Headed to the green

Tuesday morning was clear and sunny.  A trend I have been experiencing that I truly hope continues.  I closed up shop at the site and headed back down to jones hole to get some morning fishing in.  I stopped into the hatchery and talked to one of the seasonal workers who lived there.   He was from vernal but said he hadn't fished this gem of a creek in a year and he lived there!   We talked about some fishing destinations he recommended in Colorado and New Mexico.  I urged him to string up his rod and hit the river!   That is what I did promptly after.  

Plenty of stellar fish all hitting the surface.   I had on an elk hair caddis and the fish couldn't resist!  This river had pretty thick foliage all the way up and down and I caught almost as many fish as trees.  Just before I left and right after losing a fly in the trees I decided to tie on a fly that I tied before I left.  This fly really didn't look like much of any thing specific but it was sort of buggy.  The second rock I casted behind I got a hit and pulled a fish in.  The first ever fish I had caught on my own tied fly.   A special fish on an amazing stretch of water that I will never forget. 

I found a way to get from my current quardanants to rt191 and then onto the green without back tracking.  Albeit lots of dirty, muddy roads but it was worth the scenery.   I saw wildlife everywhere in the forms of rabbits, deer, and lots of pronghorns.   

Jones hole drained me of a lot of fly gear and I stopped at a fly shop/convience store right before the dam.  There I met lucky Lisle, a fly fishing drift guide of the green who operated out of the shop. We exchanged quite a few fish stories and he was taken back by the rivers I had visited while in Utah and on the trip thus far.  After I paid for the most exspensive flys and beer on the planet, I said my good byes to lisle and the staff and lisle offered me a trip "off the meter" if I ever returned.   I headed down to little hole at the beginning of section B of the Green River. 

This was a biggggg river!  I was told you could wade fish it up and down from the boat ramps at little hole.  I saw some fish rising and multiple BWOs flying around.  I couldn't coerxt any of the fish to take the imitation.   It was very intimidating seeing the size of the river and the amount of places fish could be.   While by the ramps a hawk dove into the water about twenty yards in front of me, emerging from the water with a 15" brown trout in its claws, quite the site.  Along the way I also saw some familiar back east friends, blue herons! 

I decided to head up stream and around the bend to explore the river as much as I could before sunset.  The water was super clear and when the wind would calm down I could see fish all along the banks not feeding on the surface.  So I strung up a dry dropper rig with a stimulator and one of Lisa's little red riding hood nymphs.  I hooked into a nice size rainbow on the dropper right off the bat.  

And another.. And one more.  Then to my suprise a brown on my top fly.  Stimulators are my favorite flys and it felt great to get a fish on one again.  Summer is coming!  

I hiked about a mile upstream, fishing a bit, mainly watching the drift boats go by that some day I will try.  On the way back I spotted a nice size brown feeding in the shallows, one cast about five feet in front of him got a bite! 

I headed back to the truck and started my search for a place to camp.  There was one campground in the area and strictly enforced no primitive camping.  I was not about to pay $15 to park my truck so I headed north on 191.   I found a pull off called jug hallow.  It was a few mile dirt road that led right to the banks of flaming gorge reservoir.  I drove around for a bit til I found a nice spot out of the wind and made camp.  

I tried fishing a bit but shore fishing just isn't my thing.  Too used to having a boat at my disposal, spoiled I know.  So I made some food and watched the sunset.  

The warmest night thus far.  Didn't even need thermals on!!  Next I am into the town of Green River in Wyoming to see some salt lake friends who live there.