Fly GuideEgg Patterns — When the Spawn Is On, This Is What's Eating Trout
Egg patterns rule the South Platte during brown spawn (Oct–Nov) and rainbow spawn (Mar–Apr). Otter's Egg, Y2K, dead-egg variants, and how to fish ethically.
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Deckers
30 posts tagged "Deckers".
Fly Guide
Fly GuideSan Juan Worm — The Pattern That Isn't Pretty But Catches South Platte Fish
The San Juan Worm is the unglamorous workhorse of South Platte tailwater nymphing. Red, pink, purple — when and why it earns the point spot on Deckers.
Field NotesReading Water on Deckers — Pocket Water vs Pool Tailouts
Where the fish actually hold at Deckers and why. A practical breakdown of pocket water vs pool tailouts — current seams, feeding lanes, and soft water.
Gear ReviewBuilding a Fly Box for the South Platte — What's Actually in Mine
Most fly boxes are graveyards of flies that never get tied on. Here's what actually lives in mine — by section, by size, by why it earns the space.
Field NotesFishing 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.
Field NotesWet 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.
Gear ReviewWhat I Bring to the River: An 80-Day-a-Year Angler's Day Pack
Real gear from 80-plus days a year on Colorado tailwaters. The pack, the rod, the fly boxes, the tools, the layers, and the small stuff that makes the day work.
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.
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.
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.
River GuideDeckers in May: How to Fish the South Platte During Spring Runoff
Tactics, fly selection, and water reading strategies for fishing Deckers on the South Platte River during spring runoff in May.
Field NotesThe South Platte Caddis Hatch — Timing, Flies, and Where to Be
The caddis hatch on the South Platte runs May through July and triggers the best dry-fly fishing of the year. When it happens, what to throw, and where to be.
Fly GuideBarr's Emerger: The PMD Pattern Every South Platte Angler Needs
John Barr's classic emerger imitates mayflies stuck mid-hatch. Recipe, rigging, and when to fish the PMD and BWO versions on Deckers and the Dream Stream.
Field NotesThe Dry-Dropper Rig on the South Platte — How to Fish It Right
The dry-dropper is the most versatile South Platte setup. How to build it, when to use it over a straight nymph rig, and which combos work at Cheesman.
SeasonalFishing the South Platte During Spring Runoff
How to fish the South Platte when flows spike — which sections stay fishable, tactics for high water, and what the runoff window means for the season.
Gear ReviewWhy First Lite Took Over Every Layer of My Wardrobe — and I'm a Fly Fisher
A Colorado fly fisher in a hunting brand head to toe. Why First Lite — Wick Merino, Navigator Hoody, the Rugged Wool — owns my wardrobe year-round.
Fly GuidePMD Hatch Guide — Pale Morning Duns on the South Platte
The complete guide to Pale Morning Dun fishing on the South Platte — hatch timing by section, exact patterns, and how to adjust for refusals.
Field NotesEuro Nymphing the South Platte — A Practical Guide
How to euro nymph the South Platte's technical tailwater — leader setup, fly selection, reading current seams, and where it outperforms indicator fishing.
Field NotesHow to Read Water on the South Platte
The current seams, structure, and holding lies that matter on South Platte tailwater — how to find fish in Cheesman Canyon, Deckers, and the Dream Stream.
River GuideDeckers: The Complete Fly Fishing Guide to the South Platte
Everything you need to fish Deckers — access, hatches, fly selection, flows, and regulations for the South Platte Gold Medal section.
SeasonalFall Streamer Fishing on the South Platte
Fall streamer fishing on the South Platte — when to throw them, the patterns that work at Cheesman and Deckers, and how to fish them through the season.
Fly GuideTrico Hatch on the South Platte — Late Summer Fly Fishing Guide
When and how to fish the Trico hatch on the South Platte — July through September spinner falls on the Dream Stream and Deckers flat.
SeasonalFall BWO Season on the South Platte — October Fly Fishing Guide
Fall Blue-Winged Olive fishing on the South Platte — why October BWOs beat spring, hatch timing, the patterns I fish, rigging, and how to read the rise.
Field NotesThe Best Fly Shops Near the South Platte
The fly shops worth stopping at before your South Platte trip — local intel, guided options, and who actually knows the river you're fishing.