The Elk Hair Caddis: My High-Floating Searching Dry for South Platte Summers
How I fish the Elk Hair Caddis on the South Platte — why it floats so high, when to skitter it, and the tan, olive, and peacock sizes I actually trust.
The journal · Page 3 of 12
Blog.
River guides, fly selection, and field notes from the South Platte. Written from the water, not a desk.
Page 3
142 posts · page 3 / 12
The Best Click-and-Pawl Reels of 2026
Click-and-pawl fly reels still rule trout water — here are the best of 2026, from the $110 Redington Zero to the made-in-Montrose Ross Colorado.
Terrestrial Season — Ants, Beetles, and Hoppers on the South Platte
When summer terrestrials hit the water — ants, beetles, and hoppers — South Platte trout eat them hard. Standard fly sizes, where to fish them, and how to work the banks.
Strike Indicators Explained — Types, Depth, and the One I Actually Fish
Yarn, Thingamabobbers, foam, screw-ons, dry-dropper — every strike indicator type with honest pros and cons, plus how to set depth on a South Platte run.
Best Bamboo Fly Rods of 2026 — From $500 to Heirloom
The best bamboo fly rods you can actually buy new in 2026 — from the $500 Headwaters that punches way above its price to heirloom cane from Winston, Orvis, and Oyster.
Fiberglass vs Graphite vs Bamboo: Three Feels for Trout
Graphite, glass, and bamboo aren't three versions of the same rod — they're three personalities. How each is built, how it actually feels to cast, and when to fish it.
What Is Reel Startup Inertia (and Why It Matters on Light Tippet)?
Startup inertia is the fly-reel spec nobody explains — and the one that actually protects light tippet when a trout runs. What it is, the physics, and why it beats max drag.
Fishing 7X on Flat Water: The Trico Presentation
Leader build, the reach cast, s-curves in the last 18 inches, and landing a trout on 0.004-inch tippet — the presentation half of South Platte Trico fishing.
Cinnamon Ant Fly Guide: South Platte Terrestrial Season
Cinnamon ants are deadly on the South Platte from late June through September. Learn sizes, materials, rigging, and where to fish them at Deckers and Cheesman Canyon.
How to Care for a Bamboo Fly Rod (Without Babying It)
A practical guide to bamboo fly rod care — break-in, drying, heat, storage, and ferrules — and the two things that actually kill good cane.
Mousing for Brown Trout: Fishing a Mouse After Dark on the Arkansas at Pueblo
When to mouse for Colorado brown trout, why the technique works after dark, and the honest access and water-temperature limits on the Arkansas tailwater below Pueblo Reservoir.
Beetle Fishing the South Platte: Summer Tactics
Foam beetle patterns produce big South Platte trout all summer. Learn sizes, colors, presentations, and when to fish beetles at Deckers and Cheesman Canyon.