Ah the wonder of Krystal Flash, how did we get by without it? Rim Chung's RS2 pattern was developed for finicky South Platte trout and has been widely adapted on the San Juan and elsewhere. The scenery will be spectacular with the entire valley turning "gold" from the cottonwood leaves - bring your camera. We soon realized that many other midge anglers were on the same quest, and our discussions with fellow midge fishers soon became one of our main avenues of discovering new patterns. Awesome timing! Read , Im not sure if any fish is more beautiful than a brook trout. Junior: Choices Charter school is an excellent school because it allows students to focus on education instead of being distracted. The deep ribs, and contrast with the thread and D-Rib create a super bold fly that attracts fish like crazy! As cool as that sounds, it's kind of a lose-lose for Zebras, because either way, they're going to get eaten. They arent the best, or even our favorites (its so hard to pick! The zebra midge rules the kingdom when it comes to midge patterns. Support the Global FlyFisher through several different channels, including PayPal. Heavy weight gets your flies down to fish in fast water but can also act like an anchor, creating undetectable subsurface drag. . Because, if you ever find yourself standing in a river and see a bunch of emergers floating across the surface with their shuck still attached, youre going to look back on reading this article and regret not taking my advice. Fishing for 20-inch trout with a size #30 fly has its challenges. In a two-fly rig, your flies should be connected eye to eye with a piece of 12- to 18-inch tippet. The CDC wing makes this pattern easy to see on the surface. Trout have less time to inspect your fly pattern when they feed close to the surface, but the fishing is rarely easy. I was on this stretch once just after a light rain. Duranglers San Juan River guide service and fly shop has been in business for 30 years. All I can tell you is that you should buy about 50 of these things. Like most great guides James books up a year in advance, so dont delay. If you are going to fish anywhere in the United States, you should have about a dozen of these on-hand in black, olive and red. The lion may be the king of the jungle, but the Zebra is the king of the midges. Big Mac - Black, Olive, Tan, Chocolate - Sz 22. In my experience, for beginners, one of the most surprising aspects of fly fishing is how small so many of the flies actually are. Circle of life. Circle of life. Adding a foot to the depth can mean success. . To be a proficient midge fisherman, you need a range of fly patterns that imitate every stage trout prey upon. This is another transitional midge pattern that imitates an emerging midge pupa. Havent met him, but hes a Colorado fly fishing guide for Anglers Covey and fly tying instructor for both Ghillies Fly Shop and Anglers Covey. the article would have been much better It has a purple tungsten bead head, a green, flashabou-segmented, body. We soon amassed more than 1,000 fly patterns, along with detailed information on how to tie them, from some of the worlds best tiers in Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Croatia, Slovakia, England, the U.S., and elsewhere. It's a small fly that can represent any of the smaller midge hatches that occur on these waters. Hook: TMC 101 size 22 Fishheads of the San Juan another guide service thats been guiding on the San Juan for many years. We have rooms available and some of the best guides on the river. The hatch is strongest from 10:30 to 2:00, then again in the last hour of the day. Sometimes youll seasonal spikes, especially in mid-summer. You don't need a lot of slack in the line because your drift will be short. Whether you are fishing the Bighorn, the Missouri, or a tailwater elsewhere in the country, midges are among the most important hatches. Midge larvae. You can get in touch with Juan through his blog The Hopper Juan. I love casting medium-fast dry fly rods, so youll see me using my 9-foot, fiberglass 5-weight. The Bling Midge is one of our go-to midge patterns for hard to impress trout on the San Juan, Dolores, or any freestone river in the fall or spring when midges are abounding. In particular, if you plan on fishing any section of the South Platte, you should keep a few of these things at the ready. They are some of the best, and most productive annelid patterns we carry. