By David Allison, High Country Fly Fishers
About three hours from Park City, in Northeastern Utah, the Green River flows from Flaming Gorge Dam and offers up 28 miles of world-class tailwater fly-fishing with trout populations as high as 20,000 fish per mile. With its beautiful scenery and easygoing run, it’s well worth the trip. Below the dam, the Green River is broken up into three distinct sections.
The A section of the Green River flows from the base of the dam for 7.6 miles through Red Canyon and ends at Little Hole. This section offers the highest percentage of fish per mile, and it is by far the most scenic.
The B section of the Green River starts at Little Hole and flows 9 miles, ending at the Indian Crossing boat ramp. While not quite as scenic, I find myself spending a lot more time watching my fly through here. I have had my best days on the “B”.
The C section of the Green River starts at Indian Crossing and flows through a river valley to Swallow Canyon. Fishing in this section can be very good at times; however, without the canyon walls there can be a little more exposure to the wind. That being said, on a good day you can pull some monsters out of this part of the river.
When the fly-fishing gods are pleased, they allow the big cicadas to come out to play, usually in June and July. These are the triple cheeseburgers of flies, and the big trout let their appetites rule. There are many great insect hatches—and fishing can be great year round—but watching a huge trout crush a bug the size of your thumb can be a memory that lasts a lifetime.
If you’re looking for a wild and scenic river with little-to-no roads or houses in sight, and one that is full of rainbows, browns and cutbows (that average 16 inches), then the Green River is the place for you.
