Dream Stream Fly Fishing: Father Daughter Contemplation

My daughter Chloe and I went fishing this morning to the dream stream section of the South Platte River. Chloe took a little break and sat on the rocks and actually took a little nap in the sun. She then got up and said, "Ok, I want to fish now." She hooked 5 large fish on 10 casts including this beautiful Brown. We had a wonderful discussion on an age old question: What causes a big fish to take a fly? The usual variables were considered such as: skill, intuition, past experience, ability to problem solve etc. We also considered "luck" and "fate," "things lining up," although these are quite mysterious and abstract. In the end we did conclude that while prior experience, preparation, skill and luck, etc, all can come into play when we hook a fish, yet, there seems to be "some-thing" else. This "some-thing" else is what I am trying to write about in my book.

Today at the Dream Stream...Trico hatch was thick with large trout gulping along the banks. The usual tiny dry flies caught fish as well as a standard nymphing rig witth black and gray RS2s.

Deckers Fly Fishing Report: Trying to Finish a Book

Deckers is fishing well. No secret fly. We are catching most of our fish on small RS2's size 26. Gray and black. Strange how that same old fly keeps working if we present it correctly (or, sometimes, not?).

Sometimes the fish just hit it when we have not presented it correctly. As I told my clients today, there seems to be "Some-thing" else that determines when and who catches fish and who does not. It is a bit mysterious. I am not making any foolish, direct cause and effect, conclusions. I am just saying that sometimes, there seems to be "some-thing" else. At times things line up. Some times they do not.

These are, in part, some of the mysteries in fly fishing that I am pondering in my book. As my clients and I parted today they said, "Anthony, finish the book. Even if it does not sell finish it, for your self."

I think that is good advise. The best advise in fact. I never really started this writing project  for any other reason other than to describe my own experience and to more deeply understand life for myself. Of course I can try to share what I learn with others but there are fine lines here. If I write to be read, or to be understood, or if I write to sell; well, then, chances are I would be prone to lie, to please and distort things. I don't want to do that.

"May what I have to say flow from me like a river, no forcing and no holding back, the way it is with children. Then in these swelling and ebbing currents, these deepening tides moving out, returning, I will sing you as no one ever has." (Rilke)

Tricos Persist on the South Platte River into MId-September

It is always difficult to know how long the Tricos will continue to hatch on the South Platte but as of 9/13 the little bugs are thick. Fish can be found gulping the spinners up and down the canyons and meadows of the South Platte. People often ask me what is "The" fly, yet it is best to use an assortment of "tiny little flies" and switch them out as the fish seem to start ignoring certain patterns. My clients seem to be doing best with "anything that floats" in the size 24 range. But we are also doing well with "drowned" tricos below the surface. It is hard to beat a size 24 sparkle wing RS2 in gray or black and a spent-wing trico spinner in black and white. Fish continue to feed on the remnants of the hatch well into the afternoon. The small bugs are imprinted on the trouts brain, so they respond to a well placed fly that resembles the trico most of the day. 

Deckers Fly Fishing: Labor Day

Over the years I have noticed that many local fly fishers stay away from the South Platte at Deckers on Labor Day. They think it will be too crowded. This reaction sometimes leaves some of the best runs open. Lots of people are about but many are just camping, barbecuing and tubing and recreating rather than "pounding" the river with their fly rods

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Today reminded me of the Deckers of old. Lots of nice rainbows and browns were eager to take a well drifted nymph. Tricos were in the air and some areas had rising fish.  However, nymphing rigs were the most productive technique. And as was also true 20-30 years ago, my friends and I continue to contemplate the the question of what makes fly fishing a river so meaningful and beautiful. The fish seem to hit the same "old flies" but I still cannot figure out and rap my mind around exactly what the "some-thing" is we often encounter while fly fishing.  Perhaps another 2-3 decades from now I will be closer.

Mysterious Dream Stream: Fly Fishing 8/26/2015

The Dream Stream is somewhat mysterious. The fish appear, disappear and reappear. "Cookie Cutter" Cutthroats are numerous. I am not sure if they have been there all along, even in the high Spring floods, or if they moved in from above or from the reservoir below. The Dream Stream has had problems in recent decades of the fish not remaining. Stocking programs seem to largely fail even after all the habitat improvements were in place. But now, after we had record flows that blew out a lot of the habitat improvement structures/logs, a good population of fish are hanging in the lower meanders where habitat improvement structures were never placed.

Regardless, we have been enjoying some good dry fly fishing on the lower section. Fish are mainly taking Tricos during the morning hatch but we have also been doing well on bigger flies. Amy's Ants, hoppers and yellow Sallies have been producing. The conditions are perfect to throw some type of double dry fly rig.

The usual nymphing rigs are also working: San Juan worms, RS2's, Zebra midges are all taking fish.

It will be interesting to see what shapes up, (or moves up and down) this Fall. You might turn around and be staring at a 30 inch Brown that just chased away the 14 inch Cutthroat you just landed.

Eleven Mile Canyon Fly Fishing: A TEN!

Flows and weather have been perfect. Tricos are hatching every morning. Fish are feeding on top as well as below the surface. Eleven Mile Canyon is a perfect "TEN."

Deckers South Platte River Fly Fishing Report

The high waters that were racing through the South Platte at Deckers have changed some of the natural habitat. Some places seem to be lacking fish while other areas are holding good fish. The same is true of the Dream Stream and 11 Mile Canyon. The South Platte is a changed river but hopefully over all, it should be of a higher quality.

While the river has changed some things never change. For 30 years now, I have been mainly using a Brown San Juan Worm and a size 24 gray RS2. Yesterday, 8 solid fish came to the net mostly on the RS2.