowest, but no morning has been above 10 degrees - some afternoons we have reached 50, but usually only up to high 30's, mid 40's. We have had some snow, but nothing significant - most has melted, except on the North facing slopes
Horse Creek had frozen up pretty good, but when it gets warm, the anchor ice lets go & can put the river a little off color downstream from Deckers - but not bad at all - no ice or "sludge hatches" above Scraggy (except when Horse Creek lets go), but if the flow stays low, and the nights that cold, we may start to see some. Water temps have been right around 40-43 degrees. Sun now peaks the East range at 7:45 a.m., sets to the West at 4:15
You can pretty much guess that our overnight lows will be somewhere around 15 to 20 deg. lower than Denver, but day time highs are pretty much the same.
Fishing (catching) has become a little tougher these past few weeks - mostly nymphing the deep runs that hold habitat - FB P-Tails, small Barr Emergers, RS2's, Miracle, Mercury or Black Beauties have all produced - wanted to get out today with a dry dropper in the low flow, but never made it - Goddard or Royal Stimies have still been working on the surface, with 2 nymphs dropped off with a micro shot - but not very well when the flow is over 150 cfs. Still seeing some BWO's and quite a few midges. Streamers, San Juan worms & Egg Patterns are also producing
Our R & D days have been used playing around with some new indicators (that we really liked) - Czech rigs (which did OK) and different nymphing rigs, which all produced - correct weight and distance from flies to indicator is critical (no indicator on the Czech's rig)
We pretty much try to stand in the sun, and fish to the shade, whenever we can. The trout we do hook are healthy and fat, beautifully colored & very energetic - stalking, patience & presentation are now the key.
Week ending November 15th, 2007
Flow was bumped up to 165 cfs, from 100 cfs, on Friday, then back down to 138 cfs on Tuesday, where it now stands.
The river is in a transition period, with colder water, the trout are becoming a little sluggish, harder to get them to move to the dry / dropper rig (but it still does work, later in the day) - small midge patterns on weighted nymphing rigs are becoming more effective, especially in the mornings. Some canyon sections of the river are not seeing any sunlight all day (we tend to cast from the sun, into the shade, when we can).
Along with the Shop's "Winter Hours", we are moving to "Bankers Hours" with our guide trips - 1/2 days are the norm - starting at 10 a.m. & running to 2 p.m. - little nymphing in the morning, then surface action when the BWO's come off, any time after noon - just depends on the section being fished. Midge swarms are tapering off a little, but we still find bank sippers in the slow water and back eddies - double dry (BWO with a trailing midge or emerger works well - single dry works better, but those little dry midges are hard to see!)
River looks fantastic, gin clear all the way to the North Fork - lots of habitat for the bugs & trout. Decomposed granite still covering in old spots in the slower sections, but I found a boulder that had been completely covered by the stuff for a few years, now re-exposed to its old state, with a great deep holding area behind it - for years all that was exposed was its tip, the river continues to recover nicely. Conditions are as close to perfect as they can get.
Week ending November 8th, 2007
Flow was dropped to 100 cfs on Thursday, Friday down to 75 cfs, then Sunday afternoon it was bumped all the way up to 230 cfs, Monday it was dropped to 125 cfs & on Tuesday, back down to 100 cfs - where it now stands. We are told that survey work at Strontia Springs to determine future dredging work is the reason for the latest fluctuations - whatever the engineers call for, is what they get.
Jesse & I had an R&D session on Tuesday, we tried new areas all the way down river & found trout at every stop - some places we found trout on every cast - with dry / double dropper rigs. We also found risers in slow areas to midges & BWO's (emergers, cripples & duns) - I had a few hit the Goddard Caddis & finally hooked & landed a fat 12 incher - on a # 16 dry fly in November - I think I missed the others 'cause they surprised me.
Trout were landed on nymph rigs & double dry rigs (Parachute Olive or Hackle Wing with a trailing Foam Top Emerger or For n Aft) - but the dry / dropper was the most fun - we saw some trout that were easily over 20 inches - decided to save them for future explorations - but we know where they are - they will not be easy - they have many little friends that spook first, alerting them to our presence - by little, I mean 10 - 15 inches, but little compared to the hogs.
