Best Flies for Green River (Wyoming)

What's hatching now

Month, insect, size, and pattern from the Green River hatch chart. August is highlighted when that month exists in the chart. We do not invent a hatch that is not on the chart.

Nymphs

Subsurface patterns matched to this river's chart and catalog. Fish them at the size the chart lists, not the size that looks good in the bin.

Midge

Midge Larva

A simple thread-body pattern imitating the larval stage of chironomid midges. Despite its simplicity, this pat

Size #18

Midge

Thread Midge

The Thread Midge is the simplest larval midge imitation: a thread body with optional wire rib and a tiny bead.

Size #18

Midge

Zebra Midge

The Zebra Midge is the simplest and most effective midge pattern ever designed. A thread body with wire rib an

Size #16

Midge

Top Secret Midge

The Top Secret Midge features a thread body with a pearl Flashabou wing case at the thorax, adding a subtle fl

Size #18

Emerger

RS2

The RS2 (Rim's Semblance 2) is a devastatingly simple emerger pattern that hangs in the surface film imitating

Size #18

Pheasant Tail

Sawyer style, copper wire. Works everywhere, every time.

Sizes #14–#18

Nymph

Nymph

Super Simple Pheasant Tail

Devin Olsen's stripped-down pheasant tail jig — hook, bead, thread, tail, body. No rib, no thorax, no wingcase

Sizes #16–#18

Nymph

Jig Pheasant Tail

The jig-hook version of the Pheasant Tail Nymph rides point-up to reduce snags and fishes perfectly in a tight

Sizes #14–#20

Nymph

CDC Pheasant Tail

A refined variation of the Pheasant Tail Nymph that replaces the wing case with a CDC feather puff for enhance

Sizes #16–#20

CDC Pheasant Tail Pink

Variation of Roza’s Pink PT

Size #14

Nymph

Dries

Dries and terrestrials for the Green River. If the chart says a size 18 PMD, do not start with a 12.

BWO Sparkle Dun

Craig Mathews design. Z-lon shuck, deer hair wing. Size 18-20 for spring BWOs.

Size #14

Dry

Olsen's CDC Midge

A black Crystal Flash–bodied midge with CDC wing, pink CDC hot spot, and grizzly hackle. A specialist pattern

Size #18

Dry

Dry

Griffith's Gnat

Griffith's Gnat is the most important midge dry fly pattern in existence. Its peacock herl body and palmered g

Size #18

Monster Midge

A black-thorax V-wing midge with Glo Brite indicator. For picky tailwater fish sipping in flat water.

Size #18

Dry

Dry

BWO Parachute

The BWO Parachute is a specific-color Adams variant tied to match the ubiquitous Blue-Winged Olive mayfly hatc

Size #16

Dry

Sparkle Dun

Craig Mathews' Sparkle Dun combines a deer hair fan wing with a Z-lon trailing shuck, bridging the gap between

Size #14

Terrestrial

Parachute Hopper

A foam-bodied grasshopper with a parachute post that provides visibility in choppy water and doubles as a hopp

Size #8

Streamers

Streamers and wets for stained water, banks, and low light. This is not a claim that streamers are "on" today.

Wet

Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail

A marriage of the Pheasant Tail Nymph and soft hackle tradition, this pattern fishes brilliantly on the swing.

Size #14

Setup

5X and 6X fluorocarbon on nymphs, 5X on dries unless the fish are on Tricos, then 6X or 7X. Start lighter than your home river. One small tungsten and a long tag often beats a 3.5mm bead in clear water. Tight-line the near bank and the heads of pockets. Use an indicator only when you need to search water you cannot euro.

FAQ

What flies work on the Green River?

Start with BWO Sparkle Dun and Midge Larva, then match size to the hatch chart for the month you are standing in. The Green River does not need a 40-pattern box. It needs the right size on the insect that is actually in the drift.

When is the best time to fly fish the Green River?

The editorial window we list is April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November. That is a planning month range, not a guarantee. Shoulder months can fish well if flows and water temperature cooperate.

Do I need a guide on the Green River?

Wyoming has walk-up wade water and, on some sections, float water. A guide is worth it for a first float or a technical tailwater. A hatch chart and a gauge are enough for a first wade if you already nymph. We list local guides and shops on this page when we have them.

Where can I see live flow for the Green River?

Open the Green River river page for the USGS gauge, access notes, and the same hatch chart this fly list is built from. We do not publish other people's spots or fish counts.

Is this a report of what's working now on the Green River?

No. Executive Angler does not publish other anglers' catches, GPS, or a crowdsourced hot fly. This page is hatch-chart patterns plus catalog flies. Presence on the river page is gauge and weather only.

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