Chilly Verde

All my talk about extreme fishing finally caught up with me.
Matt and I were scheduled to fish the Green River on Tuesday.

There was already plenty of snow as seen in this shot from the hotel window.



We had been exploring the mountains after arriving in Utah on Saturday and the weather was becoming a concern. It snowed every day and the temperature was, shall I say, low.

We drove up into the canyons and got to see some winter scenes up close and personal.


While driving up Big Cottonwood canyon, I got this shot of the BC Creek.
I may have to spend some quality time here after the snow melts.



We were up early and headed to Dutch John - a 3.5 hour drive from SLC. We saw some beautiful country in southern Wyoming and northern Utah and wildlife including pronghorn, mule deer, a golden eagle, and this herd of elk just a few miles from our launch point - the dam where the Flaming Gorge reservoir empties into the Green River.



Once again, Trout Bum 2 and our #1 guide Tom Knight did not disappoint. Tom and his dad were waiting for us at Trout Creek Flies.

The day was the coldest of my four winter trips to the Green River. It didn't snow on us but it was windy and raw. The temp was in the low 30's and it didn't warm up too much all day.

When we got out of the wind and while in the sun, it wasn't too bad but in the shade or in the wind it was brutal!

We did catch some fish - as Mr Knight would say, "The fish are here all winter. They don't go to Cabo (San Lucas) like some fishermen do."

We started the day off with some feisty rainbows like this beauty.

The phone is ringing and it is Mr. Brown on Line 2!


Here I am with a cold grin - We are smiling!


Fish on! Matt got the hang of the hookset and was quickly in the game.


Tom nicknamed Matt "Sir Sticks-a-Lot" since he was snagging his share.


Hey Mr. Hoover -
How about letting some go by so the guy in the back of the boat gets a chance!
Some of these fish were really nice and chunky.
This brown put up a great fight.


Here is Matt taking a break for lunch. Hey dude are your arms tired yet?



We fished midge larva, eggs, and freshwater shrimp patterns all morning.
Near the end of the day we went to the wooly buggers.

Hey fish - have you ever seen a minnow with a purple tail?



We had a great day even if it was cold. What could be better than spending the day on the river with an excellent guide catching some wild fish with your son?


Thanks Tom, TB2, and Matt for making this a very memorable trip.


I think I may try some warmer weather fishing next!