The San Juan worm is my kind of fly. It’s about as simple to tie as it gets, and really catches the fish during high water on western streams. The ‘fly’ is intended to mimic worms that are washed into the stream from the bank and become part of the drift during high flows. It is especially effective during high flows in dirty water.
I tied my variation of the San Juan worm on several hooks, Dai-Riki #280 hopper hooks and some other 2x long hopper hooks. I used fire orange thread and small red chenille. Simply cover the hook shank with thread and tie on the chenille to create the worm. You can segment the body or simply tie a loose body and let it hang from the hook. Mine have already started producing on the water, but I’m not sure whether any specific size or style works better than the other.
Every fly fisherman should have the San Juan worm pattern in their box for those high water conditions where most other flies just won’t work. Sometimes simple is better.
Click here for more info on the San Juan worm. You can also do an internet search for “San Juan worm” and find lots more descriptions, patterns and articles.
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