This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Ryan Kelly with Green River Fly Fisher starts off the 2015 Green River fishing reports in style.
"How long have these bugs been on my face?" These words were uttered in a irritatedly boisterous voice by a gentlemen sporting a beard made of midges. He had just walked out of the Little Hole restroom and discovered he had not thoroughly rubbed in his sunscreen and said lotion had served as fly paper for midges. On the positive side, the black and gray winged little creatures matched his salt and pepper hair. It takes a good sized hatch to make a beard. It's the kind of hatch that occurs during March on the Green. While the midges are almost river wide, risers our podded up and spotty. The fish have been far more eager to rise to early season BWO's that are out in good numbers from Coney Island downstream to Red Creek. There has been a couple of hours of good dry fly fishing each day. The fish have grown despondent of large streamer consumption of late. Reaction and ambush strikes are fewer and fewer as the fish eye sculpin and minnow imitations with greater inspection. I've had some good streamer fishing, but it has required creativity and imitative accuracy.
As was the case in 2012 the rainbows are super healthy coming out of a double peak winter. Some of the brown's are maintaining there post spawn look, but most look sporting as well. With early BWO's and abundant midges out, it should be a good year to be a Green River trout. Crowds aren't out yet, it's a good time to take advantage before the April human hatch arrives.