These days it’s tough to find a fishing guide willing to walk in and out of canyons, but Pat Dorsey has been doing it for many decades. His intimate knowledge of the South Platte comes from living within its ecosystem, taking the pulse of the river firsthand throughout every season. I’ve fished with Pat over the years and I don’t know what I would have done on the South Platte without his guidance—and without his legendary fly boxes!
Description
The South Platte River begins high atop the frozen Continental Divide, home to a chain of rugged 13,000-foot, snow-capped peaks. This region comprises lush valleys, meandering meadow streams, and rose-colored, boulder-filled canyons. For generations this area has been a recreation mecca and a fly fisher’s paradise in its purest form. Out of all the trout fisheries in America that are within an hour’s drive of a major metropolitan area, the South Platte River is clearly one of the best. It has become a river shrine to thousands of anglers on an annual basis and for good reason.
Throughout the river’s entirety, the South Platte creates a series of reservoirs (Antero, Spinney, Eleven Mile, Cheesman, Strontia Springs, and Chatfield) that provide major metropolitan water storage systems for Denver Water and the City of Aurora. The by-products of these storage facilities are world-class tailwaters that provide anglers with year-round fishing opportunities.
Against all odds, the South Platte River remains a world-class trout fishery abundant with some of the most finicky and challenging trout in the world. There’s a common belief among South Platte regulars—if you can catch trout on the South Platte; you can catch trout anywhere in the world.
* Completely new maps and updated river, access, and fishing information
* Regional experts like Landon Mayer, Greg Blessing, Jeremy Hyatt, Chris Wells, Richard Pilatzke and John Perizzolo, Rick Mikesell and many more, share insider information
* New line up of cutting-edge fly patterns
* Additional chapters on stillwaters and the Denver Metro Area
Reviews
Nobody knows the entire South Platte River system better than Pat Dorsey. His skill as a guide on the river’s tailwaters is legendary. Fly Fishing Guide to the South Platte River is the distillation of Pat’s many years of fishing and guiding these famous waters. It’s all here. Read it and learn.
