Tag Archives: drift boat

Green River Summers

This Trout is happy to be back in his environment.
This Trout is happy to be back in his environment.

As you travel this great big country of ours, you start to locate noteworthy places with the power to draw you back. Eventually, as you have visited enough destinations, you will return to the awesome places you have been to before. Utah’s Green River and the surrounding area is one such location. The Trout fishing is great, the people are amazing and the scenery is unparalleled.

Brown Trout Jaw
Brown Trout Jaw
This Bow removed the Skunk smell from our boat.
This Bow removed the Skunk smell from our boat.

Dry Fly Fishing

Brenton holding is 19+ Rainbow Trout slab.
Brenton holding is 19+ Rainbow Trout slab.

The Green River is the only drift boat floatable river in the state of Utah; it is also one of the best dry fly fishing rivers in America. Catching a Trout on the dry fly an exhilarating experience. The best analogy I can give for rippin’ lips on the dry from a boat is, “video game fishing.” There is great pressure and excitement as the oarsman guides the angler into a fine drift. At that point the stress is on the angler, throw the presentation out with enough force to defy the wind but lay it down gently enough to prevent the fly from drowning. Add in a proper mend and you will have a serviceable drift. This drift it is likely to trigger a hungry Trout’s instincts, s/he will emerge from the deep to inspect the tempting offer. The angler will retain a vivid memory of every strike. The wide-open mouth emerging from the deep as you wait to set the hook just right.

Chunky Brown
Chunky Brown

On the Green River, certain terrestrial patterns just work. For example, the hopper, an ant, a cicada or the Mormon Cricket are all tried and true, success is always dependent on the time of the year. In addition to these patterns, we were finding strong Midge and Caddis hatches during our five wonderful days.

Chris, George and Brenton after a long day of catching fish.
Chris, George and Brenton after a long day of catching fish.

The Guides

Brenton recently became the proud owner of the Clacka Eddy, and amazing, light and comfortable drift boat. He was kind enough to let Matt and I take the boat down the A section, when mom/ dad and Brenton/ Jourdan were with their guides.

Mom, Dad and Gene on the boat.
Mom, Dad and Gene on the boat.

The first time the family headed out to the Green River, four years ago, we made the mistake of not using a guide and attempting to walk the river. Floating the Green is the best way to fish and explore the river. You will catch fish from the shore though it is nowhere near as effectively as from the drift boat.

Gene rows Chris and Brenton into some fish.
Gene rows Chris and Brenton into some fish.

Three years ago, through Trout Creek Flies, we stumbled upon Gene Gautieri, we have used him every year since. The next year he introduced us to Nick Jackson a new guide who has worked in both Alaska and Argentina. Nick and Gene both are infinitely patient with the less gifted of us Fly Fishing enthusiasts, while willing and able to set you up for difficult drifts and challenging casts when you get your rhythm together.

Father and Nick posing with a birthday fish.
Father and Nick posing with a birthday fish.

The River

I forgot to take my flippers off at lunch, walking like a duck.
I forgot to take my flippers off at lunch, walking like a duck.

In the past year, Utah received a relatively normal snowfall as opposed to the previous year that witnessed a drought. When we first started Fly Fishing the Green River we lived through some high water years that even did damage to the walking trail along the river. During the summer the flow and temperature of the Green River are tightly controlled through the Flaming Gorge Dam. This regulation is what makes the Green a superb tail water fishery.

The family after a tasty lunch provided by Nick and Gene.
The family after a tasty lunch provided by Nick and Gene.

The floatable sections are broken into the A, B and C. Here at MKFF we have cataloged several float trips down the river. This trip we concentrated on the A section due to sporadic evening thunderstorms that washed out Red Creek. The B below Red Creek and the entire C section was cloudy throughout the entire trip.

Rainbow in the Hawg Trough
Rainbow in the Hawg Trough

I had always associated the A section with fishing weighted nymph rigs using an indicator.  Nick worked with Brenton and I to transfer some serious knowledge about fishing the A section with a dry fly. In the four days of guided Fly Fishing adventure Gene was able to impart some of his vast knowledge of the Green River on us!

