Nate O Taylor

Food, Fishing, and Outdoor Adventures

Green River

April 24, 2017 by n.taylor Leave a Comment

I’ll be honest, this was my first trip to the Green River, and the river was running hot at 8600 CFS. Ridiculously high for April but it turns out that didn’t hurt the fishing so much, or even the hatches that were predicted. All of those things considered I’ll tell you what we saw, and why I’ll probably never go back.

The drive wasn’t too much, but it would always be nice if it were shorter. I’ve heard that the road after you cross into Utah used to be dirt, and in recent years that was improved to be heavily paved which turned out to be true. You continue on through a desolate expanse (that is gorgeous by the way) where Flaming Gorge just emerges on the horizon. It is an impressive structure, intimidating as it casts a large shadow over the canyon below especially when we could hear the bypass tubes running at full capacity as we drove over the structure.

8600

 

The facilities are impressive, large parking lots, rigging areas, multiple lanes in the boat launch all keep things moving. I quickly realized why, people started emerging one after the other launching driftboats and rafts before hurriedly pulling them to the side to make room for the next launch. You pull into the current, checking both ways so as not to have a collision with another boater and begin a mad race downstream to that seam, or this eddy jockeying for position next to dozens, and I mean dozens of other boats. Even pulled to the side of the river it was commonplace to see an indicator float less than 10 feet from your boat. At one point when I was changing my jacket I had a guide in a passing boat inform me to put my life jacket back on because he “didn’t want to do CPR” (more on this later).

 

Boat Launch

 

We meandered through A&B sections because of the high flows, our unfamiliarity with the area, and that we had time to waste. The scenery was breathtaking, the canyon was every bit as gorgeous as any other canyon float I have ever done, in fact it was better than most. We slid into a few eddies and fished emergers during the mayfly hatch throughout the late morning and early afternoon, working our way towards the top of the run where fish were jockeying for position to feed.

Pheasant Tails

RS2

Canyon Walls

Barr’s Emerger

 

Fish were difficult to pull off the banks with streamers and in fact so few fish were moved on streamers that eventually we caved and relegated ourselves to watching bobbers. Even so, the few that we did catch were fantastic fish, in fact most of the fish we caught were great fish. A storm started to roll in as we watched a guided trip taking photographs and throwing bugs, one of the clients not wearing a life jacket which we found ironic considering our interaction earlier that morning. White

Olive

Rust

Towards the end of the day we found ourselves on the second half of B and eddied out below Red Creek Rapids enjoying a cocktail as the storm clouds passed over. I glanced up and saw a lifejacket floating downstream, I suddenly looked upstream to see a steady stream of coolers, water bottles, a seat, fly rod tubes…

We tried our best to gather what we could including an oar and a few other minor pieces of gear before it was swept past us. We waited awhile to see if anyone was in the river and then, unable to get back upstream to check on anyone proceeded to quickly make our way to the takeout. By the time we reached the takeout there was a small armada of drift boats behind us with the unfortunate members of the doomed craft. Cold but uninjured the members of said party quickly made their way to the vehicle to warm themselves.

Bad things happen to people and certainly have to me but I will say this. Losing multiple guided boats in the short time we were there in a rapid that isn’t anything more than a wave train is simply unacceptable. The rapid could barely be construed as anything other than a class 2, and there are “professionals” losing boats on a daily basis? The other professionals that are out there as your potential rescuers don’t have rope, a dry bag/box with extra clothes? Also how is it that I can be lambasted for changing my shirt out and not wearing a life jacket when other guides allow their clients to not wear a life jacket before he inexplicably drowns a 16ft boat in a 3 foot wave train. Flame all you want but consumers should be treated better and an outfitter should take a little bit more time teaching their guides how to handle their own stuff. Perhaps they’ve guided for 10 years, I don’t care. You obviously have never been off of flat water and don’t understand the physics of running an open dory in light whitewater. That is fact.

Rest assured the social media posts and the twitter feeds will be littered with warnings of “danger” and perhaps one of them will write a biased article for Field and Stream about the importance of life jackets and hiring a guide. Utah, you have a lot of guides who need to get their stuff figured out before they kill someone, the high water will be here for awhile. Oh and please don’t worry about me, I don’t think I need to come back to your zoo for awhile.

