The San Juan Fly Pattern Tutorial both Unweighted and Weighted

The San Juan worm is a go to pattern form me post rainstorm or for sometimes 1 -2 days after a rainstorm, where Annelids (aquatic Worms) can be found potentially dead drifting down the river. I generally fish rivers with them weighted and still water with them unweighted, however the unweighted often finds it way as a tag end off my point fly when the occasion arises.

This is a fly that is simple, effective, and is known to catch fish. It doesn't take much time at all. Its origins are credited to the 70's on the San Juan river, but more information than that I haven't found nor been made aware of. Usually when discussing this pattern, its more focused on the amount of fish it caught or how effective it was rather than who invented the pattern.

Color combinations are becoming more available and also in other synthetic materials such as the Squirmy Worm material which is silicone based and more difficult to tie on, breaks easier, but moves like a wiggly worm wanting to be eaten. The link to my Simply Squirmy Worm Pattern is here:


Tie some up and fish them on your local waters and it doesn't have to be post storm, I have caught fish on them year round and also through the ice on conventional fishing gear used for icefishing.

The Recipe:
Hook: Stealth Hook C12 (Scud/ Grub hook)
Thread: Red for red worms, Pink for Pink worms, and generally Orange for natural
Body: Ultra Chenille in the colors mentioned above
Cement: small drops of UV resin on the major thread wraps
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