19.25 inch Brown in the Hawg Trough.
19.25 inch Brown in the Hawg Trough.

It’s in the hole!

The fourth Green River Expedition coincided with father’s 57th birthday and as anticipated there were some good family moments. This includes, though not limited to, the finishing of a bottle of Patron with our friends at Spring Creek Guest Ranch, the entire family having a fish on in two separate drift boats and father shouting, “Its in the hole!” for every fish he hooked.

Mom posing with a Rainbow.
Mom posing with a Rainbow.

Spring Creek Ranch

There are both places and people that stay familiar even when you leave for a time; one of those unique destinations is the Spring Creek Ranch. Rachael and AJ manage the place with Grandmother Pat and their three children. We have come back for the fourth year in a row, each time we depart it is sad but when we return, it is as if we never left.

The Kuhns, Nick, Gene and the family at Spring Creek.
The Kuhns, Nick, Tall Boy, Gene and the family at Spring Creek.

Go West Young Man

The call of the American West is strong, every time I go out there it becomes more difficult to leave. I catch more fish and meet more great people, living and loving life in a way that has been lost to mainstream America. The Trout are large, the land is vast and the rivers are clean and cool.

Stop here in Laramie for Prime Rib or Chicken Fried Steak.
Stop here in Laramie for Prime Rib or Chicken Fried Steak.

Until November…

Jourdan When is your tee Time?
Jourdan When is your tee Time?

Livin’ The Dream

On The Green

Roadside America – The Road to Rock Springs, WY

If your idea of a fantastic fly-fishing trip includes inspirational scenery, an abundance of trout, and delicious home cooked meals every evening, then a trip to Utah’s Green River, should be your next destination Fly Fishing adventure. Our family was able to coordinate our vacations, enabling us to all meet at the Spring Creek Guest Ranch, located on the Utah-Wyoming border. This has become an annual road trip for us for the past three years. The three of us: Lisa, Christopher, and my self, will drive continuously for 28 hours, to reach our destination at the Spring Creek Ranch. My other son: Brenton and his girlfriend Jourdan will rendezvous with us at the Ranch. This year, their fly-fishing friend: Matt also came along to enjoy the fishing on the Green River.

The Family Enjoys A Beer Together

Technology has made the trip very comfortable for us. For example, our GMC Yukon has satellite radio, On-Star navigation, DVD player, and comfortable seating. In addition, Christopher and Lisa now have smart phones. Christopher was able to conduct business over his phone, Lisa was able to take care of issues that needed to be addressed while we were away, and they were both able to view Netflix movies on their phones as well. The only information I received on my phone was that our data level was being drained, the current level was at 10%, and that I better update it soon.

Roadside Signage About Wyoming’s Abundance of Stock Animals

Once we had arrived at the Spring Creek Ranch, we met our hosts: AJ, Rachael, and Pat. The Ranch is very rustic with comfortable cabins, rooms, magnificent scenery, and delicious food. As major groceries are roughly 60 miles away, it’s wise that anyone interested in staying here contact Rachael beforehand and discuss what types of food you would care to have. This will allow Rachael to prepare her shopping list before she heads out to the store. In addition, I recommend acquiring a river guide a few months prior to the trip to enhance your fly-fishing experience on the Green River. Once again we made arrangements with Trout Creek Flies (435) 885-3355, to book Gene Gautieri as our river guide. Gene may also be contacted at skifish@siska.com. This year due to scheduling conflicts, Gene would only be able to guide for us on our first day on the river. However, he recommended his protege: Nick Jackson, to be our guide for the remaining dates. Nick is also a fantastic guide; he began his career as a river guide in Alaska at the age of 18. He now guides on the Green River in the summer and during the winter months in Chile.