The river looks fantastic, gin clear and very fishy - and not many anglers - at all - we never had to pass a spot that was already occupied.
Short line nymphing can be very productive, make sure your weight is correct (adjustments with soft weight is an easy solution), and keep the indicator as close to the flies as possible (takes are subtle & rejections are immediate - set lightly, but quickly, on anything funny)
Wednesday morning, coffee on the porch at first light, I watched a big Buck chasing a Doe on the other side of the river, chased her across the river to the back yard (but he stopped for a quick drink - gotta stay hydrated) - pushed her all the way up to the garden, his breath visible in the 8 degree air temp. - followed her thru the front yard and, eventually, across the road - then her 2 yearlings appeared at the garden fence - looking very confused - they also followed, but kept a discreet distance.
Sunrise over the peaks to the East at 7:15 a.m., sets to the West at 4:30 p.m., water temps in the low to upper 40's, air temps from low single digits to mid teens early mornings, but can reach mid 60's, low 70's by mid afternoon.
Week ending November 1st, 2007
Flow was bumped from 185 to 230 cfs on Saturday, then dropped to 185 on Monday. The increase had no affect on clarity & the river remains clear all the way to the old hotel.
R & D morning session on Tuesday in a section I have not had a chance to fish this year, an old favorite spot - I did not count, but found many trout, from 9" to 15" - Goddard Caddis with a Bead Flash Back Pheasant Tail & Caddis Larva dropped off with a micro shot. One spot I did count, backside of a little waterfall, 6 casts, 6 trout. Majority were on the Caddis Larva, the P-tail was a close second, but enough smacked the Goddard on the surface to stay with the set up and fish the water.
I found sporadic hatches of BWO's & little midges, some Caddis & other bugs - changed the nymphs out once, 'cause they were so chewed up - even the Goddard was pretty ragged after 3 hours
Talked with Jeff Spohn on Tuesday - DOW area aquatic biologist - he will not have the hard data from the survey done on the 18th, until the end of November - he and his crews are still in the field until Thanksgiving - but preliminary thoughts are what we have suspected - plenty of trout, the population is extremely healthy, just not as big on average compared to pre-Hayman floods. Enough young of the year to notice the natural spawning and reproduction is working again & good habitat in most areas.
Some of the trout I fooled on Tuesday were definetly wild & stream born, with those distinct neon colors, but every one was healthy & beautiful, fat little bellies, some with shoulders - the 3 weight I was using (built by Dick Johnson) really let them show off.
Midge hatches at the Deckers bridge continue to be massive around 4 - 5 p.m., mixed in are a few Caddis and good counts of BWO's. Small midge patterns are producing all day, down near the bottom with enough weight - tight line with the indicator as close to the weight as possible, RS2's, Black Beauties, Miracles , Mercuries, Gun Metals, Barr Emergers & Flash Back Pheasant tails.
Flow was dropped to 132 cfs on Wednesday morning - great BWO hatch around 12 p.m., Jesse found rising trout from Twin Bridges up to Deckers. I found rising trout at the bridge, hung the "Honk Twice" sign on the Fly Shop door and went to get a few - and I did - 3 on a Hackle Wing & the best one on a trailing #24 For 'n Aft - some were on the duns, some were on midges - you could tell by the rise forms - almost. As we refer to it "getting them on the clock" (when we really should be tying & filling the bins at the shop)
Jesse finished his half day with a very happy guest from Ireland (with a fine Hardy rod & reel) an excellent fisherman, & great guy (He wanted to know if what they had done was "Matching the Hatch", that he had read so much about - Jesse "yup, that was it") - then Jesse rigged up and went out on his own - hard to pass on a hatch like that.
The river looks great, healthy and clear, bunch of hungry trout.
