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RETURN to Putah Creek Trout -> Putah Creek Fly Fishing Forum -> Fly Tying and Fly discussions -> A fly worth trying
Post Info TOPIC: A fly worth trying
Nohackle


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A fly worth trying
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The last couple of months I have been using a San Juan Worm as a "change of pace" fly.  When the "old reliables" quit working and I want to try something different, I put on a San Juan Worm as my top fly with a mayfly nymph or a midge pupa as a trailer fly.  There are two things I like about the fly.  First, it doesn't take much time to find out if they will hit it.  They seem to hit it right away or not at all.  Second, it seems to be a great "attractor" fly.  By this I mean that the fly seems to attract the attention of the fish; sometimes they will hit the Worm itself and at other times they will hit the trailer fly.  In either case, the action will suddenly turn on.  I tie the fly in a rusty brown and a red.  I've had more success with the rusty brown, but I use it a lot more.  I tie the fly on a #14 Tiemco 2457 hook.  I attach it to the hook in three spots.  I initially attached it in only two places, but the fish seem to easily tear the fly body off of the hook.  It is about as easy a fly to tie as there is so it's worth it to tie up a couple for your fly box.

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brian clemens


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i actually have a few san juans in my box right now. thanks for the info nohackle, looks like if the going gets tough on tuesday i might give the san juan worm a try either in rusty brown or red. have you ever tried to fish with the light tan/dirty white san juan. i have one but have never once used it

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Nohackle


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I have only used rusty brown and red.  Actually, the only reason I decided to use the SJ Worm one day is that I had read a posting on this board about a guy who was sampling the stream, picked up a rock and found a bunch of aquatic worms underneath.  My mayfly nymphs weren't producing that day so I wanted to try something different.  I put on the Brown SJ Worm and had strikes from two good fish on consecutive casts.  Then the action stopped.  About 10 minutes later I switched to a Red SJ Worm and nailed a 17 1/2 incher from the same spot.  Since then I have had some days when I have caught equal numbers of fish on the Worm and mayfly nymphs.  Then, other days they won't touch the SJ Worm at all.  I usually start the day with "old reliable" flies and when these stop producing, I will switch my top fly to a Worm.

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brian clemens


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nice thanks for the info, glo bugs are startin to work as well

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Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
cole


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One of these days I am going to the San Juan river and fishing one of those.  If I catch fish maybe I'll change my own mind about that fly.  First of all I know for a fact that they catch fish at Putah, my deal is I have only caught two little fish on them.  I guess I should keep trying them.  I have some great patterns worked up with glasss beads and two colors of chenille and blah bublah, so many worms I should be making compost.  Last and not least I have a worm pattern designed for steelhead!

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shon42073


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I haven't used one in a few months but I had been using it earlier in the year with success. I have some red ones that are wrapped with red wire and they get down deep very well, I also use a brown one that is tyed in one place. Nohackle that may have been my post about the worms, few months ago digging around at #5 I found some what looked like miniature nightcrawlers, They were about the diameter of a peice of yarn maybe slightly smaller and about 1 to 2 inches long. Cole i too am gonna fish the san juan river someday. It'll be one of those trout bum long road trips I love so much.

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Packrat


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The San Juan Worm is a sleeper fly! If you fished it more often you would catch more fish. If nothing is working, throw on a worm. A hot tip I got one time from a guide on the Little Truckee is to tie the worm with a flesh colored chennile. That color is hard to find but it's killer. He called it the flesh juan worm. I always have a few in red and flesh with me.

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Nohackle


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One thing worth mentioning about the fly.  It seems to work better when the water is either riffle water or choppy.  I believe the rough water imparts life-like action to the fly.  If the water is smoothe, the fly drifts with no movement like something dead or inanimate.

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Packrat


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The best time to use a san juan is when a rivers flows go up!

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AC22


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do yuo think that using it with motion i.e. quick movements that immmitate a worm would work?  or is it best to let it do what it does
is it a wet or dry fly?

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Packrat


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Dead drifted is the best method.

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bono


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As Packrat mentioned I really like to use the san juan during or after rainfall episodes but not exclusively during those times.I too also find that the fly is either on or off,generally no in between.I personally have only had luck with the red,and I tie these on some kind of bent shank hook like a tmc 200r.I first apply a base of red thread on the hook then take the chenielle lay it on the shank and then wrap the thread in even increments forward to the eye of the hook,creating a ribbing effect and also makes it very durable.And yes when myself and Ken Davis surveyed for the mudsnail the last few years we encountered aquatic worms quite often. 

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LilWhippersnapper


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I've only tried the san juan a couple of times, and all I ever caught were planters. Will wild trout hit them too.

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Nohackle


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Yes, wild trout will hit the fly.  Again, though, the fly seems to be a "hit or miss" fly.  I fished earlier this week and it was a "miss".  I had most of my success on mayfly nymphs.  I didn't get a single fish on the SJ Worm.  On other trips, half of the fish I caught were on the Worm.

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