nickcsus
08-14-2011, 09:35 PM
Just wanted to let folks on the board hear about this gem that is well worth the drive.
I recently had an academic conference scheduled for just east of Salt Lake City and figured that I was so close to the Green River that I just couldn't pass up the chance. There is a lot of talk about the Green (enormous numbers of fish per mile, etc.) but I wanted to see for myself.
I had originally been scheduled to go with a group a couple of years ago but had to cancel so this was my chance! I got a recommendation from some folks in Utah to go through Trout Creek Flies in Dutch John, right near the base of the dam, and the start of the A section of the river.
My guide was Gene Gautieri and I had a simply splendid two days of fishing. Water had been high all spring and early summer but had recently been dropped to traditional April levels (this was late July) so things looked promising. As a Northern California mostly Lower Sac drift boat fishing nymphing kind of guy I had not had much chance to do any serious dry fly fishing. Given what I had read about this river I was not sure that it would live up to the hype but I was wrong!
On day one we fished the A section (just below the dam to Little Hole--perhaps six or seven miles of river). We dry fly fished (mostly with two fly rigs) the entire day and after I worked out of my Lower Sac nymphing hook set, I had a fabulous day. Gene ties all his own flies and had me on my first fish still in sight of the boat ramp. I had shots all day and brought more than thirty fish to net, averaging between 12-17 inches. My sense is that the average fish was a bit smaller than I was used to on the Lower Sac (not surprising!) but I was using my Thomas and Thomas Horizon 4 wt. and enjoyed every fish! About 40% browns, 40% rainbows, and 20% cut-bows. These last are obviously hybrids of cutthroats and rainbows and look almost entirely like rainbows but are distinguishable by the blush of orange on the belly of the fish.
Casting accurately at shorter distances was a test as was the getting the hook set right but I probably lost fifteen more fish that I played or set up on and then as many that rose to the fly! A simply amazing day! Gene was a terrific guide and a lifelong resident of the area. He's a ski instructor at Park City in the winter and guides when not skiing. I would say he was in his late forties or early fifties and he had me on fish all day!
The second day was more of a challenge. I chose to do the A section again because Gene thought that the lower river was not fishing as well because we still had spring conditions. That and the fact that the ride back from the B section take out was an hour over rough and nonpaved roads suggested A was my section again.
The fish were not holding as close to the bank as they were on the first and we were not getting as many rises in the first hour as we had. Here's the sign of a good guide--sensing the changed conditions Gene changed to a cicada as a dry fly indicator and a very small weighted maribou streamer as a nymph. I changed from the 4 wt to my 6 wt Scott S3S and it was a good thing! Almost immediately I was into large browns 18-21 inches! I used this set up most of the morning until we saw caddis and yellow sallies coming off after lunch. I switched back to the 4 wt and happily dry fly fished the rest of the afternoon. Lots of opportunities and just under twenty fish to the boat.
Some recommendations for fishing the Green based on my very limited experience:
1. Stay in Dutch John! There are really two choices, the Flaming Gorge Resort and the cabins at Trout Creek Flies. I chose the latter and was very, very satisfied. The rooms were well equipped--comfortable, large, refrigerators, microwaves, Dish TV. Though the towns of Vernal, UT to the south or the towns on I-80 in southwest Wyoming look relatively close on the map, the drives are a bear! Lots of switchbacks and elevation changes and more than I would have wanted to put up with. The people at Trout Creek are terrific and I highly recommend them, their guides, and their cabins!
2. Hope you get a guide who is versatile. I saw a lot of folks not getting fish, particularly on the second day. Gene, as I noted, ties his own flies and was willing to change up his game when the conditions changed.
3. Get a guide, period. I talked to some folks fishing out of a two person Dave Scadden for the same two days that I was there and it was clear to me how much a guide who really knew the river mattered! These guys were accomplished fisherman who had fished the Green before but I landed more and bigger fish before noon on the first day than these guys did between them over two days. I felt a little sheepish answering the "So how did you do?" question when I got back to the cabin that evening. This can be a technical river that favors a good reach caster who can get a decent drift on a dry fly. I found out that is a lot more difficult than a good drift nymphing below an indicator.
4. Fish at least two days! It is a good thirteen to fourteen hour drive so why not spend some time. Bring a buddy and split the driving.....and by the way I am now convinced that Nevada is the perfect site for a nuclear waste dump! Bring good tunes for the car and keep driving!
5. Just do it! Give the folks at Trout Creek Flies a call and see if Gene is available. Though this river gets a lot of pressure (we probably had fifteen to twenty other drift boats launching around the time that we launched each morning) I never felt crowded. Gene worked us down slowly and we were NEVER jockeying with other boats for fishable water!
6. Fish the back eddys! At the higher water for this year, by far the best fishing was in the back eddys along the shore...it is a little disconcerting to be watching your flies move back up stream while the rest of the river is flowing in the opposite direction but that was by far the most productive water.
7. CA should take a lesson from UT on its facilities for sport fisherman! The launch ramps were great--wide and well paved with spacious parking. And the rest rooms! OMG! These were clean and comfortable and for those of you who have ever had to endure the public rest room at Balls Ferry, you know how bad things can be! Thank you Utah for caring about the personal needs of your guests!
8. Finally, look around and enjoy. You are fishing in a stunning place and even though I stayed in the A section for two days the views were breathtaking and the river just gorgeous! I had rarely fished where I could see fish coming from four or five feet down to take a fly off the surface, but it is an amazing sight! I intend to go back another year and fish lower in the river but it was absolutely worth the drive and I encourage folks to take a shot.
You can contact Gene Gautieri at skifish@sisna.com.
The phone number for Trout Creek Flies is 435-885-3355
Give them a call and GO FISHING!
