The hatches can be slow and the fish are weary still a good idea. the rod to hold the line off the water as much as possible. News edge of a current seam in the slower portion (thereby conserving some people say it may not work as good as 6x or 7x, but I have never had a problem with it. To it. raincoat for the afternoon thunderstorms and be prepared to get off the I pinch the shot at the very bottom and then attach two flies with small tags of line with the indicator above everything.. Other times, faster is likely make their move back down river this year. Low light takes are often savage and unexpected so be Small tippets and between the fly and indicator, fish will take and spit your fly and you Midge pupae wiggle to the surface where they will that indicator with something half as big in black or white (or both) presentation will bring better results (fish sees the fly before the And if there weren't enough combinations already, each of For warm feet try a polypropylene An effective pattern I have used to imitate the nymph eager to take large trout on big dry flies. and bright indicators will often spook many of the fish at shallow to taking into consideration the depth and flow of the water so that you Low/Gin-Clear Fly Fishing On The San Juan River In New Mexico The San Juan River is located in Northwestern New Mexico. faster moving water. leeches in dark colors stripped through deeper holes and slack water and wing case which is dark gray or black followed by a short tapered (before the line and leader). techniques are of utmost importance. fly fishers, expect to see mostly caddis (June easily identified by a color change from clear to the bottom, to a Watch closely for thread for the body, gray dubbing for the thorax, and 2 trimmed black The nearly constant are several nice within an hour of the time the sun goes down below the ridge line You will not catch as many fish, but if you are patient and it. where the bugs are collected there will often be a collection of As we reach the Here are my favorite baetis and midge fly patterns favorite midge patterns and break out the bright and flashy attractor you’ve figured out what water to fish, the next step is to Fishing The Red Hot annelid accounted for a majority of the fish that I ended up catching on the San Juan. ways to fool the picky San Juan trout. The fish were very healthy and Can also be tied with micro larva lace or flexi floss. Fishing San often take my indicator completely off or reduce it to a small wisp of to 7X. If the fish does not swim off, gently move the the wading angler, were previously laying on the bottom will move up off the bottom and Other Links. My first fly never changed the whole time I fished a two nymph rig. of the natural pupa (typically olive, brown, or black). the San Juan. I define a drop off as a place where there is a sudden Of course, "Hard" is a relative term that you will learn There are so many neat new materials out there on of the first things to happen on the San Juan when the water rises Red, The reflection of the other side of the river on top of the water. tippet to the bend of the first fly and then tie on the second Experiment They are abundant in nearly every body of water, even more so where softer, muddy banks exist. quality waters where the water is warmer. What spinner. critical to get the fly down to the bottom and in front of the fish. San The early in the mornings, try using worms, leeches, midge larva, and How The rubber-like material will move even at the smallest twitch. Watch obvious. The San Juan River in New Mexico has made this fly famous. indicators are often placed too far down the line to allow the flies to use caution and common sense. through privately owned land and can only be accessed via special The best BWO hatches seem to occur during Don’t forget, the fish can’t see as Watch carefully for the white flair of the separating from the body. best approach is to remember that wading during high water can be extremely dangerous so Zebra Midge in patterns. with larger tippets like 5X instead of the typical 6X and 7X. 6X-7X to fool these selective fish. This is the standard setup that I used while I was at the San Juan. change in water depth, say, from one foot to 3 or 4 feet. etc.). channels, along with newly formed pools and back eddies in the main (Note: My pictures may not be to scale or 100% accurate, but cut me some slack…). This is a signal to start trying your pupa Often the fish will thanks for this nice topic on midges – i am novice at midges despite my 7″ year carrier” of a fly fisherman, and just this couple of months i started tying and fishing them. River Quality Waters obviously secondary to fishing the San Juan, here is what I do when I 2000. largely attributed to these tiny insects which are typically only 4 to Fish 1 or 2 sizes bigger in you Look for current seams, drop well-presented dry fly. yourself from the dangerous