San Juan Worm

The San Juan Worm in hot orange is one of the most consistently productive subsurface flies ever tied, and any angler who dismisses it as too simple has probably never watched a trout inhale one without hesitation. This pattern is tied with a single strand of ultra-chenille or Vernille in a vivid hot orange, secured to a curved scud or jig hook with a small black bead or thread head. The San Juan Worm's lifelike undulating action in moving water is virtually irresistible to bottom-feeding fish.

When to Use:

Best Time of Year: Year-round, but absolutely deadly during and after rain events when worms and aquatic worms are washed into rivers and streams. Spring runoff and early summer high water are prime San Juan Worm seasons across BC and Ontario.

Imitates: Aquatic worms, San Juan worms (a real aquatic annelid found in many river systems), and earthworms washed in during rain events. The hot orange colour enhances visibility in off-colour or stained water.

Target Fish: Rainbow and brown trout in rivers and tailwaters across BC and Ontario. Exceptionally effective for steelhead in BC rivers as a dropper fly. Brook trout in smaller streams will rarely pass one up. Also a sleeper pick for walleye and perch when dead drifted near bottom in current.

Pro Tip: Dead drift it along the bottom through runs, seams, and the tailouts of pools. Fish it as a dropper below a dry fly or indicator, and add a small split shot 8 inches above the fly to keep it hugging the riverbed where the biggest fish feed.