Nickcsus
I recently had an academic conference scheduled for just east of Salt Lake City and figured that I was so close to the Green River that I just couldn't pass up the chance. There is a lot of talk about the Green (enormous numbers of fish per mile, etc.) but I wanted to see for myself.
I had originally been scheduled to go with a group a couple of years ago but had to cancel so this was my chance! I got a recommendation from some folks in Utah to go through Trout Creek Flies in Dutch John, right near the base of the dam, and the start of the A section of the river.
My guide was Gene Gautieri and I had a simply splendid two days of fishing. Water had been high all spring and early summer but had recently been dropped to traditional April levels (this was late July) so things looked promising. As a Northern California mostly Lower Sac drift boat fishing nymphing kind of guy I had not had much chance to do any serious dry fly fishing. Given what I had read about this river I was not sure that it would live up to the hype but I was wrong!
On day one we fished the A section (just below the dam to Little Hole--perhaps six or seven miles of river). We dry fly fished (mostly with two fly rigs) the entire day and after I worked out of my Lower Sac nymphing hook set, I had a fabulous day. Gene ties all his own flies and had me on my first fish still in sight of the boat ramp. I had shots all day and brought more than thirty fish to net, averaging between 12-17 inches. My sense is that the average fish was a bit smaller than I was used to on the Lower Sac (not surprising!) but I was using my Thomas and Thomas Horizon 4 wt. and enjoyed every fish! About 40% browns, 40% rainbows, and 20% cut-bows. These last are obviously hybrids of cutthroats and rainbows and look almost entirely like rainbows but are distinguishable by the blush of orange on the belly of the fish.
Casting accurately at shorter distances was a test as was the getting the hook set right but I probably lost fifteen more fish that I played or set up on and then as many that rose to the fly! A simply amazing day! Gene was a terrific guide and a lifelong resident of the area. He's a ski instructor at Park City in the winter and guides when not skiing. I would say he was in his late forties or early fifties and he had me on fish all day!
The second day was more of a challenge. I chose to do the A section again because Gene thought that the lower river was not fishing as well because we still had spring conditions. That and the fact that the ride back from the B section take out was an hour over rough and nonpaved roads suggested A was my section again.
The fish were not holding as close to the bank as they were on the first and we were not getting as many rises in the first hour as we had. Here's the sign of a good guide--sensing the changed conditions Gene changed to a cicada as a dry fly indicator and a very small weighted maribou streamer as a nymph. I changed from the 4 wt to my 6 wt Scott S3S and it was a good thing! Almost immediately I was into large browns 18-21 inches! I used this set up most of the morning until we saw caddis and yellow sallies coming off after lunch. I switched back to the 4 wt and happily dry fly fished the rest of the afternoon. Lots of opportunities and just under twenty fish to the boat.
Some recommendations for fishing the Green based on my very limited experience:
1. Stay in Dutch John! There are really two choices, the Flaming Gorge Resort and the cabins at Trout Creek Flies. I chose the latter and was very, very satisfied. The rooms were well equipped--comfortable, large, refrigerators, microwaves, Dish TV. Though the towns of Vernal, UT to the south or the towns on I-80 in southwest Wyoming look relatively close on the map, the drives are a bear! Lots of switchbacks and elevation changes and more than I would have wanted to put up with. The people at Trout Creek are terrific and I highly recommend them, their guides, and their cabins!
2. Hope you get a guide who is versatile. I saw a lot of folks not getting fish, particularly on the second day. Gene, as I noted, ties his own flies and was willing to change up his game when the conditions changed.
3. Get a guide, period. I talked to some folks fishing out of a two person Dave Scadden for the same two days that I was there and it was clear to me how much a guide who really knew the river mattered! These guys were accomplished fisherman who had fished the Green before but I landed more and bigger fish before noon on the first day than these guys did between them over two days. I felt a little sheepish answering the "So how did you do?" question when I got back to the cabin that evening. This can be a technical river that favors a good reach caster who can get a decent drift on a dry fly. I found out that is a lot more difficult than a good drift nymphing below an indicator.
4. Fish at least two days! It is a good thirteen to fourteen hour drive so why not spend some time. Bring a buddy and split the driving.....and by the way I am now convinced that Nevada is the perfect site for a nuclear waste dump! Bring good tunes for the car and keep driving!
5. Just do it! Give the folks at Trout Creek Flies a call and see if Gene is available. Though this river gets a lot of pressure (we probably had fifteen to twenty other drift boats launching around the time that we launched each morning) I never felt crowded. Gene worked us down slowly and we were NEVER jockeying with other boats for fishable water!
6. Fish the back eddys! At the higher water for this year, by far the best fishing was in the back eddys along the shore...it is a little disconcerting to be watching your flies move back up stream while the rest of the river is flowing in the opposite direction but that was by far the most productive water.
7. CA should take a lesson from UT on its facilities for sport fisherman! The launch ramps were great--wide and well paved with spacious parking. And the rest rooms! OMG! These were clean and comfortable and for those of you who have ever had to endure the public rest room at Balls Ferry, you know how bad things can be! Thank you Utah for caring about the personal needs of your guests!
8. Finally, look around and enjoy. You are fishing in a stunning place and even though I stayed in the A section for two days the views were breathtaking and the river just gorgeous! I had rarely fished where I could see fish coming from four or five feet down to take a fly off the surface, but it is an amazing sight! I intend to go back another year and fish lower in the river but it was absolutely worth the drive and I encourage folks to take a shot.
You can contact Gene Gautieri at skifish@sisna.com.
The phone number for Trout Creek Flies is 435-885-3355
Give them a call and GO FISHING!
Nickcsus