The South Platte River at Deckers, just below the world famous Cheesman Canyon , is a world class fishery in its own right. The river at Deckers has nice pocket water, deep pools, riffles, a variety of gravel bars, and runs. Most of the river is within the Pike National Forest and offers easy access until it meets up with the North Fork, before flowing into Strontia Springs and entering Waterton Canyon . The river here is home to brown and rainbow trout averaging fifteen to eighteen inches, with many stretching twenty inches or better. Like the trout upstream in Cheesman Canyon , Deckers fish are some of the toughest trout in the Rockies to catch. As such, you shouldn't expect a twenty fish day. They can be had, but they're hard to come by.

The Fires and Their Aftermath

    In 2002 the worst wildfire in Colorado 's history rampaged across the South Platte valley, burning everything in its way. The river filled up with ash, timber, and fire debris. A majority of the yearling fish were killed with the inflow of soot and ash after the fall rains. At the time, most anglers thought it was going to take several years for the trout to rebound and the watershed to clean itself out. Over the next two summers, summer rainstorms could turn a fairly clear river into a muddy mess, and after each storm there were fears of major fish kills.

     These fears were largely unfounded. Fishermen returning to the river found that the trout had survived. They hunkered down in the deeper pools to survive the ash and silt washed into the river with every storm. The once-deep holes were now filled in, but there were a few that remained, which held nice populations of sizable browns and rainbows.

     By the winter of 2005-2006, the river at Deckers was well on the rebound. The Colorado Division of Wildlife stocked yearling rainbow trout at the end of summer, 2005, and by January most of these trout reached ten to twelve inches. The river's trout are doing well and are still hard to catch. I have fished the stretch between the bridges to the Teepee Club heavily this past fall and winter and I have some good news to report. There are a lot of rainbows and browns to be had. The fish can be found all over the river, in the shallows next to the banks, in the pockets behind boulders, and they are stacked in the pools. You can even see the fish holding in riffles, and cruising calmer water. I have noticed that the bald eagles are becoming more active in this area as well, searching for a trout meal.

The Fishing

    The section from the Teepee Club boundary to the second bridge is by far the best trout water on the lower South Platte . There are still very good trout populations from Decker's to Scraggy View and beyond to Waterton Canyon , but the best trout water is the area around Deckers. This area is only a little over an hour from Denver and an hour from Colorado Springs, so it gets busy with Front Range fishermen.

     The river fishes best from fall to spring, when there are midge, caddis, little Yellow Sally stonefly, Trico, and various other mayfly hatches. Aquatic worms, scuds, and leeches also work well.

      Various Woolly Buggers and similar streamers have been working since late last fall. The Little CQ Brown Trout is a huge producer on a dead drift through the deeper pools and runs. It has also been working well stripped through the riffles and tossed ahead of boulders in pocket water. Also try dropping a midge about twelve to sixteen inches behind this fly. The streamer works as an attractor and gets the fish's attention, and if he doesn't strike the streamer, he'll most likely take the midge. I know this technique sounds a bit unorthodox, but you will be surprised at it how well it works.

Little CQ Brown Trout

• Hook: #10 Dai Riki #700 streamer hook
• Tail: green marabou with golden-olive Midge Flash
• Body: dirty olive leech dubbing twisted in a dubbing loop
• Legs: SiliLegs in various colors
• Thorax: peacock Sparkle Leech dubbing
• Head: medium and small tungsten coneheads, in nickel, gold or black finish

   The Platte River Spider was a huge producer last fall when fished either in tandem with another Platte River Spider or trailed behind the Little CQ Brown Trout. This fly also works well as the lead fly with various Copper Johns, caddis, mayfly nymphs, or midge droppers. This fly works better when stripped, rolled, and wiggled through the water to turn on the cannibalistic nature trout have.

Platte River Spider

• Hook: #8-12 TMC 200R or Dai Riki 270
• Underwing: red pheasant fibers
• Hackle: one brown and one yellow strung marabou plume, each wrapped once or twice
• Collar: rootbeer Krystal Flash
• Collar: mallard flank, one turn
• Overwing: one brown Chinese saddle sandwiched between two yellow Chinese saddles
• Head: black thread, to a high gloss

     There have been quite a few different midges that have been working this winter, including the following: Craven's Deep Blue Poison Tung, Garcia's Rojo Midge, Mercury Midges, Black Beauties, Zebra Midges, and Rainbow Warriors.

    Nymphs that have moved fish this winter include small Copper Johns in amber, hot yellow, blue and chartreuse, Pheasant Rails, Hare's Ears, and Little Black Winter Stones.

     The flows at Deckers have been on the low side this winter, averaging around 75cfs. The fish and I like to see the flows between 150cfs and 400. When the flows are low you can find fish in deeper, more highly-oxygenated water, and when flows are higher you find them in almost any lie in the river, which is a real treat.

    When fishing the Deckers area you need to take some precautions like you would anywhere else the trout are tough to catch. You need to wade carefully and not go rushing into the river. Use a good non-toxic weight to get your flies down. I like Dinsmore BB shot, egg shot, and tungsten Sticky Weight.

 
Chad with a nice Deckers Rainbow (February 2006)

 
Brandon with an average Deckers Rainbow (February 2006)