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+--- Thread: South Platte River - Cheesman Canyon (/showthread.php?tid=121265)
South Platte River - Cheesman Canyon - daymere - 04-03-2004
FISHING: Fair
River Flow and Gage Height [[url "http://waterdata.usgs.gov/co/nwis/current?type=flow&group_key=huc_cd&search_site_no_station_nm=south+platte"][#0000ff]click here[/#0000ff][/url]]
Flow: 40 cfs
Clarity: Fair to good
Water Temperature: Low 40’s
Major Food Organisms: Midges and baetis.
Hatches: Sporadic midges and baetis.
14 Day Forecast: Plan on tough fishing with these low flows. Sporadic midges and baetis will be the bulk of the trout’s diet for several more weeks. Expect a few “risers” in the slow tail-outs feeding on midge adults, and a few baetis mayflies in the afternoon between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. This is tough but rewarding dry fly-fishing! Look for some nice Kamloop Rainbows (they can be identified by their blue-gray color) to move into the lower canyon (from the Wigwam Club) throughout the course of the next couple of weeks.
Tips and Other Information: Anglers are catching a few nice fish (both rainbows and browns) on standard Cheesman Canyon patterns (#22 Mercury Pheasant Tails #22, Mercury Baetis #22, #22 Sparkle Wing RS II’s, #22 Barr Emergers, #22 Mercury Midges, #22-24Top Secret Midges, and #22-24 Black Beauties). Flows are low and clear resulting in very challenging fishing. I strongly recommend wearing drab-colored clothing, and keeping a low and stealthy profile when approaching fish. The water temperatures have recently surged above the 40-degree mark (43 in the afternoons) which is really helped with the number of feeding fish. The fish are beginning to move back into the riffles as a result of this temperature increase, and mayfly nymphs will become very effective in weeks to come. Anglers who sight-fish will be the most successful.
Effective Patterns: #22 Mercury Midges, #22 Mercury Baetis, #22 Black Beauty, #20-22 Sparkle Wing RS II’s, #16 Micro San Juan Worms, #16 Nuclear Egg, #22-26 Parachute Adams, #20 Mathew’s Sparkle Dun, #24 Top Secret Midge, #20-24 Hi-Vis Baetis, #20-22 Matt’s Midge, #22 Cannon’s Suspender Midge, #22-24 Z-Lon Midges, #22-26 Griffith Gnats.
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