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.

Did a bit of work on the sky.

Did a little painting on the sky in this one.

Put a drop or two of Oil of Cloves on each little pile of paint so they remain wet for a few days. Tomorrow I’ll work on a similar sky in a different painting, the one I started in the Bighorns in June.

When I was in the Bighorns in June I drove to Greybull, Wyoming several times for groceries and gas. It’s about a 45 minute drive from Tie Flume Campground down out of the mountains west to Greybull. It’s a beautiful drive. These photos I’m thinking about turning into paintings were taken about halfway to Greybull.

I intend to start painting this coming Monday and to paint four hours per day. I figure if I put it writing I might just do it.