Week ending October 26th, 2007
Sunday's storm left about 4" on the ground, came in heavy at times, first real snow of the year, but Horse Creek was only a little off due to the initial melt on Monday & Tuesday. Flow was dropped to 150 on Monday and I woke to an air temp of 0 degrees - coldest morning yet - did not get much above 40 deg all day, but the BWO's loved it - great Olive and midge hatches all week - plenty of surface feeders, so perfect in the gin clear water.
Flow was dropped to 110 on Tuesday, then up to 140 on Thursday and to 185 on Friday, but these increases had no affect on the river's clarity or trout activity (a bump or decrease of 50 cfs or less is ideal for conditions to remain unchanged).
Water temps remain in mid 40's - air temps have reached mid 70's this week - absolutely perfect afternoons, but start off COLD in the a.m.. More Eagles have arrived, had one fly over the shop today, very low - you could hear the wings pounding the air.
Hatches and rising trout can start as early as 10 a.m. & continue on throughout the day right into dusk - they can be sporadic though, so you have to do a little exploring - Para-Adams or Olive trailing a Foam Top Emerger has been very effective - Surface action on Hoppers, Stimies & Caddis has dropped off, but we still fish them with 2 droppers - serious nymphing is just around the corner, so we still like to cast the dry if we can - Jesse has come up with some pretty effective combinations - and yes, every once in a while a trout will take an aggressive swipe at the dry.
No report yet on the population survey done on the 18th, hope to have something in next week's report.
Week ending October 19th, 2007
Busy week, so the report is a day late. Sunday 14th, saw rain snow mix in Deckers, and a great BWO hatch with lots of surface feeding. Those that braved it had a big reward. The flow was dropped to 175 cfs on Monday & again another good BWO hatch, mixed with a small midge hatch - trout were on both (starts anywhere from 11 a.m. on through dusk).
Tuesday the flow was dropped to 60 cfs, I think through some mis-communication, for the DOW survey, because DOW was down in Waterton Canyon, so they bumped the flow back up to 200 cfs on Wednesday morning, then that evening it was dropped back to 50 cfs & the survey was done on Thursday. That evening, the flow was bumped back up to 200 cfs - seem confusing? I can't imagine how it seemed to the trout and bugs.
Friday morning (19th) the flow was taken up to 300 cfs - the river was a little off downstream due to that last bump, but shoild be great this weekend. Look to slow seams, back eddies & slicks for rising trout from 11 am on - may be tougher in the higher flows to locate them, but Pheasant Tails (#18) trailing an RS2 or Barr emerger below a caddis (2 1/2 feet) or weighted and deep will produce nicely.
Ollives & midges have been present all week (Friday at 5 p.m. the midge hatch at the Deckers bridge was massive)
A few more bald Eagles have arrived, Jesse found one lunching on a big 'bow down by Sugar Creek this week, after it had finished he checked the carcass, about 16" and full of eggs! not a Brown, a Rainbow. The deer are herding up & are very fat & healthy.
Water temp this week was down to mid 40's, air temp from 10 deg early a.m., up to mid 70's in late afternoons. Sunrise now cresting the East range at 8 a.m. (a little further to the south each morning) and sets over the West range at 6 p.m.
We have had big days guiding this week - many, many trout to the net - with dry / dropper rigs - 20 + trout on our 1/2 day trips are the norm - too much fun - this is one healthy river & such a great time of year.
Week ending October 11th, 2007
Flow was raised on Friday the 5th to 420 cfs, no discoloration, but lots of bank fluff and pine needles ended up in the drift, Then, on Monday, the flow was dropped back to 350 cfs (just a nice bump for the weekend!) where it now stands.
