Green River Recommendations

[nickcsus]

I am hoping for some recommendations from the folks on the board. I am going to be in Salt Lake City at the end of July and it is so close to the legendary Green River that I feel like I ought to make a pilgrammage! I am in need of some recommendations for:
--a guide or fly shop to work with
--a place to stay--not too rustic!
--the best sections of the river to spend two days on!

Thanks,
Nick

[Tfisher]

Nick,

In 2006 I floated 110 miles of the Green between Flaming Gorge and Dinosaur National Monument. While not a fishing specific trip, those of us who brought rods definitely had a good time. Each section below FG offers something unique. The A section has more fish per mile (avg size 10-14 inches) than any other place I have ever seen. You will literally see thousands of fish if you float it, many of which are well educated. If you are proficient nymph fisherman, than you should rack up decent numbers. The only flies you need for section A & B are: tan/gray/gray-green scuds in 14-18 and maybe a micro may trailer. If you're familiar with long line nymphing (like on the lower sac) than one could expect around 40-50 fish floating with a guide. The B section has less fish, but if I remember correctly they are larger. The C section changes scenery and is more desert-plains scrub than scenic canyon. C section definitely holds the large browns, but they are few and far between when compared to the other sections. I think the best thing about the Green is that you really don't need a guide if you want to catch fish. The A section has a boardwalk almost the entire length, and you can easily walk and wade there. Find a pool or riffle with fish (won't be difficult as they are everywhere), fish it, move on... I've heard of dries working, but these fish feed primarily sub-surface on scuds (95% of their diet). Dries worked for us way down river (60 or so miles), but it wouldn't hurt to bring them just in case. Also, streamers such as some wooly buggers stripped fast near the weed lines and along the cliffs in the B section worked well. I can't recommend a guide as we didn't use one, but you won't have trouble finding one. They are a dime a dozen there. The few that I talked too seemed to be newer/younger/rookies, so look for someone with a bit of experience. I would let them choose which section to float, since they should be in tune with the area. If memory serves me right there is a fly shop near the reservoir with a guide service. You could float with a guide one day, then do a DIY on the A on another, or float A and B (that's what I would recommend) unless your guide has C dialed. (We saw maybe 2 boats on C, most were rafters, few were guides.) Hope that helps.

[mems]

Aloha Nick, I floated the Green out of flaming gorge a few years ago with my father. We got a guide from trout creek fly shop and stayed at the cabins there, Green river outfitters, for one night. They are right there in Dutch John. I forget who my guide was, but it doesn't matter, because there are so many fish. We then camped another night and waded the "A" and "B" section. Floating is just too easy, thousands of fish in the "A" qarium section of the river. The "B" was more mossy ,but larger fish. There are some easy skinny fish there, that are unhealthy, they hold on the banks (bank sluts). The stronger fish are out in the current. I wish they had selective harvest to thin out osme of the unhealthy fish, but I would hate to see bait guys going at it there. It can be crowded, but again there are just so many fish. If you miss one, the guide would say don't worry there are plenty more.
Wading was more personally rewarding, cause you had to work for th fish, but there are plenty to set up on. Good luck and have fun, Mems.

[Pound]

I’ve fished it the last 2 summers on the way to and from the Rockies and ditto on what the others have said. I also have done very well with wire bodied worm and san juans, rubber-legs and yellow sallies, but the later will depend on time of year.

I’ve primarily parked at the lots where section A meets B and walked up and down from there. There is a parking fee, $5 or $6 if I remembered correctly. I’ve hooked into some very nice browns downstream from the lot and more fish above. The browns do jump like ‘bows there if you get a good one. You can walk along the whole A section, but won’t be able to reach the far bank. That is where a guide does help. There is no limit on the number of guide boats, so there’s always a “drift boat hatch” on the A section.

One of the methods that worked there was backwards tandems. You have the split shots at the bottom of you rig, multiple smaller ones which won’t get caught on the bottom as opposed to a few larger BB’s that may, and then your tippets are placed at 90 deg from your leader so you can fish at different water levels/columns and your indicator is floating down stream of your rig. Like others said, it is usually primarily a nymph fishery. I hope this makes sense.

i also fished the more traditional method with success.

Last summer on the last day, I fished above the A section put in. I waded out on the gravel bar and couldn’t find fish at first. Then I looked downstream and saw a couple dozen 12” or so from my ankles down about 10 yards. I was doing the “san juan shuffle” without knowing. Needless to say, they are not very shy up there.

at 14,000 per mile on A, finding fish is not too difficult

I camped all the time, so I don’t have recommendation on lodging.

I hoped this helps,
Pound