Abell River Ranch Fly Fishing Report and Trip Photos 4/29/19

A Day at Abell River Ranch by the Numbers and Images

Guides Gene Rea, Tom Caprio, and Ben Helgeson spent a chilly late April day fly fishing Abell River Ranch on the South Platte River. This three mile stretch of water (divided into four beats) hasn’t seen any angler pressure in decades, and is situated between Elevenmile Canyon and Cheesman Reservoir in Lake George Colorado. The following is a trip report, along with images captured during the day on the water at Abell River Ranch.

Trip Date: 4/29/19

Location: Beat: 2, ABELL RIVER RANCH

Number of Anglers: 3

Time on the Water: 9:00-4:30.

Weather: Mid 30’s to mid 40’s. Cloudy & windy most of the day, with partly sunny skies in the early afternoon. Snow showers started as we were leaving the parking lot.

Water temp: 44-48 degrees

Water clarity: Mostly clear

The fishing:

From start to finish, terrific fishing for all three anglers. Most of the fish were located in the deep slots, pools, runs, and slower tailouts. A few smaller fish were caught in the riffles and the smaller depressions along the banks.

Anglers worked the bottom half of beat 2 in the am to the middle of the beat, breaking for lunch, then continuing from the middle of the beat to the top in the afternoon. Fish were found in every hole and slot. Each anger was well into the double digits in terms of fish landed.

Tight line nymphing was the most effective angling method, however many fish were also landed with streamers. During a brief BWO hatch in the pm, one fish took a dry. Multiple doubles and even a few triples added even more excitement to a great day on the South Platte River at Abell Ranch.

Effective flies: Gray Rs2, black copper john, small brown San Juan Worm, soft hackle pheasant tail, bead head pheasant tail, blood midge, and small black streamers/leeches.

Species: A mix of rainbows and browns primarily in the 14-17″ range were landed. The largest fish was a 21″ brown. A few cutbows, and several large suckers were also landed. All of the trout were hard-fighting, healthy fish.

Abell River Ranch offered consistent action, using a variety of methods from the start of the day to the finish. We also enjoyed watching the wildlife on or near the ranch. Mule deer, elk, swallows, muskrats, and several pairs of nesting geese added to a great day on the river.