Monday morning I woke to a temperature reading of 10 deg, Tuesday 15 deg and then back up to 20 deg on Wednesday - but each day warmed to the mid 70's and low 80's. COLD mornings, great afternoons, incredible evenings
The river looks fantastic and is fishing beautifully - just an incredible time of year. Still getting away with dry / dropper rigs - BWO's from 11 a.m. on, some caddis still around - not many risers, but you can sure drag them up in the right spots with the right presentation
DOW population survey has been postponed indefinetly due to ongoing work on Roberts Tunnel - this may be awhile - the maximum flow of 150 cfs to perform the survey may not be seen this fall
Week ending October 4th, 2007
Flow was bumped up to 370 cfs (from 345) on Friday and has remaiued steady all week. The green tint from the reservoir is gone and the river (allthough still high) looks fantastic all the way down to the old hotel at the North Fork & is fishing great. Looks the best I have seen this year & the Fall colors just add to the experience.
Hoppers with droppers are still working in the right spots. Still finding isolated swarms of Tricos and the Blue Wing Olives are picking up, but rising fish are still hard to locate. COLD most mornings (low to mid 20's), but the air temps reach high 70's to low 80's quickly. Water temp was 54 deg yesterday, downstream from Trumbull. The sun is now cresting the East Range at 7:50 a.m. and dropping over the West Range at 6:15 p.m.
Major midge hatches in morning & late afternoon all week & we are still finding Caddis here & there - even with the cold overnight temps, the hoppers are still present in all the field areas - basically - lots of bugs around.
DOW population sutvey now has the 10th & 11th of October as target dates for the work, but that all depends on work being completed at Roberts Tunnel (still ongoing) - the flow from Cheesman can't be dropped until the flow through the tunnel is resumed. If the survey can't be done on the selected days, they will be moved to the 16th & 19th.
Week ending September 27th, 2007
On Friday, the flow was again bumped from 440 cfs to 530 cfs - river was off from early afternoon, first time above 500 cfs since mid August - then, on Saturday morning, the flow was bumped again to 625 cfs, putting the whole river off for the rest of the day & weekend. Then, on Monday, the flow was dropped back to 495 cfs, Tuesday down to 395, and Wednesday down to 345 cfs. The river is clearing nicely, but still has a green tint to it from the outflow of Cheesman reservoir.
Flows in review
Tue. 18th - 320 to 290 (down 30)
Thur 20th - 290 to 440 (up 150)
Fri 21st - 440 - 530 (up 90)
Sat 22nd - 530 - 625 (up 95)
Mon 24th - 625 - 495 (down 130)
Tue 25th - 495 to 395 (down 100)
Wed 26th - 395 to 345 (down 50)
Kind of looks like, if the flow was left at 400 - 440 cfs on Thursday, the same results would have been achieved, without the disruptions over the weekend - but that is just an observation
Did some R&D on the North Fork on Monday, flow was low and the river is gin clear - small Rainbows and Wild Browns on Dry/Dropper rig (# 16 Goddard & # 14 Bead Head Prince) - the scenery down there is beyond description. No major hatch present, but I did find some large Drakes here & there - # 16 Para Adams also produced.
Major midge hatches in the Deckers area this week, both mornings and afternoons - BWO's still present after 12 p.m., Tricos seem to have thinned out. No consistent risers present due to clarity & flow, but the bugs seem to be doing just fine. At 530 cfs on Saturday, Jesse managed to get his clients 15 trout to the net in the morning, just ahead of the bump to 625 cfs.
Mornings are cold, but days warm up quickly - fall colors are close to peaking - still waiting on final word for the DOW population survey due the 2nd week of October, once the days are firm I will post them. The flow will go down to at least 150 cfs for the survey work.
Flow at writing is 345 cfs, water temps in the mid 50's - this is a great time of year to be on the river. You can still drag a few fish up with surface patterns - works better in the very early morning, or later in the afternoon.
Week ending September 20th, 2007
Flow was bumped to 430 cfs on Friday morning - a 200 cfs increase in 24 hours (230 - 350 on Thursday, then 350 - 450 on Friday) due to repair work on Roberts Tunnel that shut off the flow to the North Fork, requiring Cheesman to release more water. This increase put the river off color on Saturday, but was still fishing OK.
