On the Green

[Bruce Day]

Dick Dow and I have been fishing Utah and Wyoming the last week, the Green out of Fontenelle and Flaming Gorge reservoirs. We have also been fishing some of the high Uinta lakes. Beautiful country, lots of big fish, surrounded by good people.

My biggest fish has been a 23 inch brown , about five pounds but we have caught many 16 to 19 inch browns, rainbows and cut bows. A few pictures follow.

We have been practicing social distancing by not being around people and places whom we do not want to be around. There surely seem to be many of them lately.

Down to the San Juan Friday for a few more days of social distancing and trout therapy. Trout lives matter.

[Dean Romig]

Great pictures Bruce! I’m drooling... we weren’t able to make our trip to God’s Country up on the West Branch of the Penobscot for landlocks and big brookies this year because of the danged campground shutdowns in Maine. My best brookie was almost 21” and took some landlocks in the 4-6 lb. range in past years.

What model Bogdan is that Bruce?





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[Reggie Bishop]

I wanna be like Bruce! Awesome pictures and that is the way to social distance!

[Bruce Day]

Places were shut down back East?

State campgrounds in Wyoming were closed for a while but much of the land is federal BLM land . Almost all the land along the middle Green out of Fontenelle is BLM and a person can camp anywhere they want or can get into and BLM ground never closed. A person can camp anywhere they chose , bring their boat , dig a pit toilet , draw water from the river , stay free for 14 days, move 20 feet and stay another 14 . Much of the land in the Unitas is Forest Service land, same thing . Some retirees or people who want to off grid do just that. I do not think looters would fare well out here.

To get here, just put your stuff in the truck and drive. Those coming from the east will be required to go through customs at the Mississippi.

I have been fishing a Bogdan Trout with 5 wt or a Hardy Perfect with 6 wt on a Gary Howells 5wt for the most part.

[Dean Romig]

You’re very fortunate to live out there in the wide open spaces.

We don’t need to check our guns at the Mississippi River check points do we?





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[Bruce Day]

The check point is to make sure you have a gun. Most everybody has a truck gun . Dick had a pistol and his new Purdey truck gun. I just had the old Vietnam and wars after S&W.

[Dean Romig]

I only have one truck and one car but have lors of guns for each.





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[Garry L Gordon]

Hot and humid back in Missouri, Bruce, so those clear skies look pretty good. Thanks for posting.

I assume you missed the big party at the Lake of the Ozarks last week.:)

[Bill Murphy]

I want to see pictures and hear about the Purdey truck gun. Next request, how many of those thangs do you eat on a trip like that? Not Purdeys, the trout.

[Ted Hicks]

That does look like fun! I am not that familiar with western trout fishing, what fly patterns are used? I assume both nymphs and dry flies?

[Bruce Day]

We practice catch and release. Just like the big city mayors.

[Joe Dreisch]

I must say that your wooden boat is a very beautiful craft, indeed, Bruce. I never get tired of seeing pictures of it. Thank You.

[Jim Beilke]

Hey Bruce, Glad to see the vessle is serving you well. Dandy trout and dandy country.

[Richard Flanders]

I love the Green River country. Flew a lot of it not far above river level in my Cub in the late 90's, cruising around those tight bends on a wingtip. Only had to get up off the water when I encountered rafts or kayaks. Gawd, what fun that was !! Floating and fishing it would be even more fun.

[Bruce Day]

We use dry flies when a hatch is on and the fish are taking. Otherwise the standard practice is to use a two fly set up, a nymph in size 18 upper and a midge on bottom in down to size 24 . Couple of split shot size 4. Use an indicator really a bobber. Or use a dry fly as an indicator and a midge dropper. These tiny red worms in size 20 do well. We mostly use a 6x Tippett of fluorocarbon .

Streamer fishing can sometimes be productive.