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A week from today I’ll head out for the first night of my trip near the Minnesota/South Dakota border.

Finished tying flies. The flies I’ll be using.

This will be the sixth season with my inexpensive trailer. Cheap trailer is more accurate. It’s a little surprizing that such a cheap trailer which has everything is still performing like almost new. I think at some point the equipment like the furnace, fridge, A/C, water pump etc., will still work but the overall structure will start to fall apart.

My trailer is stored about twenty miles inland from Lake Michigan. The next two nights will get below-freezing inland. There were about four gallons of water in my trailer’s water system so yesterday I drained the water so I wouldn’t end up with damaged and leaking equipment. Kinda like a SpaceX wet rehearsal. Also, put a quarter cup of gas in each generator and ran them dry. They are running great. If I don’t run them dry the gas will evaporate in the carburetors and they won’t run well until I run some Seafoam through them.

Three weeks from tonight I’ll be camped close to the South Dakota and Minnesota border. I just ordered four new tires for my truck. I wanted to wait until fall for new tires but one tire, in particular, isn’t looking very good so I’m biting the bullet. Tomorrow I’ll grease my trailer’s wheel bearings and with that, my trailer will be ready to go. The house battery is good. After putting five gallons of water into my trailer I checked for leaks and it’s good.

Four weeks from today I’ll head towards a campground near the border of Minnesota and South Dakota on my way to the San Juan River in New Mexico. I’m trying to avoid driving across tornado alley towing a trailer the first week of May. Towing a trailer in heavy wind is a little stressful.

I almost have enough San Juan Worms, Mop Flies, and Mini-Leeches.

Fishermen in the Milwaukee River a couple of miles from my home fishing for salmon and steelhead. It’s 40 degrees. Not for me. I’ve done it and it’s fun catching a big fish but it’s a bit cold for me.

The fly-tying bench gets colorful when tying flies like worms and mop flies.

I am starting to get things ready for my upcoming May trip to the San Juan River at Navajo Dam, New Mexico. If you’re fishing the Upper Flats the tiny size 24 and 26 flies work well. The water is shallow, slow-moving, and clear, allowing the trout to inspect the flies, so the flies need to be similar to the tiny natural flies the trout eat in this area.

The river downstream at Texas Hole is faster and deeper. The trout don’t have time to inspect flies. If they see it and hesitate the fly is gone. You can get away with much larger flies. Three that work are, the Mop Fly, the San Juan Worm, and the Micro Leech. I’m tying some of these flies. Mop Flies and San Juan Worms are looked down on by flyfishing purists. Decades ago flyfishing was considered a doctor’s and lawyer’s activity. Some thought fly fishermen were snooty. With the release of A River Runs Though It in 1992 flyfishing became mainstream.

Chenille San Juan Worm

Silicone Squiggly San Juan Worm

Mini-Leech

Mop Fly

Yesterday I made all reservations for my May return trip to the San Juan River in northwest New Mexico. I’ll leave home Friday, May 5th, and arrive at my campground near the San Juan River Monday, May 8th. I’ll be camped there alone until Sunday, May 21st when at least one friend and I will stay at an Airbnb house in Aztec, New Mexico until Saturday, May 27th when I’ll start my trip back home.