The Green River is one of the best fly fishing trout rivers in the world. It is such a productive trout fishery due to the prolific year-round fly and insect hatches that provide a never ending cornucopia of sustenance to the rivers fish population.
One of the best ways to catch trout along the Green River is to match the hatch. The following charts list the major hatches that occur on Green River, along with recommended fly patterns to use during each season.
Green River Hatches
The following hatch chart lists the major fly and terrestrials hatches along the Green River by season of the year. Actual hatch sizes and emergence dates may vary base on fluctuating water temperatures and flows.
| Size | Dates | |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Hatches | ||
| Blue Wing Olive (BWO) | 16 - 18 | End of March - May |
| Golden Stonefly | 10 - 14 | mid-May - Jul |
| Pale Morning Dun (PMD) | 16 - 18 | mid-May - Jul |
| Cicadas | 4 - 10 | May - June |
| Midges | 20 - 24 | Year round |
| Summer Hatches | ||
| Yellow Sally Stoneflies | 14 - 16 | Jun - Jul |
| PMD's | 16 - 18 | mid-May - Jul |
| Cicadas | 4 - 10 | May - June |
| Caddis Flies | 14 - 16 | Aug |
| Trico | 20 - 24 | Jul - Aug |
| Ants | 14 - 16 | Aug - Sept |
| Beetles | 14 | Aug - Sept |
| Grasshoppers | 8 - 10 | Aug - Sept |
| Mormon Crickets | 8 - 10 | Aug - Sept |
| Midges | 20 - 24 | Year round |
| Fall Hatches | ||
| Blue Wing Olive (BWO) | 16 - 18 | Sept - Oct |
| Midges | 20 - 24 | Year round |
| Ants | 14 - 16 | Aug - Sept |
| Beetles | 14 | Aug - Sept |
| Grasshoppers/crickets | 8 - 10 | Aug - Sept |
| Winter Hatches | ||
| Midges | 20 - 24 | Year round |
Recommended Green River Fly Patterns
Matching the hatch is all about identifying the fly pattern that best matches a trout’s natural forage. The closer you can match the hatch, the more trout you’ll catch. The following chart lists recommended fly patterns by season.
| Color | Size | |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Fly Patterns | ||
| Parachute Adams | 16 - 18 | |
| BWO Cripple Patterns | 16 - 20 | |
| PMX Parachute Madam | 12 - 18 | |
| Cicadas | 4 - 10 | |
| Befus Para Emerger | 18 - 22 | |
| Grey Scud | 18 - 22 | |
| Tungsten Zebra Midge | black, brown, wine | 18 - 20 |
| Fat Albert | black, tan | 8 - 14 |
| Wooly Buggers | black, gold, olive, white | 4 - 8 |
| RS2 Emerger | gray, wine | 16 - 22 |
| Circus Peanut - Articulated Streamer | olive, ginger, black, white | 2 |
| Summer Fly Patterns | ||
| PMX Parachute Madam - Cricket Pattern | 8 - 14 | |
| Chernobyl Ant | black, brown, tan | 4 - 12 |
| Card's Cicada | 8 - 10, 4 - 6 | |
| Yellow Sally CDC & Elk | 14 - 16 | |
| Beefus Para Emerger (for PMD) | 14 - 16 | |
| Fat Albert | 6 - 14 | |
| Elk Hair Caddis | 14 - 16 | |
| Scud grey | 20 | |
| Iron Sally | 14 - 16 | |
| Morrish Hopper | tan, pink | 8 - 14 |
| Vis-a-Dun PMD | 14 - 16 | |
| Tungsten Zebra Midge | brown, disco, wine | 14 - 16 |
| Wooly Buggers | black, olive, gold, white | 4 - 8 |
| GT's Triple Double | black, amber, purple, olive | 10 - 16 |
| Fall Fly Patterns | ||
| Parachute Adams | 18 - 20 | |
| Cripple BWO Patterns | 18 - 20 | |
| Spotlight Caddis Emerger | black, grey | 18 - 20 |
| Befus Para Emerger (for BWO) | 18 - 22 | |
| Fat Albert | tan, black | 8 - 14 |
| Grey Scud | 18 - 22 | |
| Parachute Hoppers | tan, olive | 8 - 14 |
| Tungsten Zebra Midge | black, brown, wine | 18 - 20 |
| Beetles | brown, black | 14 - 18 |
| Sailor Ants | brown, black | 10 - 16 |
| Wooly Buggers | black, gold, white, olive | 4 - 8 |
| Circus Peanut - Articulated Streamer | olive, ginger, black, white | 2 |
| RS2 Emerger | gray, wine | 16 - 22 |
| Royal Wulff | 14 - 20 | |
| GT's Triple Double | black, amber, purple, olive | 10 - 16 |
| Winter Fly Patterns | ||
| Parachute Adams | 20 - 24 | |
| Mating Midge | 20 - 24 | |
| BWO Beefus Emerger | 18 - 22 | |
| Gulper Special black | 18 - 20 | |
| WD40 - Midge Emerger | wine, grey, black | 18 - 24 |
| Barr's Emerger BWO | 22 - 24 | |
| RS2 Emerger | gray, olive, wine | 20 - 22 |
| Glo Bugs | peach, orange, pink, green | 14 - 18 |
| Soft Hackle | grey | 18 - 24 |
| Scuds | grey, olive | 14 - 22 |
| Muddler Minnow | 6 - 10 | |
| Tungsten Zebra Midge | brown, black, wine, purple | 14 - 20 |
| Wooly Buggers | black, white, gold, olive | 4 - 8 |
| GT's Triple Double | black, amber, purple, olive | 16 - 18 |
Hatches by Season
Spring on the Green River is one of the most productive seasons to fly fish Utah’s Green River. The water warms, trout become more active, and the river becomes live with hatches of aquatic insects. Hatches of Blue Wing Olives (BWOs) begin in March and reach their peak by April. In May, terrestrials enter the picture, including cicada hatches, and dry fly fishing begins to take off. Early Spring, before high water end of May, is a precious opportunity for some of the best fly fishing on the river while fishing pressure is still low.
As spring moves into summer and temperatures rise, fly fishing on the Green River really takes off. Trout are voraciously eating the larger mayfly nymphs and hitting cicadas, midge hatches are abundant, and dry fly opportunities are excellent. Dry fly fishing is best on the A and B sections of the Green, while streamer fishing is where it’s at on the lower section. Match the hatch and you’ll have a high catch rate whichever section you fish.
Early June is prime time for fishing cicada patterns. Trout eagerly feed on cicadas as they frequently land on the water. Caddis, PMD and Yellow Sally hatches replace BWOs. These hatches occur through the Green River but are most abundant on section B and C. Terrestials, including ants, beetles, grasshoppers, and crickets are now abundant and remain on the scene through early autumn. October and November are Trico hatches, along with a few more BWOs. This a great time of the year for sight fishing.
Fly fishing on the Green River slows but extends throughout the winters. Midge hatches are consistent and trout continue to feed—albeit at a slower rate. Winter is a great time to fish streamers, small nymphs and midge dry flies.
