South Platte River: Cheesman Canyon

Cheesman Canyon flows decreased by roughly 100 cfs late last week but have held steady at 190 cfs since. Flows are a little below the ideal flow but trout still have plenty of room to spread out. With that said, trout are on high alert and precise presentations are key. Trout are currently favoring deeper sections of the river such as pronounced pools, runs, pockets and shelves. Trout will slide into transitions and riffles during hatches but other than that, trout are stacking up in deeper water. Midge and trico patterns are bringing trout to the surface during the low light hours. The PMD hatch is dwindling but still producing a few bugs during the late morning. The BWO hatch is getting stronger and enticing trout to feed on the surface between 12 pm and 2 pm. Other than that, caddis and hopper patterns will attract opportunistic trout. While we are still seeing good results from dry flies, nymph rigs are the most reliable setup. Flashback Pheasant Tails, Buckskin Caddis, JuJu Baetis, Zebra Midges and Pale Ale Midges are good options for a lead fly. Below one of those patterns, Mercury Black Beauties, Top Secrets, black/olive RS2s, Chocolate Foam Back Emergers and Stalcup’s Baetis will attract plenty of attention. Scuds, leeches and worms are good patterns to have on hand should you need a little extra help getting the trout’s attention.