Nick Controls the Boat

Day One

Jourdan’s step dad: Scott was also a river guide in his younger days, and has two drift boats. One of which he allows Brenton to utilize. Brenton also has a pontoon boat that he brought along this year as well.  The original plan this year was to have Brenton fish with Gene, as Brenton has acted as our guide the past few years, and we wanted him to be the client for a change. As a surprise to both Lisa and myself, the kids informed us that Gene would be guiding for us instead. As soon as we began casting on the river Lisa was on fire, catching nice full-bodied, 12-17 inch Rainbow and Brown Trout. She was out fishing me at a rate of 6 to 1. I enjoyed watching her laugh, smiling, and enjoying herself, as she does so much for our family all year long

Lisa Rainbow Trout

Day 2

The second day, Christopher and Jourdan fished with our guide Nick. Lisa and myself fished with Brenton in “Larry” the Lavro drift boat on the B section of the Green River.  Matt was on the pontoon boat for his first time. Once Matt became familiar on how to navigate the boat, he did quite well, landing in some nice sized Rainbow’s and Brown Trout. For Lisa and myself, the fishing was a little slow, as we are inexperienced in casting with a steady breeze blowing at us. Brenton was having some luck when he would pull the boat to shore and fish from the river’s edge. While Brenton was fishing, we pulled out the new portable grill to cook up some hotdogs, when we discovered an unpleasant surprise. The igniter switch was broken and we had no matches! However, we did have bread and a bag of Doritos, so we put Doritos chips between the bread and had Doritos sandwiches. All of us could not wait until we got back to the Ranch and had Rachael’s homemade pizza! Near the end of the day, with approximately a half-mile to travel before we reached our exit point at Indian Crossing, we started to pull in some nice 16 and 17 inch Rainbow Trout. This made us forgot about the sparse lunch we had. Once off the river, it was back to the Ranch, for some great homemade pizza that Rachael and Pat had prepared!

The Pasture, Three Corners in the Background

Christopher and Jourdan had a good day on the A section of the river, with Nick as their guide. They had invited Nick back to dinner at the Ranch, and this was the first time that we had the opportunity to meet Nick, and he is a very nice individual. It was interesting to hear about his guiding experiences in Alaska, Green River, and in Chile. As always, Rachael had prepared a fantastic meal, and even though we were all thoroughly stuffed, there was still enough room for Pat’s delicious Margarita pie!

Day Three

Our third day on the river began with all of us awaking to a crisp, welcomed coolness in the air, after enduring an extraordinarily hot summer back in New Jersey. We met Nick at Trout Creek, and we all agreed to fish the A section of the river, as this would allow Lisa and myself to practice our casting along with catching some trout. Nick exemplifies all the tireless energy of youth, with his insistence to continuously row back up the river to catch a good drift, where he knows trout to be lurking. Again, Lisa was on fire and was landing many Rainbow and Brown Trout. During the middle of the day, Lisa hooked into a real fighter! Her rod was bending with the trout trying to go deep in the water. Nick coached Lisa, instructing her to let the fish take the line. I had never seen a fish pull all the line out of a fly rod before! Nick expertly guided Lisa into bringing a beautiful full-bodied 19-inch Brown Trout into the net. Lisa played that fish for a good five minutes and her arms were a little tired after the ordeal. I was also ready for a nap after watching her work that fish into the boat! We reluctantly reached the off loading area at around 6 pm.Healthy German Brown

Again, we invited Nick back to the Spring Creek Ranch, where Rachael had prepared her unbelievably delicious, belly-busting ribs! We all sat around enjoying the solitude of the evening, enjoying ribs, drinking 24 ounce Alaskan Amber Ale, and doing shots of Tequila with Rachael’s mom: Pat. Everyone was mellowing out and talking about their experiences on the river for that day.

George Rainbow

As an extra bonus, Rachael informed us that we would be able to stay in our cabin for another night if we cared to. In addition, Nick informed us that his schedule was free the next day as well, and if we wanted to, he would guide for us. Fantastic, we all had another round of Tequila to celebrate our good fortune!