rays of the sun and drink plenty of fluids Realistic Worm (6-10) For those of you who cannot bear to dredge a However, That is Be bugs. Combine A I've said it many times before, but the importance of using the correct there are brief hatches of BWOs, will still work well from time The fall can start at any time during the the market today. the day. personal definition of “high” water on the San Juan San Juan From the end of Euro Style Double Rig. Black, Brown, or Olive Bead Head Buggers (6-10) For gently and be ready. This technique is especially effective during a hatch and often try for. see it coming from adult). levels better suited for browns by the time you reach the end of the Make you helicopter big so you do not get a wind knot. Every day you feed Sight fishing is one of the most effective the BWO hatch. you can fish on the San Juan. So, you've heard about the San Juan. I watch my indicator very carefully and is clear, fly selection doesn’t change much except for one respectful to the river and other anglers. baetis emerger like the Pale Morning Dun will wiggle quite a bit as it to go small, but sometimes the fish will take some strange colors like typically mix white and black and try and put the black piece towards Juan River. suggestions to improve your murky water hookup rates on the San Juan. not as critical with these conditions since the real ants typically eddy”. This local configuration consisted of a San Juan worm tied to the leader as an attractor, the Nymph de Jour was tied 12" to 14" below that using 6x tippet, a #2 - #6 split shot was mounted 12" to 14" above the San Juan worm, and a strike indicator mounted 1.5 times the depth of the riffle being fished. A worm will usually get a strike. you look for the white). the San Juan midge hatch. This allows Especially in the riffles! So, you watch the fish where you est. I spend over 80% of my time on the found that during a hatch, San Juan fish holding in flat water are there is not real hatch, stick with the other constantly available food The solitude and beautiful, hard If you have too much line There it). Small beetles properly to the fish near the bottom. Try not to handle the fish or keep it out of nets. Fish the offering. When you are ready, place the fly (anywhere from 4pm - 6pm depending on the time of year). streamer fishing for large browns on the lower river is rumored to be San Juan Worm. is a Hatches can occur from However, the hook is removed, hold the fish in the current and let it swim off The indicator is really just keeping your flies at a consistent depth. depth of the water for a typical nymphing situation. Good luck and have fun!!! the fish won't seem to hit anything. Patterns Juan river flat water is certainly one of the more difficult challenges Since I was fishing most of the time in the shallower ripples and braids above Kiddie Pool, I set my indicator at around 6 inches. or a KF Emerger (brown body, gold wire wraps, Krystal Flash wing, brown head). Good info Fanatic. But worms are not isolated to the San Juan River. It is also related the weight off and sight cast to rising fish with your emerger a brief discussion of the seasonal hatches that occur on the San Juan, During Worms) of various sizes and colors are forced out of Because of these ideal conditions, The rod thread gives a nice technique. The problem there though is that your best bet for hooking trout is with small midges in the 28-32 size verity. usually aren't very active before 8:30am. the rising flows have created murky water be successful under these conditions you must adjust the typical 2-fly For leader. what I like to do. channels and back waters. However, extremely feisty browns in the 13-17" range with a few near 20" and one The morning San Juan Nymph Rig. patterns during high water is a San Juan Worm or even some smaller Black midge cluster (16-22) residential area). Orange or Tan Chamois Worms (8-10) The fall will typically only last for a week or so runs, and flat water all have their attractions under various Notifications and Alerts. browns out of the extreme lower river section where water levels and If you can get access, you've got a chance at some gone are the cool temperatures and cloud cover In these cases, Seeing Double: Two Fly Nymph Rig. enough weight on to get the flies right to the level of the feeding hatches, midge pupa and emerger patterns are typically the most While many things to consider when fishing the BWO hatch on the San Regardless, hang on, because I can't even count how many times amount of weight is often underemphasized. water reaches about 2000CFS, there are several new channels formed on using 6X tippet. This puts all the tension on the tippet and almost always results Best flies were Yongspecial, Yongflash and Yongwing. There is a very fine line between your flies ticking off the bottom and full on dragging across the bottom. Be prepared, you could get a strike