One of the Denver area's best and best-known fisheries is the South Platte River, that runs near the sleepy town of Deckers and tumbles through famous Cheesman Canyon.

Cheesman demands stealth

Flowing beneath Cheesman Dam, the South Platte is a tailwater renowned for its fabulous but ultra-demanding nymph fishing. As is typical with most tailwaters, the bugs are small, and dead-drifting mayfly and midge patterns in the size 20  24 range are the norm.

Cheesman Canyon, which lies a mile or so upstream of Deckers, is locally referred to as the"Holy Waters" for its outstanding angling and breathtaking canyon scenery. Following a brisk 20-minute minute hike into the canyon, be prepared for some of the most spectacular fly water you will ever see, from pocket water flowing between cabin-size boulders to riffles, runs, and mysterious, deep plunge pools.

This section of the South Platte downstream through Deckers is world renowned for its educated and finicky trout. You can easily see pods of 20-inch trout feeding lazily and moving about in the canyon's gin-clear runs and pools — but enticing them to nip your fly will require perfect presentations. Be prepared to cast from behind boulders and from your hands and knees.