Despite the slow and unusually warm start to the winter, Deckers is fishing pretty good as of late! Flows are currently sitting around 100 cfs, and should stay around there for a while given the current water and snowpack conditions. Water temps have been staying cold throughout the day, with slush ice accumulating in the mornings in the lower sections downstream of Bridge Crossing. With that in mind, smaller midge and BWO patterns are the most productive bugs right now. There’s still decent windows of streamer fishing, however, particularly in the early mornings and on overcast days. Dry fly action has been sporadic, but decent midge hatches and occasional BWOs have provided some opportunities to fish dries.
Nymphing has by far been the most productive method recently, with smaller midge and baetis imitations fishing well. That being said, leading with a Pine Squirrel Leech, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Scud, or small Egg pattern in is always a good option at Deckers, especially when paired with an RS-2, Chocolate Thunder, or B’s Midge in a #20-24. MacGrubers, Top Secret Midges, Black Beauties, and smaller Pheasant Tails have also been solid choices, fishing well in sizes #20-24.
Streamer fishing can still be productive, particularly in the early mornings and on overcast days. Structure has been the name of the game, so be sure to target rocks, cut banks, and log jams, as well as deep riffles and pools. Smaller leech patterns have been best, with Slumpbusters, Poachers, Thin Mints, and Woolly Buggers in a #6-12 producing well with a long and slow retrieve.
For those chasing dry-fly eats, there are still sporadic windows of surface activity in the afternoons, but risers have been rather inconsistent for a while. Fish are mainly keying in on midge adults and clusters, though BWO’s are still coming off sporadically. Warm afternoons have been the most productive for dry fly fishing, though light dry dropper rigs have been also been fishing well, with most of the action on the dropper. Griffith’s Gnats, Matt’s Midges, and small Parachute Adams in #18-24 have been our most productive dry flies, paired well with an unweighted or lightly weighted RS-2, Zebra Midge, Black Beauty, or Juju baetis in a #20-24 down below. An emerger is also a solid choice if the fish are being super selective, so consider dropping a No-Mercy Midge, MacGruber, or Foamwing Emerger below a dry fly.
Despite the warmer temperatures, fish are still very much in “winter mode”, and are holding primarily in deep pools, slow riffles, and runs. Fishing the 12-4 PM window has been the best and most consistent action at Deckers, as water temps heat up a bit in the afternoon and the crowds start to thin out a bit. Fish are bit weary this time of year given the low flows, meaning that clean, deep, and drag-free drifts are imperative to catching fish right now. To minimize spooking fish in the slow stuff, consider downsizing to 5 or 6x fluorocarbon, fishing smaller indicators, and downsizing flies a size or two smaller than you’d normally fish. This is definitely a tough time of year on the South Platte, but should get easier as we push into the spring. Swing into the Lone Tree shop to pick up some flies and light tippet for your next outing. See y’all out on the water!
Tyler Banker