This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Green River has been getting some attention in recent weeks. The entire river from its headwaters in the Wind Rivers of Wyoming to its confluence with the Colorado in Canyonlands was named Tuesday as the No. 2 most endangered river in the United States by American Rivers. Here's my story on that announcement. We also did a story about how high runoff in 2011 will mean fat fish and happy anglers for years to come.
If the attention has drummed up your interest in a trip to the Green, here's a report from fly-fishing guide Ryan Kelly of Flaming Gorge Resort.
Fly Fishing Report for 05/17/2012Flows: 1580 cfs 6 am-4 pm rising to 2500 from 5:00 pm-midnight. The water takes about 2 hrs. to reach Little Hole. Also, there is a chance of high water this week. It doesn't sound like a sure thing though.The midge and BWO's continue to become more sparse and smaller. I pumped several stomachs this week and scuds have become the favorite for subsurface eating. Most of the naturals were in the 18-20 range with a few exceptions on both sides of the spectrum. More clicking cicadas have appeared, along with a chirping group of crickets. Both groups of terrestrials are in the size 8-10 class. While I would not put the terrestrial fishing in the great category, I would definitely call it good dry fly fishing. Expect a lot of refusals as the fish are not eating enough naturals to be real confident it what they putting in their stomachs. B section has a lot of loose moss in the drift. If you are nymph fishing down there expect a lot of moss to accumulate on your line and hooks. I have also heard of some decent terrestrial fishing on C. Keep an eye out for bull snakes as they have been out in force. They have the appearance of a rattler but are quite docile and harmless if left alone. I have seen several the last few days, the biggest being about 2 yards long. We also had several ssprey dive around us. Their success was similar to our cicada fishing with several attempts ending with the fish safely escaping. We caught a fish yesterday with talon marks running up his back. For anyone who read Brett's article about the Double Rainbow opportunity, get out here, the lake fishing is still on fire. good times and dancing lines, RyanDry Flies to try:Flathead Cicada 8-10Card Cicada 8-10Green River Para Cricket 8-10Black PMX 8-10Nymphs to try:Gray Soft Hackle 18-20Neon Nightmare 6-8Zebra midges in darker colors 16-22Small scuds 18-22