Fly GuideThe Duracell Jig: Red Wire, Silver Bead, and Why It Runs the South Platte in Winter
Craig McDonald's Scottish jig nymph — red wire rib, UV brown body, silver bead. Named after the battery. Why it dominates Deckers and Cheesman all winter.
Rocky Drift Co. — Colorado Tailwater
Blog.
River guides, fly selection, and field notes from the South Platte — written from the water, not a desk.
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Fly Guide
Fly GuideThe Frenchie: Lance Egan's Competition Jig That Never Left the Guide Box
Lance Egan's UV pink hotspot Pheasant Tail jig: competition-bred, guide-proven. Why it works year-round on Deckers and Cheesman when standard PTs fade.
Fly GuideMayer's Mini Leech Jig: The Small Dead-Drift Leech That Out-Catches Streamers
Landon Mayer's pine squirrel mini leech on a jig hook. Dead-drift, jig-style — why this small pattern out-fishes swung streamers on South Platte tailwaters.
Gear ReviewMy Fly Rod Quiver — Five Rods, Five Jobs on the South Platte
What I fish on the South Platte and why each rod earns its spot — plus the hand-built Sweetgrass cane I'm adding to the quiver this fall.
Fly GuideOlsen's Blowtorch: My Favorite Fly and the Variations I Tie
My favorite fly. Devin Olsen's competition jig with a hot-tag and opalescent rib. Why I tie the Blowtorch in orange and green, and how to fish it tight-line.
Fly GuideThe Perdigon: Why the Fastest-Sinking Nymph on the South Platte Works
Spanish competition nymph with a UV resin body that sinks 40% faster than traditional patterns. The anchor fly that gets your rig to depth before the current.
Fly GuideThe RS2: Rim Chung's South Platte Emerger That Defined a Tailwater
Rim Chung tied the RS2 in the 1970s for the South Platte. Fifty years later it's still the most-fished emerger on Deckers, the Dream Stream, and Cheesman.
Fly GuideWalt's Worm: The Pennsylvania Nymph That Belongs in Every South Platte Box
Walt Young's 1984 Pennsylvania limestone nymph — buggy hare's ear body, cigar profile — imitates scuds, cased caddis, and crane fly larvae all at once.
Fly GuideThe Wooly Bugger: The Most Copied Fly in History and Why It Still Works
Russell Blessing's 1967 Pennsylvania pattern is the most-tied fly in fly fishing. Why the Wooly Bugger still earns its place for fall browns and high water.
Field NotesA Cigar on the South Platte — The Best Use of the Midday Lull
Between the morning rise and the evening feed, there's a window on the South Platte where the fish go quiet. I stopped fighting it. I bring a cigar.
SeasonalCaddis Dry Fly Fishing: Tactics for Trout in Late May
Master caddis dry fly fishing for trout in late May. Evening presentations, fly selection, and leader setups that produce when caddis hatches peak nationwide.
Fly GuideBarr's Slumpbuster: The Streamer John Barr Built for Big Browns
John Barr's Slumpbuster is the most versatile streamer in Colorado fly fishing. How to fish it, when it works, and why pine squirrel beats a Woolly Bugger.
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