The DSP.
Denver South Platte.
Catching Rainbow in downtown Denver used to be tough. They have always been there. But you had to know where to look and the presentation had to be just right. Just a few years ago, catching a rainbow under a shopping cart was a badge of honor. The DSP had low flows, warm water, plenty of pollution, and the rainbows were few and far between. They had to wash out of the reservoir, and then survive in less than perfect trout conditions. With the warmer water and depleted oxygen levels, it was a wonderful place to catch carp on the fly. The carp are still big, and still swimming around, but recent fundraising and water cleanup has lead to the DSP being stocked with rainbows for the 1st time. Water temp monitoring and regulating flow below Chatfield Reservoir has led to over 1200 lbs of 12 to 16 inch rainbows being stocked this year. They are sure to put a dent in the local crawfish populations and can actually be viewed as a nuisance to the anglers out there chasing golden ghosts 😉
You’ll know when you catch one of these fish. They are still chrome and do not have their color yet. They are hatchery fish, but they are aggressive and hungry. The DSP is full of crawdads and these fish are getting chunky in a hurry.
Keep up to date on water temps and flows with: www.facebook.com/denver.troutunlimited
Check in with the Denver Trout Unlimited: http://coloradotu.org
RiverRat repurposed racket nets available here: Urban Anglers USA RiverRat Racket Nets
Please practice Catch & Release in urban settings to preserve these precious resources for other urban anglers.