For more than twenty years, Rick Mikesell has been a dedicated steward, student, and guide of the Denver South Platte. The river has shaped his fishing life, his conservation work, and the way he teaches others to read water in the urban Front Range. Through ColoradoCarp.com, Rick offers urban fly fishing trips for anglers who want to catch carp on the fly, learn the South Platte in real conditions, and experience a Colorado fishery that rewards patience and precision.
Rick specializes in carp sight-fishing, warmwater species, and the evolving environmental dynamics of the Denver South Platte corridor. His work with Denver Trout Unlimited, including leadership in the annual Carp Slam and ongoing restoration projects, gives him a firsthand view of how the river behaves, where it improves, and how its fish respond to the pressures of an urban watershed.
Experience That Comes From Two Decades on the Denver South Platte
The Denver South Platte is an unpredictable fishery if you only visit it occasionally. Sediment shifts, water clarity changes by the hour, and flows move fish into new lanes week by week. Rick has spent more than two decades on this river. That history helps anglers understand:
- How carp feed differently in each stretch
- How water temperatures and clarity influence fish behavior
- Where the river holds flats, ledges, and deeper buckets
- Which areas produce in spring, summer, and fall
- When to approach carp with patience and when to make a quick cast
Many of these patterns only reveal themselves through long-term familiarity. Rick’s approach blends local knowledge, environmental awareness, and a conservation mindset built through years of volunteer work, fundraising, and hands-on involvement with Denver Trout Unlimited.
Urban Fly Fishing in Denver
Urban fly fishing in Denver is nothing like high country trout. This is a warmwater system where sight-fishing takes center stage. Carp tail in inches of water. Smallmouth cruise boulder pockets. Walleye slide along current seams during low light. Every day feels different.
A guided day with Rick introduces anglers to an urban fishery that is:
- Technical and visually engaging
- Accessible within minutes of downtown
- Influenced by restoration efforts, weather patterns, and local flows
- Home to some of the strongest freshwater fish in the state
Anglers quickly realize the river’s challenges and its rewards. The South Platte offers a unique version of Colorado fly fishing that stands apart from mountain creeks and stillwater lakes.
Colorado Carp on the Fly
Carp on the fly demands the same level of precision as any saltwater flats fish. Your presentation needs to land softly. You must judge direction, speed, and feeding intent. And when a fish eats, the run is powerful and memorable.
Years of observing carp in Denver have shaped Rick’s ability to teach:
- Accurate casts at close range
- Fly selection based on feeding behavior
- How to read tailing, cruising, and clooping fish
- When to change patterns and when to trust the first choice
- How light, shadows, and angle of approach make or break a shot
Whether you want your first carp or want to refine a technical pursuit, this is the place to learn.
Conservation Matters: Denver Trout Unlimited and the Carp Slam
Rick’s guiding is rooted in conservation. As a long-time leader with Denver Trout Unlimited, he works on:
- Habitat restoration within the DSP corridor
- Water quality improvements
- Community education and youth engagement
- Fundraising for ongoing river protection
- The annual Carp Slam, which supports restoration of the Denver South Platte
This involvement gives Rick a deeper understanding of how the river works and how anglers can use their time on the water to support better habitat and healthier fish.
When you fish with Rick, you are not only learning how to catch carp. You are learning the river’s story, its challenges, and its restoration path forward.
What a Guided Day Looks Like
A day on the South Platte with Rick includes:
- Walk-and-wade instruction tailored to your skill level
- All flies and terminal tackle
- Local insights from decades of observation
- Sight-fishing opportunities whenever clarity allows
- Focus on technique, reading fish behavior, and understanding the river
You bring a rod and a Colorado license. Rick brings the knowledge and the plan for the day.
Book Your Denver Fly Fishing Trip
If you want to learn the Denver South Platte, catch carp on the fly, or experience Colorado’s most overlooked urban fishery, book a guided day with Rick Mikesell.
DENVER CARP 
Leave a comment