Filed Under: Spring Tagged With: Floating, Green River, Mayflies, Rant, Streamers

One Last Time…

November 16, 2016 by n.taylor Leave a Comment

I believe this will mark the end of my 2016 campaign. The weather up until this point has been surreal, highs routinely into the 60’s even in the mountains. All reports say this weather will not hold, and this was perhaps the last few days of it.

Despite the unseasonably warm weather it is still cold in the morning. As in 23 degrees cold.

Cold at Rancho

Cold at Rancho

Rigging up Some Eggs

Rigging up Some Eggs

 

We slowly made our way down the river, eagerly watching the sunlight creep down the canyon wall. It took until about 10am for that light to reach us, and when it did we cracked a beer and took off our jackets.

Warmth at Last

Warmth at Last

 

We did do some fishing, mainly under an indicator when we found a riffle, and big streamers when we were on the run. Neither technique was “lights out” but few days have been that way for me lately. Every angler knows that come this time of year you can always find a few rainbows that will take an egg, and today was no exception.

Eggs for Him

Eggs for Him

Eggs Again

Eggs Again

As much fun as you can have dredging eggs for 14” trout well…we had it. We came upon some areas with fish rising to small baetis duns in some softer water. After an extensive investigation we determined that many of those fish didn’t top 8”…because we caught most of them. We enjoyed a day in the mid 60’s in November and as we rounded the last bend we picked up one last fish on an olive Circus Peanut.

Last Fish of 2016?

Last Fish of 2016?

For now the boat is being put away for the winter, and probably won’t come back out until April again. The snow will come, and when it does I will be ready with a new machine for what I hope will be an amazing winter. I can’t wait to ride my new Boondocker turbo…

VOHK Sidekick Turbo

VOHK Sidekick Turbo

Filed Under: Fall Tagged With: Colorado River, Drapeau, Eggs, Floating, Streamers, Turbo

Solitude on the Colorado

September 7, 2016 by n.taylor Leave a Comment

Boating traffic diminishes significantly after Two Bridges and I had rarely been below there myself. Packed for an overnight I saw a huge portion of the middle river that I had never seen before.

From Two Bridges to Spencers Cabin the river is docile and meanders through geography similar to the 8 miles above Two Bridges. A handful of storm clouds rolled through bringing periods of brief rain showers throughout the day, and the fish were receptive to streamers thrown from both ends of the boat.

First Fish of the Trip

First Fish of the Trip

Second Fish, Second Rainbow

Second Fish, Second Rainbow

Early afternoon saw some storms roll in and we saw the last boat we would see for the remainder of the trip.

Afternoon Brown

Afternoon Brown

More Streamers

More Streamers

We pulled into Spencers Cabin around 730 with a wind storm directly behind us. Food was prepared hurriedly as night feel not long after we arrived. We slept on yoga mats and next to uninsulated walls as the storm raged on outside. It was the best sleep I might have ever had.

Breakfast was started early, coffee was warmed with a blow torch, and food prepared over an open fire.

The Rules

The Rules

Coffee Warming

Coffee Warming

View from the Kitchen

View from the Kitchen

Breakfast Stove

Breakfast Stove

Chef's Table

Chef’s Table

Morning on the Front Porch

Morning on the Front Porch

Day 2 was complete solitude, we didn’t see another soul other than a few cars driving up and down the desolate dirt road.

Half Light of the Canyon

Half Light of the Canyon

Our Only Visitors

Our Only Visitors

Rodeo Rapid Ahead

Rodeo Rapid Ahead

Another Streamer Victim

Another Streamer Victim

Then came the rain…

Da Rain

Da Rain

Fish in the Rain

Fish in the Rain

Turk's Tarantula...in the Rain

Turk’s Tarantula…in the Rain

The clouds eventually parted as we rowed the last few miles. Streamers were thrown and the bigger the bug the more interest we received.

Black Circus Peanut

Black Circus Peanut

First Mate Taking the Ship into Port

First Mate Taking the Ship into Port

Last Moments at the Take Out

Last Moments at the Take Out

Filed Under: Summer Tagged With: Camping, Colorado River, Drapeau, Floating, Streamers

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