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. When a trout makes a grab in this zone, set the hook. On smaller rivers like the San Juan, Frying Pan, and South Platte, a shorter, 3- or 4-weight is adequate most of the time. HOOK: #18-24 Tiemco 2487.THREAD: Red 6/0 Uni-Thread.BODY: Tying thread.RIB: Silver Lagartun wire (fine).WING: Mylar tinsel.POST: White poly yarn.HACKLE: Black ostrich.THORAX: Black dubbing. CDC Transitional Midge (sizes 18 & 20) Fisheads of the San Juan's Tip of the Week. If you were to define the perfect run the Three Island Runs is it. Ive got a FREE video workshop teaching how to dry fly fish at this link How 2 Fly Fish, Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | About | Contact | The Team | Advertise with Guide Recommended, Disclosure: "This site is owned and operated by River Traditions LLC, a limited liability company headquartered in Michigan, USA. .004 lbs. Black Beauty - Black - Sz 22-26. . Our San Juan River Flies are hand tied with pride here in the U.S.A. with top of the line Daiichi, Gamakatsu and Maruto hooks. I hope you guys realize that many if not most of the pattern links in this article have expired! As a lifelong fly fisherman, I can tell you that the San Juan River is a true gem, and in this article, Ill take you on a tour of the best spots to wet a line. Duranglers' San Juan Flash Midge Pupa is a staple pattern for fishing the San Juan or anywhere trout feed on midges. Bead Head "Serendipity Style" WD40 - Olive. Dont let all the drift boats let you think youve got to float this river. Deep nymph fishing is best from a boat. Their elusive behavior, expert camouflage and skittish personalities make bonefish the quintessential poster child for shallow water sight-fishing. Great photo, Trey! This really disrupts the fishing and clouds the water. As water temperature remains fairly constant throughout the year due to the low release point from the dam, fish activity and insect activity continue during the winter months. https://foxtrickadventures.com/foxtrickflies/. We typically fish this pattern in combination with a crustacean pattern, such as a sowbug or scud. Fall Fishing(September, October, November). Summer Fishing(June, July, August) But as we gained experience on the Frying Pan, San Juan, and other Rocky Mountain tailwaters, we became immersed in all aspects of midge fishing. Most successful anglers use 6X tippet or smaller. Looking for a rod that casts a little farther with more accuracy? Landon Mayer | Illustrations by Joe Mahler. Unsubscribe any time. The Tungteaser is able to imitate multiple species such as midges, black caddisflies, and Baetis. Watch and wade with us as we chase bonefish on the sand flats of the Bahamas and tag them on the grass flats of the Keys. It has all . The Texas Hole is a perfect example. Fish are active feeding on midge and other insects including mayflies, caddis, scuds, annelids and terrestrials depending on what part of the river you are in. You need to know what fly to use, and when to use it. Bryen Venema is thefly-shop manager and a guide at the Bighorn Angler in Fort Smith, Montana. Ive said it a bunch of times in this article. I really love Orvis way of doing everything, and this is absolutelly out of your standard. Your email address will not be published. The consistent cold water and steady stream flow are perfect for the bugs and trout. Yes, this is a trick question and easy to answer - it's g! As with most aquatic insects, midges have several life stages that both fly fishers and trout recognize: larva, pupa, and adult; plus two transitional phases, emerger and cluster. It is turbid with about 1 foot of visibility throughout the quality. This pattern is an amalgam of the best aspects of many midge patterns on this list. This is one of the most widely used patterns on tailwaters, considering that midges are present 12 months out of the year. The San Juan River is a true gem for fly fishing enthusiasts, offering a variety of environments and species to catch. It works well as both a cluster and spent imitation of the naturals. Make sure that you take the necessary precautions when lightning is in the area. A good reel with a smooth, dependable drag is an asset. This is one of the most widely used patterns on tailwaters, considering that midges are present 12 months out of the year. It is a scientific fact that fluorocarbon has a light refraction index close to that of water, which is supposed to make your leader "invisible" to fish. I use improved clinch knots on the top fly because of