The Father's Day Gift Guide for the Fly Fisher in Your Life
What to actually buy the fly fisher in your life — a Father's Day gift guide by budget. Real gear I fish on the South Platte, real prices, two reader discounts.
The journal · Page 8 of 13
Blog.
River guides, fly selection, and field notes from the South Platte. Written from the water, not a desk.
Page 8
151 posts · page 8 / 13
Building a Euro Nymphing Rig from Scratch
Step-by-step build of the euro nymphing rig I actually fish: Diamondback 10'7" 3wt, 30 feet of level 3X mono, sighter, tippet ring, and the two flies that work.
South Platte in June: Fishing the Tailwater as Runoff Drops
How to fish the South Platte tailwater in June as runoff peaks and drops — flows, PMD and caddis timing, fly selection, and where to be on Deckers and Cheesman.
Fishing Pressured Tailwaters — What Actually Works on Deckers
Deckers is the most-fished tailwater on the South Platte. Here's what actually catches fish — small flies, light tippet, clean drifts, and overlooked seams.
Wet Wading: Why I Leave the Waders at Home
Wet wading on the South Platte isn't for everyone. But once you understand when and how to do it right, you might ditch the waders more than you'd expect.
I Run a Riversmith — and I'm Eyeing a Switch to Trxstle's CRC Euro
I've carried my rods on a Riversmith River Quiver for a while now. Lately I'm highly considering switching to Trxstle's CRC Euro. Here's the honest why.
The Zebra Midge Torch — My South Platte Midge
The standard Zebra Midge catches fish. My version — black tungsten bead, orange tag, tied on a Fulling Mill jig hook — catches more. Here's the Torch.
Fly Fishing Essentials for Beginners: The Honest Minimum
Most beginner gear lists are upsell guides. Here's the real minimum a new fly fisher actually needs — and what to skip until you've fished a few seasons.
What I Bring to the River: The Day Pack That Survived the Edits
Gear that has survived seasons on Colorado tailwaters. The pack, the rod, the fly boxes, the tools, the layers, and the small stuff that makes the day work.
The 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.
The 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.
Mayer'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.