Monday the flow was dropped back to 320 cfs, then on Tuesday, down to 290 cfs, until this morning (Thursday) when it was bumped all the way back up to 440 cfs !!, where it now stands (Thursday afternoon was pretty rough, that was a big increase). Horse Creek is as slow and clear as I have seen it this year, but the Platte is a little off color - a slight green tinge - I think from the reservoir turning, or an algae bloom. Water temp in Trumbull today was 56 deg.
Tricos are still present, but sporadic, spinner fall anywhere from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.- If you see some risers, try a para adams #20-22 or a trico spinner. BWO's hatching off and on in the afternoons (had one on the porch screen last evening, #22) along with a few PMD's - hoppers are thinning out with the cold nights (28 deg. at the cabin on Tuesday morning - woke up early to the furnace kicking in - too many windows left open)
Back yard is becoming very colorful, another week should see it start to peak in full fall mountain splendor
Week ending September 13th, 2007
Flow was dropped on Saturday evening to 230 cfs - nice, 1st time I can recall a flow adjustment in the evening, the perfect time - gives the river & trout, time to settle down for the next day. The river looked and fished great for the entire length - we were finding trout in all the "fishy" places using dry / droppers.
Tricos continue sporadically up & down stream with more sippers present due to the lower flow - Para Adams with a trico spinner trailing on the surface or just below was the ticket. Spinner fall heaviest between 10 and 11:30 a.m. BWO's are present from noon on through the afternoon, with a few trout lunching on the duns.
Flow was raised this morning (Thursday) back up to 350 cfs (not a clue why - that is a significant increase) and the river was a little off in the late afternoon, but should be fine tomorrow.
Spotted the first Bald Eagle of the season on Tuesday down by Scraggy, a little early for thier return, the main groups usually arrive around Halloween. Elk are bugleing in the pre dawn hours across the river from the cabin.
Morning air temps are very chilly - low to mid 30's - and most days are just incredibly beautiful - great time of year to be on the river. Water temps remain in the low 50's.
DOW will perform the annual trout survey in Deckers & surrounding areas - target week is October 8th thru 12th - but the schedule is still fluid at this time. I will update as the dates become firm, and if you want to participate (educational & fun but not easy work) I will post those details as well (we usually meet at the shop in the morning & go from there)
Week ending September 6th, 2007
Flow was raised to 460 cfs on Friday morning & the river was off color most of the day, due to the increase washing out the remnants of last Wednesday's flash flooding, which reached an estimated 400 cfs at its peak (above a flow of 250 cfs). Saturday the river was clear, but not perfect & on Sunday the flow was dropped to 360 cfs and things looked a lot better & by Tuesday we were guiding down past Scraggy in good water.
The river's ability to rebound quickly still impresses me - that was a major event on Wednesday Aug 29th. This Tuesday afternoon the flow was dropped to its current 300 cfs. Rain threatened all day this Wednesday, and started around 4 p.m. - heavy at times, but had no affect on the river on Thursday morning - a great sign - river looks good all the way downstream from Deckers - not gin clear (like it is above Deckers to the dam) - but pretty nice & very fishable.
Finding sporadic Trico hatches and Spinner Falls - with the lower water, a few more bank sippers should show themselves - BWO are hatching, but sporadic, up and down the river - Caddis are thin, but still present - Hoppers are all over the place
Overnight temps have been as low as 34 deg in the early hours, but still warms up quickly to 70's and 80's during the day - water temps remain in the low to mid 50's
Only one swallow group still present (at the Deckers Bridge) - most of the Humming Birds have departed - the fawns are growing up fast, soon the solo groups will start to herd up - really feels like Fall - some of the Cotton Wood tops are already getting some color.
Stop by Flies & Lies and we can set you up with the best patterns & latest conditions
Week ending August 30th, 2007
Flow was dropped from 450 to 400 on Sunday, then down to 250 cfs on Monday. The river looked great down to the old hotel at the confluence of the North Fork on Wednesday morning, and we had no significant rain since the weekend, Horse Creek was as low and clear as I have seen it this year.