the small knot size. But, just so Im sure you get the right one, here is a link to buy one on DiscountFlies. We do this when fish are feeding just under the surface film on emerging midge pupae. Root Beer Midge(sizes 18 & 20) We are putting out content just like this every week, and wed love to have you join in all the fly fishing banter. Heres a Suggestion. Devised by Taylor Williams in Wyoming in the late 1920s, this fly is still popular among tailwater-trout anglers today, and for good reason. The high-vis parachute is what attracts so many anglers to this pattern. These guys have 200 plus days a year on the San Juan and guess where youll find them on many of their days off? When fish get picky and refuse to take anything else you throw at them, the Transitional Midge can be a game changer. The authors amassed more than 1,000 fly patterns and recipes, along with detailed information on how to tie them, from some of the worlds best tiers in Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Croatia, Slovakia, England, the U.S., and elsewhere, for their book, Modern Midges. Glass Bead Disco Midge - Blue. Mike LutzKenewhoJosh SorvinoMatt DonovanMichael RagsdaleEli PittzJason Snyder So, for those days you cant spend on the water, this is yourFly Fishing Fix., This Site Was Developed By: RocketBlogger. If you are serious about fishing midge hatches, your first course of action will be to sample what's in the water with a seine or a small aquarium net. Rick Takahashi is an illustrator, Umpqua Feather Merchants fly designer, and regular Fly Fisherman contributor. As with the leader length, you must constantly change the weight on your leader to match the water depth and speed you are fishing in. All Rights Reserved. I think you know what Im going to say. And second of all, yes! 8. ThanksI concur bout the picturesplease provide a collection so we can purchase some. In addition to co-founding Fly Fishing Fix with his father, Matt, Zach also runs a personal finance blog called Be The Budget. The Bonefish & Tarpon Trust's Dr. Ross Boucek explains what pharmaceutical and chemical runoff and pollution could mean for Florida's shallow-saltwater gamefish. I recommend buying it in the traditionally brown, white and red version, but the all red and all black versions work pretty great as well. Learn to tie Barr's Damsel with master tier Charlie Craven. Yes, you got it a shiny, iridescent gas bubble! Parrotts Chironoflash Pupa(sizes 18 & 20) Most of the time, trout feed on midge larvae near the bottom, so you need a nymph rig that delivers the fly to the fish effectively. Subscribe To Fly Fishing Fix You may put on a dry fly and catch a trout or two, or you can fish a midge pupa just under the surface and catch a dozen - it's up to you. This website offers how-to steps for tying all the best nymph patterns for fly fishing the Ozarks. I consider these tailwater midge hatches to be one of fly-fishing's highest plateaus To sight-fish to enormous trout with tiny flies and gossamer tippets is a true test of your angling mettle. An injury and what seemed like the end of a career paved the way for a new passion. The latest Costa Film "Hooked On: Bonefish" explores the pursuit of this prized gamefish, which requires expert marksmanship and delicate execution to be successful. Get fly recipe and. Spreading the weight along the leader also reduces the "anchor" effect. Their book Modern Midges: Tying and Fishing the Worlds Most Effective Patterns (Headwater Books) was published in September 2009. Yes, youll get the best shot at catching 50-plus fish in a from a drift boat, but lots of areas are available to the wade angler. I caught a bunch of brown trout and lost a trophy in the mid-20-inch area easy. Is it possible to repost this with a photo of the flies? There are no reviews yet. Spring Fishing(March, April, May) You can tie them with various beads on the front to add appeal and/or weight. When a hatch really gets going, trout suspend in the water column, sometimes just inches under the surface, and gorge on emerging pupae. Another new pattern from Jan Grandal-Johansen, this time a buzzer emerger that fishes well on the reservoirs in the UK. 9. Ju Jubee Midge. Subscriber Services. Sorry there was no pictures! Look for fish in slower water, and once you catch one your chances of catching more increase. Bunny leeches and woolly buggers are working well either dead drifted or stripping them. 4 Darks - 4 blacks or 1 black, 1 navy, 1 chocolate brown and 1 