The journal · South Platte

Blog.

River guides, fly selection, and field notes from the South Platte. Written from the water, not a desk.

Six High N Dry floatant products in a row — gel, liquid, spray, paste, powder-and-desiccant and pre-treatment — the shelf that makes this confusing (photo: High N Dry Fishing Products)

Which Floatant Should You Actually Use?

Gel, liquid, powder, paste, desiccant — six products doing four different jobs. What each one is for, the one that ruins CDC, and what I carry now.

Oct 26, 2026 · 12 min read Read the story →

More from the journal

142 posts · page 1 / 12

Fly angler wading waist-deep in flat, clear tailwater, rod bent into the drift with a forested bank and boulders behind

The Drag-Free Drift: How to Beat Micro-Drag on Tailwaters

Micro-drag is why pressured tailwater trout refuse a good fly. How to get a true drag-free drift on the South Platte — mending, slack, and the short window that matters.

October 23, 20269 min read

Close-up of a Simms G3Z Pro front-zip wader: the black center zipper, SIMMS and G3 lettering on the chest pockets, forceps on an orange retractor, a few flies stuck to the fabric, and the wading belt (photo: Simms)

Simms G3 Pro Guide Waders: The G3 Finally Gets a Zip

The G3 Guide has a successor: four Simms G3 Pro Guide waders. Prices, sizes, the new front zip, the warranty change, and which one suits Colorado winter.

October 22, 202610 min read

An HD Innovations X-Over carbon pole and tripod on the ice at dusk, forward-facing-sonar transducer mounted and ready

Forward-facing sonar through the ice: my setup, and whether it's worth it

Forward-facing sonar through Colorado ice: what it shows, what a full setup costs, how it's used to find and hold fish, and whether it's worth the money.

October 21, 202611 min read

A forested river with rocks, a soft riffle, and slow holding water — the kind of run you learn to read before you cast

Where Do Trout Hold? How to Read Water and Actually Find Fish

Trout aren't scattered randomly — they hold where food, comfort, and safety overlap. How to read a river, spot the lies, and fish the right water first.

October 19, 202616 min read

A Loon Outdoors Core Fly Tying Tool Kit open in its case — yellow-handled whip finisher, bobbin, scissors, bodkin and hackle plier

Loon Outdoors on the Tying Bench: The Tools Worth Buying

An honest look at Loon Outdoors tying gear: UV Clear Fly Finish, the UV Bench Light, the Ergo whip finisher, Swax, the Core kit. Not sponsored, no commission.

October 16, 202610 min read

A split-cane fly rod with red silk wraps, a cork grip and a small silver fly reel lying in clear, riffled water over a rocky streambed

Bamboo Rod Builders Are Getting Older, and Cane Needs New Hands

Bamboo rod builders are getting older and too few new small shops are starting. Why that worries me, the hopeful side, and five ways to help.

October 15, 202612 min read

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