Then we were hit hard by some nasty cells on Wednesday afternoon - 2 inches fell at Cheesman in 30 minutes - from the Canyon (probably Schoonover Gulch) on down, the river went brown, and up, about 100 cfs at its peak. Washouts across the road required a grader between Deckers and Wig Wam Club - Wig Wam Creek went high and ugly from the downpour - 4 Mile Creek was brown, but not too high, mainly from road run off. Horse Creek, amazingly, was not affected.
Thursday morning found the river fishable - barely - with nymphs, then the flow was raised from Cheesman to 350 cfs, and the river was brown the rest of the day, due to the increased flow washing down the bank remnants of the flash floods. Wig Wam Creek was still pretty bad. I think the river should be OK by Friday & good through the weekend, which is supposed to be dry.
Sun is now cresting the East Range at 7:15 a.m. and setting around 7 p.m. - early morning air temps have been in the low 30's to low 40's but it warms up quickly to the 80's on most days. Water temps remain in the low to mid 50's.
Tricos continue to hatch and swarm, with spinners hitting the water around 10 or 11 a.m. - still only finding a few bank sippers, but sipping they are.
I took a representative of Trout Unlimited on a tour of the West Creek drainage (that has been the trouble spot feeding Horse Creek) - more on this area in future reports - along with efforts to remove some of the decomposed granite from the South Platte down to Scraggy
The family group of swallows that reside at the cabin have departed for the south - some family groups remain in the area, but not many - the humming bird population is thinning out as they also depart - seems like they just arrived.
Week ending August 23rd, 2007
We took major hits both Friday & Saturday night from very intense storm cells. Wig Wam Creek went high and dark along with 4 Mile creek above Deckers - the Canyon was not affected, but from Wig Wam Club downstream, things were pretty ugly on Sunday - Horse Creek was only slightly affected - by Wednesday, we were able to guide all the way down to Scraggy - and today the river looked great - fishing great above Deckers on Tuesday - from unfishable on Sunday.
Flow is now at 450 cfs, from a high of 500 cfs on Sunday (went from 375 cfs to 440 on Saturday), all out of the pipes, (no longer over the spillway) water temps are 50 - 52 deg in Deckers and the water is gin clear. Horse Creek has continued to drop & clear, and has little effect on the river downstream of Deckers.
Trico mating swarms are staying steady - all the way down to Scraggy View - Spinners begin to fall around 10:30, and we have found a few bank sippers, but not many - fooled a few with #22 para adams - black flash back RS2's work well nymphing all morning - these are not the swarms of Pre Hayman, but are very encouraging, some are pretty thick - males and females are about a # 22 or 24 - hoppers, caddis, stimulators and other terestrials work well on the surface later in the afternoons. Dry/Dropper with a bead caddis larva are a favorite, even with an RS2 off the bead nymph
We are also seeing some BWO's from late morning throughout the afternoon - PMD's have become pretty scarce.
Week ending August 16th, 2007
Flow has steadily dropped to a current 375 cfs in the canyon. Horse Creek is still running brown, but also dropping and clearing, river looks good through Trumble, the further down stream you travel, the water gets darker - mainly due to rain events that have continued to hit the area all week - some incredibly heavy deluges - on Monday afternoon, the parking lot in front of the shop was a 6 inch deep pond from rain & hail!!! I continue to be impressed with the recovery of the river after these events, all the feeders from the west come clear over night, the feeders from the east are the problem areas (except for 4 Mile Creek) - on Monday the whole river went brown, but had cleared out in the morning
The river is clear from Deckers upstream to the dam. I have started to see isolated swarms of mating Tricos in Deckers and in Trumble around 10 a.m. - nothing like the pre-Hayman fire swarms, but very encouraging to see them back
With the lower flows, the dry dropper rig will come back into play - Caddis with a bead nymph - then try trailing an RS2 off of the nymph - a little clumsy to cast, but very effective. Dead drifting nymphs will be easier and more of the river will be accessible - the flow has not been below 400 cfs since my return in April.
