Fires raged across the western United States, and while the river escaped the smoke, the full moon was rendered an eerie blood red. I had camped at Grasshopper I and II several times over the years. With a smile, he told us we could start eating-and it was delicious. Marinated teriyaki chicken sizzled on the grill while Barrus placed the tablecloth, then covered it with nibble-size treats, bread, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, onions, and a pasta side dish. From late September to mid-April, all B Section riverside campsites are on a first-come, first-served basis, and overnight floating parties must register at a board at the Little Hole host area, which shows daily which sites are available.Īs the noon hour approached, Barrus pulled ashore at the Grasshopper I campsite, secured the boat, carried his portable stove/grill and cooler to the picnic table, and started preparing a gourmet lunch. The balance of the sites are first-come, first-served. During the high summer season, roughly half of the B Section riverside campsites can be reserved online. ![]() Reservations are required year-round (see Notebook). All the sites are accessible by floating, and several by hiking. The B Section has 17 streamside campsites available for modest fees, allowing for leisurely overnight stays, typically accompanied by colorful sunsets and vibrant sunrises. It was early in the day, and we were catching fish. Several more brown trout came to the net, all greeted by wide smiles. We continued around a deep river bend guarded by the steep red cliffs, to a stretch of wider, shallower water. We drifted a few yards and she hooked up again, this time with a hefty native mountain whitefish. Barrus dropped the anchor, performed netting duty, and released the colorful, heavily spotted trout. Then Crossland hooked a brilliantly colorful brown trout. Perhaps the fish were still asleep, but Barrus’s strategy of meticulously searching for big fish was noteworthy. It was a case of fishing a little to river left, a little to river right, stand up, sit down, keep plugging away. We floated down again, and then Barrus rowed up the river once more. ![]() The effective strength of a guide who rows every day on the river was on display. He leaned forward against the thrust of the blades and rowed the several hundred yards up the river. “We are going to do that stretch again,” Barrus exclaimed. ![]() We had not reached Little Hole Ramp 3 yet. Crossland let the flies sink deep, with Barrus instructing, “Mend, mend, and fish to the future downstream.” ![]() It looked like a bit of floating debris and was highly visible. “The trout will rise in the column as it gets warmer.”īarrus, the owner of Spinner Fall Guide Service, had rigged Laurel Crossland’s rod with three nymphs-a Frenchie, a Zebra Midge, and a black midge pattern-all suspended beneath an intriguing indicator he had fashioned from unbraided brown and tan rope. “It’s still cold, and we have to start deep with 9 feet of leader in the water,” he explained. With powerful strokes, Barrus quickly positioned us in the middle of the river. The boat slid off Ramp 1 at Little Hole and launched into the clear emerald water of the B Section of the Green River, 7.2 river miles below Flaming Gorge Reservoir and at the end of the river’s renowned A Section.Įarly-morning clouds threatened but finally retreated as shafts of April’s sunlight struck the water. Scott Barrus slipped the oar sleeves into the thole pins, made the collars snug, and pulled.
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