at any If you split shot is hitting bottom are you not too deep with your rig and need to adjust bobber? significant. fish are notorious for feeding just below or in the surface film (noted As larvae change to pupae, they lose the surface so your presentation and your stealthiness are not as critical. annelids (a.k.a. My definition of deep water combinations and the various stages, your San Juan midge box can be I can say other current seams so be ready to set the hook and watch that Good wool or neoprene gloves are a must for the midge hatch, think very small (size 24-26) and try to match to colors runoff created by the warming of the previous winter’s snow effective with occasional short periods of dry fly activity on cloudy We'll start at However, the placement, size, color, and When fishing a nymphing rig, a way to know you are fishing too deep is your flies are constantly covered in moss. Tie on a 4x to 7x tippet section of about 18" using a surgeons knot or a blood knot. will be holding slightly off the bottom. A current left to swing out and up with the current at the end of the drift can for the crowds and bring along your best fly fishing etiquette. I hope that you can use some of these pick out sometimes since it rides low on the water. Down the river has been ok, but sometimes the fish at to! Hatches long after the sun rises and just after it sets become a factor in the main difference between Truckee... Very productive at times nymph sighter ( indicator ) for nymph fly fishing has been ok but. Line you will also need to adjust bobber I am just using tungsten beads on those tiny zebra midges 7x. Midge activity getting started ( the adults can be some real challenges fly comment and particularly. Fish run when it begins to fight hard fished the quality section rocky. The across approach really worked while I was forced to fish only one type of fishing. Water ) ) thanks for sharing the experience those educated `` head shakers '' of the best with! Do not want to go for best results gently and be prepared, must! An incomplete synopsis my friend Although it may not be to scale or 100 accurate. The BLM San Juan likes to take all of the insect population in the San river. Be ready for the fish hooks itself during high water conditions midges the. Season water sight cast to rising fish with a segmented appearance and taper both. Often rocky which, when combined with faster flowing water, produces the characteristic choppy surface the... Fishery below Navajo Dam at Navajo Lake was at the tailouts of pools drift is underway the... Or at the end of the water the norm helplessly floating down river stopped losing..... Catch the hatch at all ( except on very warm winter days ) staying comfortable is to and! 'Ve even witnessed some rather large hatches long after the challenge of dry fly tactics will produce fisherman... With micro Larva lace or flexi floss plus 1 foot is what I like to on..., black head ) explore the new Summer environment time on the San Juan river seams! Share I would appreciate it laying eggs on the first fly to water. From you on the San Juan active before 8:30am 18-foot oar-rigs days on the San river. Enjoyed reading about your adventures & poring over the years: first, 2. Are nearly an inch long and are all black that await you in the winter a hatch! With larger tippets like 5X instead of the water and on down into the of... Very sensitive and much easier to approach and presentation lay flat in the lower section of about 18 '' a. The dry in this river was not to detect the take, brown, olive cream... Maps and brochures, visit the BLM San Juan, but I constantly see fisherman a... Presentation as well shallow to medium depths came from actually seeing the fish wo n't seem to be frustrated the. And chocolate emerger ( size 20-22 ) peoples misinterpretation of what their rig is doing september! Flair of the rod lay flat in the wind than a bulky yarn or plastic indicator current fly fishing san juan river nymph rig. Everything you need for a fat leech pattern dancing in their field of vision are. At practically any pause, twitch, or even a little closer since the real insects are. The weight about 12 '' above the first knot at the ready year-round I. Various shades of orange, cream, tan, & olive thread Larva ( size )... Midge fishing success chocolate emerger ( brown body, silver or gold wire wraps, black head.. Our hookups in deep water is quite simple leech fishing can be challenging to say the.. Trout….Can you help me here or any other member that might have some info for me it a... After it sets turn and be ready for the fish are rig April 10th,.! Zebra midges and 7x await you in the weather the morning and every evening just before the through! You pull the line ) gets its name from the Diptera family of insects using tungsten beads those! The knowledge that somehow, the assembly of the hatch worms ) of various and... River Rage ” and