Water temps remain in the low 50's - air temps start off early mornings in the 40's or high 30's - but it warms up fast - mid to high 80's
Week ending August 9th, 2007
Flow had dropped to 405 cfs by Friday, then it started to rain - a lot - flow steadily increased, but all the creeks were holding up until Monday night, then too much hit in all the wrong places.
Trout creek blew out all the way from Woodland Park - on Tuesday morning it was flowing out of Manitou Lake brown - 20 miles away - West creek was the same - good news is that above the Deckers bridge all was OK, but below was unfishable on Tuesday morning - flow from the dam went up to 690 cfs by 2 p.m. on Wednesday - almost 300 cfs in 4 days. Horse Creek is slowly dropping, and clearing even slower, but dry hot days will help - flow in Trumble reached over 750 cfs at the height of it all. This is brown water, not ash or mud - and most of the brown originated out of the burn area
Flow is currently 650 cfs from the dam - 325 out the pipes, 325 over the top - water temps dropped back to 52 degrees in Deckers, Above the bridge and the Canyon are fishing well, may be until the weekend until things clear out below Deckers to be fishable, All the reservoirs in the drainage are full - Antero, Spinney, 11 Mile, Lake George & Tarryall.
Nymphing is your best bet in the high flows, buckskins or Caddis Larva, P-tails, RS2's, brassie - We still try to drag them up with Hoppers or Caddis patterns, but it is tougher than ever - saw the first BWO's of the summer / fall this week - have had reports of some Tricos, but have not seen any myself - huge swarm of flying ants in Deckers on Wednesday evening - all over the place
Saw the first buck of the season in the backyard this morning at daybreak - spectacular rack - working upstream across the river
Week ending August 2nd, 2007
Flow peaked at 540 cfs on Monday afternoon - 300 out of the pipes, 240 over the spillway - all due to recent storms in the area draining into the reservoir. Flow is currently (Thursday) at 425 and dropping fairly steadily each day.
Horse Creek got pretty ugly, due to a major hit on Trout Creek in the North Rainbow Falls area, but she has dropped and cleared and has little effect on the river below Deckers. The river is clear down to Scraggy View, where it begins to go off color again, but is slowly clearing as the flow decreases. River is gin clear above Deckers & into the Canyon
Still fooling trout with Caddis or #18 or #20 mayfly patterns (para Adams) in the early hours, things tend to slow down on the surface during mid-day, then pick up again in late afternoon - even with Hoppers along the banks or in shallow riffles & pockets. I have seen very few risers, but you can drag them up fairly easily.
Nymphing with San Juan Worms, RS2's, P-Tails, Buckskins, Barr Emergers, Hares Ears, Prince nymphs, etc. works all day.
Had an angler in the shop last week who had been doing really well, camped at Lone Rock and fishing dries above the bridge to the Cable Hole - told of one 20" 'Bow that snapped him off 50 yards above the bridge in our Research & Development area - I asked him what pattern he lost & he said a black beetle - I asked what was the color on top - he said 2 red tufts - I reached into my vest hanging off the chair, pulled out a box, opened it up & tossed a black beetle with 2 red tufts onto the counter and asked if that was his fly? His eyes got pretty big, said yes, that was his fly (with one lost leg) and asked where I got it - I told him out of the mouth of a 14" 'Bow 50 yards up from the bridge - we both had a pretty good chuckle - The name of the shop IS Flies & Lies - or flies & a little imagination.
Week ending July 26th, 2007
Major storm cells hit the Deckers area this week - most notably on last Thursday, which left the water below Deckers off color from Horse Creek run off, but all was clear in 48 hrs - another one - huge - hit Saturday night & browned the whole river up within hours, but again was clear in the a.m..
The cells were not too heavy in the Trail Creek / West Creek area, so we dodged a major bullet. I continue to be optimistic with the rivers quick recovery from these potential washouts.
