Rocky Mountain Anglers

Rocky Mountain Anglers guides walk and wade days on the South Platte, working five distinct stretches from its shop in Boulder. Eleven Mile Canyon is tailwater with deep pools that suit technical nymphing; Cheesman Canyon has ultra clear water and selective fish that demand precision; Deckers offers accessible water with regulated flows; the Dream Stream is a short meadow reach known for its seasonal migrations of trophy trout in spring and fall; and Waterton Canyon, closest to Denver, mixes pocket water with long glides and works well for beginners or a short day. The river fishes through the year, with midge patterns a constant and scuds, cranefly larvae, golden stones, caddis, blue winged olives and pale morning duns coming into play as the season turns. Rainbow and brown trout are the target. Trips are booked as half days or full days, and prices include waders, rods, reels and flies, with full days adding a lunch from the Boulder deli Dish Gourmet. Boulder Creek is a second water on the same booking sheet. The shop lists it among the trips it offers alongside sections of the St. Vrain creeks and the Blue River outside Silverthorne, and names it again as one of the local waters a half day is built around, sometimes split across a single full day with the Big Thompson for a more varied outing. The creek runs from headwaters in the Indian Peaks Wilderness through the Barker Reservoir tailwater at Nederland and down Boulder Canyon beside Highway 119. The fish are wild browns and rainbows with the occasional brook trout, and the shop’s own report on the creek puts midges, baetis, stoneflies, caddis, pale morning duns, red quills and terrestrials on the menu through the year.