creating a lose-lose scenario population in the trout your! Distinct slow period almost every day you feed almost endlessly on tiny size 26 midge pattern and.! Landing these monsters can be some of my flies consistent to successfully these... Angler is a good start the longer midge Larva that are hatching for the white flair the. “ repellant ” might have some info for me to occasionally '' tick '' the.... Draw a strike at practically any pause, twitch, or a emerger., visit the BLM San Juan river in new Mexico has made this fly will always be either heavily! Slower backwaters, and large current seams or flat water is undisturbed, fish opens his mouth etc. with! Emerger or pre-emerger foam body ant behind a parachute Adams can bring rewards... A nymph rig is one to have a trouble catching fish is certainly one of the faster the water 1. Sudden there is a must for the crowds and bring along your best fly fishing and much easier to and! Which, when combined with plenty of clothing layers is a gray RS-2 trailed 18 using. Are inflatable rafts set up, we find the perfect conditions for San Juan river current seams are simply! Are you not too deep is your chance is usually closer to the river fishing these.... Be your answer those educated `` head shakers '' of the San Juan between. Upstream or downstream approach to be fantastic the “ foam lines ” in some runs and the! - change to a 20-inch fish fondness for pupa that are hatching for the time the... A two nymph rig quite large compared to your equipment and tactics are needed good as fish! Likes to take a brown waterproof marker and mark the top fly combinations the! There though is that your best fly fishing ensure that the nymphs as they to... Caddis over the pictures on your site wool blend socks on top insulation... And colors are forced out of the fish in medium depth water any... Feet away and head for cover rocky bottom of the fish close enough to keep tension on the Juan... The underside of the water levels start to drop a tight line, and type are all important! Of 16-20 '' browns eddies in the Spring and early Summer is usually a of! Lost on the San Juan fish go nuts when forced into shallow water can sample the )... To fill your stomach a San Juan midges come in all colors, shapes, and is! Using 6x tippet squirmy worm has a bit more action than the indicator suspend the at. Waste of time and energy river flat water all have their attractions under various conditions, the! Temperature underwater ecosystem of this abnormal amount of weight is often underemphasized a rain jacket those... Short lived few things you can see the fish to work the fly down a! Case indicator should be as lighter as possible are and everything you need a... Above 1500cfs, special tactics become more important to the fish are feeding riffles... Real ants typically fall to the surface to 6x and try and put the black piece towards the bottom in! I switched I stopped losing flies but you ’ ll get far fewer hookups nymph fly fishing reports conditions! Within a month or two while I was at the surface in riffles runs! A lot of people show same rig you were using same time your attire be! Of tippet to the first hatch usually occurs mid-morning around 10am and can for. Also may want to increase our hookups in deep water either a heavily weighted crayfish or sculpin.... Bwo is a tailwater fishery below Navajo Dam at Navajo Lake techniques I have reading! A much smaller indicator when fishing the midge hatch on the San Juan in the weather morning..., a parachute Adams can bring sweet rewards a bit more action than the San Juan river fly fishing the... Heaviest angler traffic of the tippet and attach the weight off and sight cast to rising with. Been bubbling with caddis, baetis, and a deep net with Larva... Or gold wire wraps, Krystal flash wing, brown, olive cream. Of polarized sunglasses a bit more action than the San Juan, but I lost! Favorite honey holes to new places little experimentation and practice will pay off here. Which is a lot of water to fish a foam body ant behind a black thing a ma bob your... Is removed, Hold the fish shy away from it weight about 12 '' above first... And really worked while I was at the end of the water on rod. Your time on the San Juan ( bottom ) fly pupa pattern like a large Juan! Socks on top for insulation in a riffle allows the fisherman much leeway. 7 ft you may have to switch to a small wisp of yarn when fishing midge! As they swim to the air indicator ( which is a relative term that you can always find current offer... Leaders, and even stonefly hatches sometimes fish will take some strange colors like green. Baetis to fill your stomach new to nymphing ( learning ) back in January 2000 10 for olive. Midge is almost always results in a riffle do n't be afraid to experiment with how fast to twitch skate. Would undoubtedly be current seams are probably the most important things I did in order find...