Weekly Report
Sitting at 182 cfs, Deckers fished very well this week. Healthy flows and warmer water temps have allowed trout to spread out throughout the day and feed at various depths. Morning hours are best spent nymphing pronounced pools and soft runs. Thanks to warmer weather, slow riffles, transitions and pockets are highly productive after 11 am. Heavy nymph rigs are needed in faster water in order to get your flies down quickly. Either lead with a tungsten bead nymph or apply ample split shot to your tippet. Larger attractor patterns such as olive leeches, eggs, San Juan Worms, UV Scuds, bead head Pheasant Tails and Pat’s Rubber Legs are solid lead patterns. Below one of those patterns, you can’t go wrong with 1-2 midge/baetis offerings. A JuJu Baetis followed by a Mercury Black Beauty is a deadly combo. BWOs are right around the corner and if the forecast holds true, you’ll want to keep some RS2s, Barr’s Emergers, Parachute Adams and Parachute BWOs handy. Dry fly action is getting better by the day, so be on the lookout for sporadic midge hatches after 9-10 am. Flows have been somewhat volatile and tend to fluctuate between Thursday afternoon and Monday. If flows drop significantly before the weekend, size your flies down and favor midge and baetis offerings. If flows bump, heavy weight and large attractors will be key. Increased flows will also hinder hatch and surface activity.
Recommended Flies
Sub-surface
- Blood Midge (#18-22)
- Bling Midge (#18-22)
- Mercury Midge (#18-22)
- Black Beauty (#18-22)
- Zebra Midge (#18-22)
- Top Secret Midge (#18-22)
- Jujubee Midge (#18-22)
- JuJu Baetis (#18-20)
- RS2 (#18-22)
- Darth Baetis (#18-20)
- Barr's Emerger (#18-20)
- Chocolate Foam Back Emerger (#18-22)
- Pat's Rubber Legs (#12-14)
- pink/green scud
- Mini Leech
- San Juan Worm
- yarn egg
- Mercury Pheasant Tail (#16-20)
- Guide's Choice Hare's Ear (#16-18)
- red Copper John (#16-18)
- Rainbow Warrior (#16-20)
- Perdigon (#16-18)
Surface
- Griffiths Gnat (#18-20)
- Parachute Adams (#18-22)
- Parachute BWO (#18-20)
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River Flow
Detailed River Info
Background:
The Deckers stretch of the South Platte River is a heavily sought after and highly productive stretch of river located roughly one hour from Denver. It's proximity to Denver and it's wade friendly features makes for a great destination for anglers of all experience levels. According to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Deckers stretch of the South Platte contains just over 3,000 trout per mile with Rainbows, Browns and Cutthroats making up this healthy population. This portion of the South Platte is a tail water section, so depending on the will of the angler, productive fishing can be enjoyed year round.
Angling:
Fishing the Deckers stretch of the South Platte River is arguably one of the most difficult but rewarding rivers in the state. Aside from the hoards of anglers that flock to this river every weekend, it is one of our favorites to fish. It's close to Denver, incredibly easy to access and can yield trout worth writing home about. Deckers is famous for it's deep holes and runs but can also provide great pocket water fishing. In the summer and fall, anglers can expect some incredible Caddis and Mayfly hatches that result in irresistible dry fly fishing. In the winter and spring, nymphing is the name of the game. Small tail water midges and Baetis patterns that strain your eyes to look at are the ticket for a productive day.
River Access
The Deckers section of the South Platte river is easy accessed from many locations. Anglers can drive along County Road 126, search for an appealing section of river and find a place on the side of the road to park. If you're not interested in searching for your own stretch of river, the intersection of County Road 126 and County Road 67 is a popular place to park and walk to the river.