San Juan worm

[John Killinger]

I have some questions about fishing San Juan worms. First, I have never had much sucess with them, so I don't fish them that much. I know alot of people fish them with sucess so I'm going to try and get help with that. Are they any good to use as a dropper on a Euro nymphing set-up or are they better to use by themselves with a indicator and split shot? I suspect they are good to use during high water conditions? I guess they also work good in the winter? What is a good length to make them?

This should probably be in another post, but it's a little related so I'l ask. Should glow bugs, and sucker spawn also be fished as a single fly in an indicator system?

[Jackson Hoose]

i haven't fish san jauns much myself although i know alot of people who have luck with them.  I think the general idea is that they work best on stocked fish during high water.  I know a guy who does alright with them on the swift up here in MA.  Ive heard of people using really large ones for steelhead and you can tie them pretty small if you want as well.  Its a general attractor pattern that i think you can't really go too wrong with.  The guy i know who uses alot of them uses them on the point with split shot.  Ive used them as a dropper before off a two fly euro rig and caught fish.  The problem with this setup is you might run into some tangles.  Experiment with it and im sure you'll have luck.  I remember hearing about people fishing two toned versions of this as well. 

[Lance Egan]

John,

The traditional san juan worm (if there is such a thing) tied with vernille or ultra chenille does not lend itself to euro style fishing as it is difficult to make the fly dense.  Other worm imitations such as Vladi's worm, Pig Sticker, neon nightmare etc... are easy to make heavy so they are more commonly employed with euro techniques.  On my home waters worm imitations work well in discolored water and on some rivers that have large populations of annelids.  I'm confident that if the fisheries you are visiting have annelids in them then imitations will take fish.  Play with size and color, and focus on using them during high or off color water and see how it goes...

[John Killinger]

Thanks!

[Domenick Swentosky]

IPW.

http://flytyingworld.com/images/products/medium/1252186790_worm.jpg

One of the best junk flies in my box.  Secret's out.

DS