The South Platte River between Spinney and Elevenmile Reservoirs is better known as the infamous “Dream Stream”, and although it has seen some serious pressure over the years, it still remains one of the premier fishing destinations in the state of Colorado. Not only does the river hold some nice sized resident fish, but this stretch of river experiences some great Spring and Fall migratory runs of trout and salmon. Every year, a crew of friends and I head to this section of river in search of big Brown Trout and Kokanee Salmon. This year, the entire state of Colorado had the same idea. The flows were ideal and the crowds were large. After much deliberation, we decided to relax during the day and fish hard at night. I have fished other stretches of river at night with little success, so naturally, I was worried about how many chances I would get. I prepared two rods; a five weight with a streamer (the size of Kentucky) and a three weight with some egg patterns and brightly colored scuds. The streamers brought many fish to the banks, but it was hard getting them to commit. The nymphs took a lot of fish, and to be honest, I was at a big disadvantage trying to bring a 22 inch trout to the net with a supple Orvis three weight rod. My quest was successful though, and many trout over 20 inches were landed under the cover of the night. The days were spent napping, reminiscing with old friends, and contemplating what flies to throw the next evening.