Day 4

The next morning, the weather had changed, and there was light drizzle in the air. Luckily, we had remembered our rain gear and put it on. The weather had changed, and so had my luck, as it was my turn to land some nice trout on the Green! Again, Nick would row back up the river to catch a good drift. During those drifts, Lisa and I were able to land Rainbow, Brown, and German Brown Trout that were not giving up without giving both of us some good fights. Nick pulled along shore to try a different fly setup for Lisa. During that time, I took a few casts while waiting, and then wham; I had hooked a big one by the feel of my fly rod! Nick expertly instructed me on how to guide the trout into the net, as I tried to maneuver the fish away from rocks or other obstacles that the trout was trying to dive under to spit out the fly. What a feel of satisfaction and excitement of being able to land that full-bodied 18-inch Rainbow Trout! Being outdoors, enjoying nature, and the challenges of fly-fishing for a few days in succession, allowed Lisa and myself to enhance our fly-fishing skills. Moreover, the advantage of fishing continuously, allowed us the opportunity to learn from our mistakes, enabling us to land fish that we were losing in the beginning of our trip.

George on the River

As with everything in life, all good things must come to an end. Fortunately, the memories remain on.  The sun had begun to lower in the sky, and our boat-landing site had come into view. Both of us wanted to land just one more trout before we ended the trip. Nick obliged us by rowing back up river to catch a few more drifts. Nick’s hard work was not wasted, as Lisa and myself were both able to land another trout before we docked the boat.  That evening, both Nick and Gene came back to the Spring Creek Ranch for one final feast prepared by Rachael and Pat. More fish stories were told, Alaskan Ale consumed, and shots of Tequila downed, creating memories that will be re-told for years to come.

Lisa Brown Trout

The next morning we sadly said our goodbyes to Rachael, Pat, and AJ. Hopefully, they will still be operating the Spring Creek ranch for a few more years. We then traveled to Park City, Utah, to spend a day in the old mining town, which is now a world-class ski destination. We did some sightseeing, shopping, and visited Trout Bums, for some fly-fishing gear. The following morning, we began our long journey home. Not long into the ride home, we began talking about our fishing adventure, and ultimately, began planning next year’s family fly-fishing trip.

Memories of Legendary Trout in Red Walled Canyons

Lapping the C – Green River

Enjoying Our Moment, Swinging Bridge, Browns Park

“We have an unknown distance yet to run, an unknown river to explore. What falls there are, we know not; what rocks beset the channel, we know not; what walls ride over the river, we know not. Ah, well! We may conjecture many things.”

—John Wesley Powell

John Wesley Powell Likely Was One of the First White Men To See This View, 1869

A Storied History

In the spirit of 236 years of glory, I’m going to tell you a bit about ‘Merica and our Green River.  The river valley was originally inhabited by the Fremont culture, a people flourishing from the 7th century to the 13thcentury; their work can be viewed in rock art and cave overhangs. Eventually, the Shoshone and Ute peoples colonized the area for nomadic hunting purposes. While visited by the Spaniards and various trappers, the region remained unexplored. John C Fremont, legendary explorer, US Senator, and founder of the Republican Party, led an expedition into the region.

Modern Day View, Preserved Portion of Jarvie Ranch

The first complete expedition was led by John Wesley Powell in 1869, the second was in 1871; most of the nomenclature of the region was assigned on these trips. Powell’s expeditions were not without controversy.  Starting off in 1869 with 10 men and large gear carrying boats, they completed the expedition with 6 men. Four walked off, one successfully started a family in Vernal, Utah; the other three were possibly executed by Mormon Settlers. The Mormon Settlers claimed it was local Native American Indians. The true fate is still shrouded in mystery. Read the full account here.

Graves Visible From Road To Jarvie Ranch

Now for my favorite part of this story, The John Jarvie Ranch, founded in 1880 by an educated man of Scottish decent at Brown’s Hole. Located conveniently on the Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming border, Jarvie had significant mining and cattle interests. He distilled and sold Whiskey, while managing a general store, post office, blacksmith shop, and ferry. Jarvie made acquaintance with several notorious outlaws including: Matt Warner, Butch Cassidy, and the Sundance Kid. His ranch was a perfect location to hide out after a hard year of rustling cattle.

Christopher, First Fish On The Green, 2012

A Section

This 7-mile stretch of river commences at the boat launch under Flaming Gorge Dam, traveling through a red walled canyon down to Little Hole. This float is known for its aquarium feel, you can see the fish swimming below you in the crystal clear water. Also note, this section has the highest presence of rafters, though the Trout don’t seem to mind too much.

