Great Feathers is a Baltimore and Gunpowder River area brick and mortar fly shop staffed by fly fishermen and fly tiers with a passion for the sport. Our blog posts provide you with the latest stream reports on the Gunpowder and interesting posts on fly fishing anf fly tying information.
Not all fishing in in the Gunpowder.! Here's our fishing adventure in Denver, Colorado.
Fly fishing
the South Platte River in downtown Denver should be on your bucket list! More
and more residents and visitors to Denver are realizing that there is exciting
fishing only minutes away from their backdoor or hotel. The South Platte River
flows from the Chatfield Reservoir right through downtown Denver.
The South
Platte has a reputation as a challenging river for massive carp. There is even
an annual pro-am Carp Slam tournament. Besides carp, these urban Denver waters
are also home to rainbows and browns, bass, perch and walleye. Stable water
flows and the warmer summer months are best for fishing these waters.
The last
time I was in the Minturn Anglers fly shop in Denver, I spent some talking to
another customer who says that he typically fishes the South Platte 3 or 4
times a week. He enjoys the serenity of the water as counterpoint to the
overhead bridge traffic at Florida Avenue. The surprisingly clear and clean river
flows quietly, unaffected by the surge of cars on South Santa Fe Drive.
One of the
friendly fishing guides at Minturn Anglers overheard our conversation, and
suggested a few other spots (they have a few Denver fly fishing trips). There is an eddy at the railroad trestle on the
northwest side that offers interesting challenges. Access is easy, walking past
the 6th Avenue Bridge to Phil Milstein Park’s southern end. Another location to
try is at the southern end of South Platte Park. He suggested using weighted
flies cast into the whitewaters and deep holes in the area. Another option is to
find your own new fishing spot by trekking the 30 miles of the South Platte
Greenway Trail which follows the river through the city.
The
possibility of catching a 5 to 40 pound carp is something I want to try, so I
stocked up on some flies recommended by very knowledgeable Minturn Angler
staff. I chose a Crazy Dad 8, a Swimming Carp Nymph and Morlock’s Carp
Breakfast to start. I am looking forward to this new fly fishing adventure!