Flow had dropped to 360 cfs on the 21st, but increased to 430 on the 22nd due to runoff from the storms into Cheesman reservoir - a lot of rain - but she steadily drops during the day. The Dam called today to say they would be increasing the outflow pipes from 250 cfs to 300 cfs in an effort to get the water off of the spillway - at 400 cfs that will leave 100 over the top
Hoppers are starting to work, along with Caddis patterns on the surface - PMD's are still around, starting at 10 - 11 a.m. & I have seen a few risers on them, close to the banks - we continue to drag some pretty trout up to the surface by drifting through the fishy spots - we are finding trout up & down the river, just depends on that days clarity if we can lure them to the top.
I can't recall a summer with so many fawns in the area - seems like all the moms had twins this year. The swallows around the cabin have left the nests and are learning how to nail a caddis or may fly in mid flight at full speed - incredible to see, when they get it right - funny to see when they try to pick my caddis pattern off the surface.
Week ending July 19th, 2007 (includes 2 weeks from July 5th)
Very busy with shop & guiding, so missed last weeks update. The river continues to drop (fell below 400 cfs on Sunday the 15th for the first time in months). Water temps in Deckers are dropping, due to the lower amount of surface water from Cheesman coming over the spillway. On the 18th it was 57 deg. in Deckers. Horse Creek took her time clearing from the events of July 3rd, then got hit again, but she is now down and fairly clear, having little to no effect on the river clarity below Deckers.
River is gin clear above Deckers up to the dam through the Canyon. Flow is at 370 cfs & clarity all the way down to the confluence with the North Fork is excellent. We are finding trout in all the fishy places up and down the river & continue to fish dry / dropper rigs, even on the guide trips.
PMD's still active & Caddis continue to swarm, hatch & mate - returning to the river to deposit eggs. Depending on cloud cover (none) and crowds (weekends) things can get a little slow on the surface in mid afternoon, but picks up again in the evening. Nymphing works well all day in the deeper darker runs.
Storms hit the valley just about every day from 3 p.m. to 6 or 7 p.m. - heavy at times, but none have affected the river - if they hit the wrong spot (south east of Deckers) and are too intense, then that drainage can go off, but not for long.
Reports that I hear of the water below Deckers being unfishable are completely wrong, being written & reported by people that arrive a day after a storm and see the off color and think that is the norm - it is not - if they came back 1 or 2 days later they would see the quick recovery, we, that live on the river, witness every day.
Another report that I hear is that the river is all silted in - which is also misleading - the major problem is decomposed granite that has filled in some of the old favorite runs, but up or downstream of these areas you will find good habitat and great fishing - the river has changed, so you have to look at it a lttle differently - and adapt - and you will catch trout - and some very good ones.
Week ending July 5th, 2007
Flow had dropped to 484 by Tuesday the 3rd and was as close to gin clear as I have seen it this year - and beautiful - all the way down to the old hotel. Then a few big storm cells came into the area - one hit with the wrong amount of rain in the exact wrong location & Horse Creek turned brown, which in turn, made things pretty ugly below Deckers on the 4th - by Thursday - today - there was only slight improvement. Flow went from 484 up to 512 over the spillway due to these storms, but had dropped back down to 475 cfs by Thursday. These cells were no worse than many that have hit the area - actually seemed less intense than a few others - it just hit the wrong spot.
Wig Wam Creek went a little off, but was clear by Thursday - 4 Mile Creek was not affected. I followed Horse Creek up the drainage on Thursday and found Trout Creek was OK, followed West Creek up to the lake in the West Creek development, the lake is the same color as the creek - light brown with no clarity - followed the inlet stream up and found it was clear above the confluence of Trail Creek - turned and followed Trail Creek and knew she was the problem - a few dry gulches were flowing pretty ugly water down into West Creek and the lake - this could take a while to clear out.
Above Deckers and the Canyon are fine and fishing great - Caddis continue along with PMD's - I have had trout take different types of Caddis patterns on the surface and really slam emergers dropped underneath about 2 1/2 feet below the dry, presented fairly close to the banks or mid stream slicks. Lots of very healthy trout, lots of fun.
Stop by Flies & Lies for the latest updates and patterns.
Week ending June 28th, 2007