Brenton’s Day 1 German Brown Caught On A Section

On this stretch, we used a couple of tactics resulting in Fish On! The deep pools and seems of this section are ideal for nymph rigs. Brenton developed his rendition of a bead head Pheasant Tail and some small Midges, size 16 and 18.

German Brown Makes Its Hogan’s Heroes Style Escape
Dead Sculpin From Trout Stomach

B Section

Below Little Hole, the river widens and the canyon walls lower, allowing for new angling opportunities. Furthermore, on the B, you can start to throw the Hopper Dropper combo along the shorelines and back eddies. Making this section even more enjoyable is the variety of primitive camping opportunities along the river. Halfway down, drifters will encounter Red Creek Rapids, a Class 3 section on the river.  Upstream of Red Creek Rapids, is a long deep pool; fish activity is slow through here. We were able to coax some follows with articulated streamers.

B Section German Brown, Hopper on Grasshopper Island
A Trout’s Vantage Point

Lapping the C Section

Fish On! Indian Crossing Before Setting Out

Now onto the true wilderness fishing expedition! The Green River, for management and discussion purposes, is divided into the three distinct sections. The C-section is by far the longest and most desolate section of the Utah Green River; it winds 12 miles through a desert valley, terminating in the high walled Swallow Canyon. In the later part of summer, this section is renowned for its Hopper fishing.

Matt’s C Section Rainbow, Fooled By Nymph Rig Out

Day 1

This is our third day of living the dream, camping outside, fishing all day, every day. Having paid for a shuttle from Trout Creek Fly every day to this point, it was now our turn to use pedal power. To float the C, the preferred entry point is at Indian Crossing. It is also an option to use Taylor Flats, however, this will cost you a prime section of top water. Upon leaving the boat and gear at Indian Crossing; Brenton threw his Trek Navigator bicycle into “Toaster,” and drove the trailer to Swallow Canyon boat ramp. In my estimate, it takes about an hour to pedal back to Indian Crossing from that point, the road is shorter than the river here.

Brenton’s C Section Front Flip

Day 2

Hopper action picked up on day 2, everyone landed a fish on a Hopper. Matt took the crown with a 20-inch German Brown. All was well, except the sunscreen started to run low, for trips on this section of the river, I suggest ample quantities of sunscreen and gloves for your hands. Swallow Canyon was markedly unproductive; we attributed this to the low water situation.

Matt’s C Section 20 Inch Brown, Fooled By Hopper

Day 3

Fish were keyed into Yellow Sallies on the portion of river between Indian Crossing and Taylor Flats. Unaccustomed and out of practice on the dry, I missed almost every fish. There was redemption for Matt, and just as the weather changed for a thunderstorm, the Rainbows drilled in on Yellow Sallies and Triple Doubles.

Where The Eagle Flies

As I already mentioned, thunderstorms rolled in, and it was our last day on the river. In the distance, we witnessed a lightning strike. Then, there was a wispy spindle of smoke rising in the air! Brenton called the Forest Fire Service and reported it, luckily for us; the fire was over on a mountain ridge in Colorado. Needless to say, as the smell of distant smoke filled the air, we hurried up to the boat launch, packed our gear, and got the hell out of dodge.

Forest Fire Sparked By Lightning In The Distance

Threats to the Future

The Green River is one of the Blue Ribbon Fisheries in the American West. Technically, a tributary of the Colorado River; an error of history, due to Colorado having more political sway when the Colorado River Compact was signed. There is currently a speculative project proposed to build a pipeline, in order to transport Flaming Gorge water to the Front Range of Colorado.MKFF opposes this project, as it will damage the local economies, the environment, and Trout fishing. The residents of the Front Range should adopt new water conservation measures, in lieu of attempting to use even more water in the semi-arid region.

GBH – Nature’s True Fisherman

All of the Pics Here!

Part 1 – This Is Our First Rodeo

Part 2 – Prospecting Big Trout – Small Streams

Are you interested in a Guided Fly Fishing adventure on Utah’s Green River? Beehive Fishing Company, a Utah Fly Fishing Guide Service, offers a second to none Fly Fishing experience on Utah’s Green river.