South Platte River: Eleven Mile Canyon

Sitting at 120 cfs, flows in Eleven Mile Canyon are double the historical average, which is great to see. Elevated flows have helped move some of the dead aquatic vegetation downstream but you’ll still run into thick underwater vegetation in slower sections of the river. Nymph rigs have been the most consistent lately but don’t rule out dry flies. On any given day, anglers will come across midge, BWO and caddis hatches and these trout love to feed on the surface. Griffiths Gnats, Cluster Midges, Parachute Adams, Parachute BWOs and Elk Hair Caddis are all good patterns to have on hand. When nymphing, focus on pronounced pools, runs, pockets and riffles (leave riffles for the afternoon). Overall, the morning hours have been slow due to cold overnight and morning temps but once the water warms up around 11 am, the fishing really picks up. Trout are responding to a mix of large and small patterns so don’t be afraid to experiment. Midge/baetis and double baetis combos are a safe place to start but if you’re not seeing results, swap out your lead fly for a leech, San Juan Worm, egg, Buckskin Caddis or searcher pattern. Olive RS2s, Chocolate Foam Back Emergers, Darth Baetis, Mercury Black Beauties, Jujubee Midges, Top Secrets and Graphic Caddis are must have trailer patterns.