FS Digest

So I'm going to gift a relative a box of flies this Christmas, and he lives near the San Juan. He's relatively new to fly fishing, so my plan is to cover most of the bases by tying up the regulars (buggers, adams, stimis, midges, princes, hare's ears, etc), as well as a handful patterns I know to be very effective in Colorado.

Having never visited the San Juan, I'm wondering if there are any particularly effective San Juan bugs that I definitely should tie up and include.

Thanks!

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by Ty-McFly

FS Digest

San Juan worm seems like a good place to start

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by beklassy

FS Digest

22-24 rs-2’s and wd-40’s in black, chocolate, and grey.

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by koochiesan

FS Digest

Thanks, will add these to the list!

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by Ty-McFly

FS Digest

I've caught fish on that river with multiple WD-40s broken off in their mouth, would probably start there. Also, little-known tip: the flows change so dramatically on that river that scuds will get stranded on the rocks and dry out as the river lowers. Then, as it raises next time, their dried-out husks get carried away and float downstream. An orange scud floating in the film can be absolutely deadly

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by FLORI_DUH

FS Digest

Thanks a lot for that tip! You're the man!

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by Ty-McFly

BarneyG

Had my sons and 2 grandsons join me on the San Juan River in August '18. They got to witness a 90 minute fight landing a 34and1/2 inch Brown on a little #22 fly. I caught a lot of fish with Chris who owns Fishheads on the Juan. I told him I was interested in quality rather than quantity so we headed downstream from the crowd at Texas Hole. Results were from 17 inches to 24 inch Rainbows and Browns with dry flies,#20 to 24 Midges, SanJuan Worms, and streamers. The year before, Marcus was my guide and we stripped leaches on a rainy day and used Red barbless bare hooks behind an orange and yellow attracter (salmon egg) on a sunny day. He was the guide when they landed that 34 and 1/2 incher in August. Everybody owes it to themselves to fish the "Juan" at least once in their lifetime. Something like 20,000 catchable fish in the first mile below Navajo Dam.