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.
Mop Fly
Chenille San Juan Worm
Silicone Squiggly San Juan Worm
Mini-Leech
Mop Fly
