Labor Day Green

[kandersonSLC]

Floated the Green over Labor Day weekend. Weather was cool, cloudy and windy and guides commented that the unusual August monsoon really messed with the fish, so generally slow.

Wife only wanted to fish drys so had to settle for fewer fish, but hard to beat seeing a big brown pound a black cricket. I went with Tenkara because its perfect for real-time adjustment of depth as you float over shallow riffles and deep holes. I had a few more fish, but all in the 12"-14" category. Talked to guy who went with guide, and he reported 10 fish for the day using size 14 black ants -- very slow for the Green.

Big crowds, but if you waited until later in the day, the recreational floaters passed you by and come afternoon we only saw a handful of other fishing boats. Water flows at 2500 cfs, and we saw many kayakers bite it on sleeper rocks in the rapids. Just before Little Hole we passed a canoe folded like an underwater taco around a large rock -- ouch!

On way home stopped for a few hours at Sheep Creek launch at Flaming Gorge Res. and pounded 14"-18" bows with a Muddler Minnow and Harley Reno's Brillo-Pad streamer.

Scadden Dragonfly Drifter was a lot of fun, easy to fish from, handled the rapids with ease, and literally took us less than 3 min. to launch and then take out. Small and light can have its advantages.

Wish fishing was better, but still can't beat that beautiful float down the Green.

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Brillo-Pad
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[flygoddess]

Awesome report. Still wish we could have made it, but we will make up for it in a couple more weeks.
Tell Sue, the Brown makes her hands look small[laugh].
Getting the Drifter a rigged up, but still no motor/anchor system so we are rigging up something different.
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[remo_5_0]

Looks like a great trip, really digging that boat set up!
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[kandersonSLC]

Thanks. Thought long and hard about getting a smaller drift boat but didn’t have good options for storing one (plus they're expensive).

The Dragonfly and frame can fit in my RAV4 and it all stores on ceiling shelf in garage. Wife and I can easily lift it on and off our small trailer. Best feature is drop-stitch floor (same as inflatable SUP) that when brought to full pressure is rock hard. It’s easy to stand and surprisingly stable. Floor is self-bailing so when we took some big waves at Mother-In-Law, boat emptied out in about 20 seconds.

Thought anchor might be too small for the Green but it held immediately in everything but stiffest current and even then it only had to drag a short way before catching on a rock. With double-pulley system, wife could haul up the anchor.

If money and storage space were not an issue, I’d have a Hyde boat, but this is a great alternative for floating and fishing the Green, Henry’s Fork, Warm River, etc. and works just as well on stillwater such as Henry’s Lake and Strawberry.
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[remo_5_0]

Nice, I may need to look into one. Thanks!
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[flygoddess]

[quote remo_5_0]Nice, I may need to look into one. Thanks![/quote]

There is also a 3 man version called the Dragonfly XL. Still packs up nice and small.
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[remo_5_0]

Saw those, I would need a two person, at least for a few more years until I head to Florida []
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[flygoddess]

RWe seriously almost bought the Dragonfly as there are two of us..
Nothing like that Dragonfly. Saweet ride.
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[DrewT]

[quote kandersonSLC]
Thought anchor might be too small for the Green but it held immediately in everything but stiffest current and even then it only had to drag a short way before catching on a rock. With double-pulley system, wife could haul up the anchor.
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Please be careful in anchoring up in fast water. Rafts give you some margin for error but one of the biggest ways to swamp a boat is fast water anchoring.

I thought of you while floating the South Fork a couple of weeks ago because I saw your raft (without a frame) and a couple floating. That raft is super low profile.
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[kandersonSLC]

Agreed -- I try to be very careful where I drop anchor, and it was always along the shore in no more than 2-3 feet of water.

Before each rapid, we put anchor in boat and at Mother-in-Law I unhooked it all together and stowed the rope until Little Hole -- didn't want to deal with either of those if raft went ass up.

The swift current I mentioned was in a shallow section and I wanted to test how long it would take for anchor to take hold.
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[kandersonSLC]

By the way, last year at the Wasatch Fly Tying Expo, Scott Barrus of Spinner Fall Guide Service gave a great presentation on rowing drift boats and specifically as to floating the Green.

I hope they repeat that class -- along with the class by Flygoddess and Mojo on stillwater fishing.
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