South Platte River and Late Spring Fly Fishing

April was a difficult month on the South Platte River.  Some days created memories of fish that will never be forgotten, and other days that were down right tough fishing.  As we move into May, look for flows to stay relatively low in both South Park and Elevenmile Canyon as Cheesman reservoir is very close to spilling over the dam.  However, snow levels to the west are very high and we anticipate a great runoff this year.  The South Platte in South Park has been fish anywhere from outstanding to to fair at best.  BWOs are starting to show and on cloudy days fish can be fooled with patterns resembling the mayfly. The spawn for a lack of a better term is all but over.  There are a few good fish roaming around but be prepared to work to find them.  Elevenmile Canyon has been fishing well with great BWO hatches in the afternoon.  Fish in the canyon are spawning so please be careful wading and avoid spawning beds.  The stillwaters in South Park are now completely open and unfortuneatly are fishing somewhat tough.  I am planning to venture to both 11 Mile and Spinney Reservoirs this week to really put some time in.  Trips this week have been going well and below are a few of the great fish that we have been picking up both in the canyon and in South Park.  I am getting more and more inquiries regarding trip dates for the summer so book a trip now to make sure I still have the dates available.  Just give me a call at 7194946480 or email me at tere5643@gmail.com.  Below are some pics of some great fish we have been picking up in the last week or two.

Spring Guided Trips

This Spring season has been both one of the best in a long time and also one of the toughest.  The South Platte River in South Park has been producing some great fish....on certain days.  The fish are on the move and one day they will be in the river and the next runs will be close to empty.  That being said, we have gotten some great fish this year.  There is still a good amount of angling pressure which is contributing to sending the big fish back to the lake.  That being said, there are still some great fish running around.  The Deckers area is also fishing well. Good BWO hatches are happening and on many days fish are looking up.  The reservoirs are in great shape and in the next week or two my favorite part of the year will really start to pick up.  Stillwater Season!!  If you are interested in booking a guided fly fishing trip on the South Platte River or the lakes in South Park please give me a call at 7194946480 or email me at tere5643@gmail.com.  Here are some pics from recent trips.

Late Winter/Early Spring Fly Fishing in Colorado

I have been long overdue to post a report here.  Basically, over the past 2 1/2 months I have been spending quite a bit of time on the great waters around the state.  Both thru guided fly fishing trips and personal endeavors, the rivers of this great state have produced time and time again.  I will first discuss what has been happening on my local guided waters.  The South Platte is fishing great.  The stretch around Deckers is fishing very well and the fish are fat and ready to eat.  In South Park, flows have been optimal for late winter fishing.  The flows were bumped to 115 early in the winter and that actually brought in our first wave of spawning fish.  In January, we saw actively spawning fish and lake fish to 8 lbs, hence my lack of publications for fear of starting the crowd rush early.  But me posting this means that the word has spread through one avenue or another and people are starting to make their way in high numbers to the water.  As we get closer to spring, we are seeing more and more fish come into the system and we have caught some true giants up to 12 lbs.  If you would like to chase some of the largest Rainbow trout in Colorado, the next month is the time.  Book a guide trip and lets go chase some of these supremely large fish.  Some of the pictures I have been taking I will be saving to submit with future magazine projects, but I will show a few here.  Guided trips have gone great thus far this year and I have had clients describe some of the fish we are catching as the biggest they have ever encountered on the fly. On other waters, the Frying Pan River is fish very well.  Again, good water levels have the fish on the feed and some large fish are being caught.  While I love the hungry nature of the Pan fish, they have been more than obviously manhandled, and quite frankly the condition of their mouths is a little more than depressing.  So to be on my soap box, handle fish carefully.  Also, with a spawning season upon us, abstain from fishing to fish on spawning beds, no matter how tempted you might be.  If you accidentally foul hook or snag a fish anywhere but their mouth, quickly break them off or try to allow slack so the hook can come out. It doesn't take much skill to put on a lot of weight and hook a fish in the belly.  The funnest part of fly fishing is fooling that trout.  By quickly allowing a snagged fish to get back to feeding, you can almost immediately get that fish to eat!  As the spawn progresses, crowds will exponentially increase.  Be sure to respect other anglers by giving them both enough space so that everyone can have a great day.  Below are some pictures of both guide trips and personal trips.  For  a guided trip please call 719-494-6480, or email me at Tere5643@gmail.com.

Winter Trip on the South Platte

Well there is no doubt that my guide season has ended.  After a fall characterized by low water, I was excited to get another trip before the end of the year.  Originally we planned to do the trip down on the Arkansas in Pueblo.  However, crowds have been insane and while the fishing has been good, I felt the South Platte would be a better option for crowd concern, fishing itself, and scenery.  It is hard to beat a good day in South Park, even in the winter!  Well things panned out for us in our trip.  My client got into several great fish and a big holdover brown capped our day.  There were a few other anglers  on the water but compared to Cheesman/deckers, Pueblo, or 11mile canyon, we had a shot at every piece of water I wanted to fish.  There is a picture below of  our great Brown from yesterday.  I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season and that your New Years celebration caps it off with a great night.  If you are interested in a winter trip or another trip later in the year, give me a call at 719-494-6480, or shoot me an email at tere5643@gmail.com.

It's Been A While

Well, it has been a while since I last put any report or posted any pictures.  The water levels on the South Platte this fall have been extremely low and October fishing on the Dream Stream was very challenging to say the least.  Deckers is still fishing fair, but be prepared for crowds as it is the only area close to the front range with "acceptable" flows and decent fishing.   While October has been a challenge, the end of July, August, and through September provided anglers with some amazing fishing for big fish on the South Platte River in South Park.  Big Browns, Rainbows, Cutthroats, and Kokanee Salmon kept the days fun filled and exciting.  Below are a bunch of pictures from that time frame.  These are not photos from trips in the past week or two.  Quite frankly, I have not fished the Dream much since they dropped the water to 30 cfs and just feel bad for those poor fish.  As fall continues to move on, low water will remain and conditions will be less than ideal.  That being said, now is a great time to learn how to fish to low water trout so if you would like to test your skills give a  call.  In the coming weeks I have some trips planned for the Miracle Mile section of the North Platte River and then a week long trip with some good buddies at Pyramid Lake in Nevada.  I will post some more photos and such as I get on the water. 

Lucky to Guide on the South Platte

This season has been nothing short of outstanding on the South Platte River.  Whether it is out in South Park, near Deckers, or on privater water, the South Platte has been providing anglers of all ages and skill levels the opportunity to catch amazing trout on both nymphs and dry flies.  Public water trips have been producing some amazingly big and colorful fish.  Caddis, Tricos, PMDS, Yellow Sallies, and other bugs have been coming off heavily day in and day out.  Sight fishing for these big fish has been the best method.  Come spend a day on the water with me and let me share these awesome fish. Below are some great pictures of some big Public water fish.

We Finally Have Water!

For a little while now flows have come up on most sections of the South Platte.  Fish have really responded and are feeding heavily on Streamers, Nymphs, and Dry Flies!  We have been having some amazing fishing on both public and private water.  We are seeing big hatches of Caddis, PMDs, Tricos, and Yellow Sallies.   Give me a call and lets get on the water and get after some of these BIG trout!  Below are some great pictures with big trout from both private and public water trips.