Dorsey is also encouraged by the reservoir levels along the South Platte basin. The reservoirs were at capacity. Flows remained strong, in the range of 500 and 700 cubic feet per second. This really moved a lot of the decomposed granite and sediment along, and now some of the original substrate is beginning to show itself again.

According to Danny Brennan, who runs the Flies & Lies shop in Deckers, they had some “monster” flows this past summer, which peaked out at about 690 cfs.

At one point we had 350 cfs coming through the pipes, and another 350 cfs coming over the top of the dam, so whenever it rains, the flows just go up, he said.

Fishing right after a big rain will usually be less productive.

While the immediate effect of all the decomposed granite has been mostly negative, there is some good news, according to Cunningham of Targus Fly & Feather.

A lot of the familiar spawning areas have disappeared. But all the material flushed into the river system has actually created new spawning beds in different areas around the river.

“It’s a positive sign that the fish still have areas to continue the natural breeding process, and that the evolution of the river seems to be righting itself.”

Brennan concurs that the granite has improved the river as much as it has damaged it.

“Now it’s all the decomposed granite coming down, which has filled in some of the older holes, but has also created new ones either upstream or downstream,” he said. “We haven’t really lost a lot of holding areas.”

Spohn sees the river change on a daily basis and is forced to look at the big picture over time. “The river is constantly changing with the moving sediment. At some flows, those big holes start to fill in and push the fish out into some of the shallower runs. But then we will see some higher flows that will re-scour the holes, and then the fish move back in.”

BUGS’ LIFE
Another very positive aspect of the rivers recovery is the insect life within the ecosystem.

“It’s doing really well, actually,” said Spohn. “All of the reports that I have seen, and what I have observed in person, are really strong.”

Spohn said that fortunately, there is nearly one mile of untouched river for bug reproduction, from Cheesman down to Schoonover Gulch.

“We continue to land some nice fish between 16 and 22 inches in the general Deckers area,” said Pat Dorsey of Blue Quill Anglers.