charcoal gray. Its easy to tie, and very effective when trying to mimic a midge. I didnt see folks fighting, but any time you have trout stacked up like they are in the Texas Hole youll have some tension. In the span of an hour, I saw over 40 boats dropped in.. in . Early in the day, you are likely to see more midge larvae than anything else. Morgans Midge is one of the simpler flies on this list, and similar to the Trailing Shuck Midge, it features, well, a trailing shuck. In a two-fly rig, I tie a pupa on top, because the real thing is likely to be higher in the water column than a larva. San Juan Unified School District, CA . Oh, and while were on the subject, when a man with over 50 years of fly fishing experience tells you to try a certain pattern, dont question it. Look for the BOR parking and access signs along 511, youll scramble down an embankment on a switchback then hike a half mile through a wetlands area to the river. Spring is a great time to fish the San Juan. Check out the full of story of Sage Indendi Johnson's journey from a path towards professional basketball to guiding in Alaska. Just be sure to pay cash, and avoid talking about it over the phone; unless of course you are on a secure line. The San Juan Angler . Copyright 2023 Abe's Motel & Fly Shop, Inc. Spring is a great time to fish the San Juan. From my point fly (usually a heavily weighted nymph) I tied 12 inches of tippet off the bend onto a tiny beadhead nymph. It is best to carry these in a wide variety of colors including red, black, olive, and cream. During high flows it is best to fish only safely wade able areas or fish from a drift boat. If the Zebra Midge isnt quite flashy enough for your liking, then you should consider buying a few Crystal Midges. One seam after another, the key is to drift deep and recognize the structure before your on top of it. Kasey Marsters @ FoxTrick Flies Sometimes simple is best. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. You are not allowed to post links (http://) in comments. Dont go out on a tailwater fishery without a healthy selection of midge patterns, both subsurface and dry. Fish an emerging midge pupa like an invisible dry fly. ), but they do represent the diversity and ingenuity weve found in the minuscule world of midge fishing. A note about ants, after a rain the hatch starts. Hi Claudio, sorry about the dead links. As with all midge fishing, fly size is the critical element, followed by the shape and color - in that order. When he isn't casting his fly rod, you can find him writing, tying flies, and dreaming about fly fishing. Hook: TMC 101 size 22 There are times on some of these tailwaters, most often during the summer, when trout feed on "normal" fare like caddis, mayflies, and sometimes even large terrestrials. Im not saying anything more except hang on. I dont know. Just be ready for a show of flying trout. Subscriber Services. When midges begin to emerge, their budding wings become prominent, and they sometimes carry gas bubbles that trigger trout to feed. Rainbow Lodge provides the guides, meals and rooms for a perfect San Juan River getaway. If youve never fished tiny nymph patterns the San Juan is going to teach you some lessons. How about putting a pic and recipe for each fly rather than having to click on each one individually? So, if youre looking to improve your fish-catching odds, and you arent afraid of questions like, why so small?, then this post is for you. Nants ingonyama, bakithi, baba. But in most of these fertile, dam-released rivers, the vast majority of the aquatic insect population is made up of "midges" - tiny two-winged flies of the order Diptera, of which there are more than 100 species in North America. To fish the San Juan effectively during the winter you may need to fish differently than you do in other seasons, but by adapting to the conditions you can be successful. Guiderecommended.com and River Traditions LLC participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and others, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and other companies." Midge larvae are long and slender with a uniform profile. azwanderings February 24 . Keep the hook gape clear and use those heavier hooks for the bigger eats. Remember that really cool video about the midge life cycle we featured a few weeks ago? How to Remove Wind Knots and Snarls from Leaders and Tippet, How to Mend, Set the Hook, and Strip Line, 2021 Fly Fisherman Father's Day Gift Guide, Temps for Trout: How to Catch Fish that Behave Hot n Cold, Try attaching the bottom fly with a non-slip loop knot, Costa Films Presents Hooked On: Bonefish, Pharmaceutical Pollution Threatens Florida's Shallow-Water Fish. Vast deserts and desolate mountains dominate most of the landscape. Luckily this is right in the range that the flow is managed to. I have had good success with just a thread-body fly with two turns of grizzly hackle. Fall is a favorite fishing time for many fishermen and fisherwomen. Your email address will not be published. Sorry about that. Fishing can still be very good during discolored water conditions, you need to adapt your techniques to the conditions. and Bear Goode's Sparkle Larva are the best examples of these types of patterns. Preschools. If the hatch is just getting under way, these trout are almost always taking midge pupae just under the surface. Must-have fly patterns for the San Juan River in descending order of importance: Fly fishing hatches in order of importance: Midges are hatching all day long. San Juan Worm "Micro" - Worm Brown. Thanks for the recipe! As Noel Gollehan discussed at our recent PVFF club meeting, midges hatching on the San Juan River in New Mexico range in size from 20-24. Works great for trout keying in on emerging midges. Trout are always on the lookout for this food source, especially in seasons when other insect hatches are not occurring. However, when I put fluorocarbon in water, I can still see it, and since it's stiffer than mono, I'm convinced it's more likely to impede the natural action of my fly. What follows are 10 of the absolute best midge patterns for trout. Barr Emerger . Our study of chironomid entomology led to years of experimentation at the vise, and together we developed more than 100 innovative patterns that represented the various stages of the midge life cycle. Summer is the busiest time of year. Frank Smethurst Fly Tying Video | San Juan Midge Pattern - YouTube Frank smethurst tying one of his go-to midge patterns from his day's on the San Juan. See more details about what you can do to help in this blog post. . Landon Mayer | Illustrations by Joe Mahler. Email: [email protected] Make sure that you bring sunscreen, polarized glasses and bug spray. Simply add a tungsten bead, and they can be an effective dry-dropper pattern. But where I fish nowon tough, technical tailwater trout fisheries like the San Juan, Green, and Frying Pan Rivers - big flies catch mostly stupid little trout. With its segmented body, flashabou wings, and peacock hurl head, it is sure to draw some fire the next time you hit the water. Get out early to beat the crowds. 9. Required fields are marked *. The facilities for taking out are great and you can even stop at a couple of spots to use a restroom. Black, olive or cream have been best. Fall Fishing(September, October, November) This killer imitation is particularly great when youre casting in off-colored water, or to finicky fish. This fly, as funny as it looks, makes fish go crazy. When will applications for continuing and priority enrollment be accepted? Learn to tie the RS2 with master tier Charlie Craven. Simple but yet effective, the Zebra Midge is the one larva pattern an angler should never be without. Then something amazing happened Flying Ants! Here is a list of materials I used on this fly, and links to where you can purchase them. Stay in the know by checking out the stocking and the fishing report with this link https://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/fishing/weekly-report/, About Trout I Highly Recommend getting ahold of James at About Trout ( Link). I would recommend you order some from Umpqua. His series of midge patterns-every one called "Yong" after his real Korean name-covers every subsurface stage of the midge life cycle, and he fishes them like a man possessed. Going to the San Juan come June. I love chasing brown trout, big lake run monsters, night time trophies and memories of big boys that got away. Your rod choice will vary with the river you are fishing, the wind conditions, and water levels. Anybody you guides and ties flies for a living is OK in my book. Most of my midge-fishing knowledge I learned from the people I consider to be the real experts on some of the most highly pressured waters in the Rocky Mountain West, but this information is effective everywhere there are midges and trout. This river is a . Youll have to ask him. Trust that the weather isnt going to kill a trip because of flow conditions.