If you are sight-fishing, you'll notice the fish are more active. Andy Kim's Yong Blood [For tying Andy Kim's midge patterns see Fly Tier's Bench in this issue. My dad used to say this statement every time we were in the Southwest. Subscribe To Fly Fishing Fix I purchased a fly rod kit from Epic Fly Rods and built mine. Hook: TMC 101 size 22 Tough to see on the water when fished alone, it is best fished trailing behind a slightly larger, more visible pattern, such as a Parachute Adams or Twilight Parachute Midge. Tags: Flash Thread Midge, Flash Thread Midge Fly Pattern, Fly Tying, San Juan Fly Patterns, Simple midge fly patterns, tailwater fly patterns. The Global FlyFisher has been online since the mid-90's and has been free to access for everybody since day one and will stay free for as long as I run it. You can catch fish on midge patterns, dry flies, annelids, eggs and streamer patterns. This provided nearly 13 feet of leader to adjust the depth. The distance isnt so far as to make the trip uncomfortable. Zebra Midge(sizes 18 & 20) This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. The Silver Shadow. On my last trip to the San Juan, I found that a double nymph rig was a great way to fish this pattern. School Name. While I am tying this very small, it doesn't have to be tied this small only. Junior: Choices Charter school is an excellent school because it allows students to focus on education instead of being distracted. Learn to tie Harrop's Hairwing Dun with master tier Charlie Craven. and Bear Goode's Sparkle Larva are the best examples of these types of patterns. Going to the San Juan come June. A perfect imitation of the ubiquitous dragonfly built with a compelling yet simple approach. Either way, your shopping cart will be active until you leave the store. Many of the best tailwater anglers use fluorocarbon tippet almost exclusively for their subsurface fishing, and swear they catch more fish with it than with monofilament. The key to catching anything in this area is to get your fly down quickly. Youve got to fish tiny flies, I know this might be new to you and it might be difficult, but these trout are eating tiny bugs. 4 Neutral Colors - creams or grays or mix and match a combination of each. Public K-8 Schools. Skittering Midge(sizes 18 & 20) Further details will follow as the forecast evolves. We cannot keep them in stock. Phantom of the flats. He created DIY Fly Fishing to help you do the same. Black Beauty - Black - Sz 22-26. . A blend of feathers and dubbing, it's very streamlined. Our Orvis endorsed Fly Shop is well stocked to get you on the river and catching some San Juan River trout. 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. Copyright 2023 DIY Fly Fishing, all rights reserved. Look for fish in slower water, and once you catch one your chances of catching more increase. I remember when she caught that fish. Dimensions. You might also enjoy.Steven Ojais Fly Box: Midge patterns (excellent reference). Your email address will not be published. Fall is a favorite fishing time for many fishermen and fisherwomen. Its a subtle difference, but one pattern will leave you much less satisfied than the other. The Silver Shadow. San Juan Choices Charter School. Heavy tippet is not only more visible to the fish, but it is also stiffer and affects the action of the fly in the water. 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. Remember that really cool video about the midge life cycle we featured a few weeks ago? The San Juan River is a fly fishermans dream, offering a bounty of opportunities to hook into rainbow trout, brown trout, and other species. This can be some of the best dry fly fishing on this river. 923 Main Ave. Durango, CO 81301 970-385-4081 [email protected] 970-385-4081. . All I can tell you is that you should buy about 50 of these things. The lion may be the king of the jungle, but the Zebra is the king of the midges. With a heavy tungsten head, and flashabou wings, this thing sinks quickly, and draws the attention of every fish in the room. . Get fly recipe and. Ah the wonder of Krystal Flash, how did we get by without it? The Griffith's Gnat has caught trout in these situations for decades and is probably the only midge pattern you can see on the water at any distance, which accounts for its great popularity with guides and their sports. Fisheads of the San Juan's Tip of the Week. Like most great guides James books up a year in advance, so dont delay. Many anglers get frustrated when they aren't getting any takes and often wonder if they have the right pattern or if micro-drag is causing refusals. Modern Midges: 12 Fly Recipes - Fly Fisherman And if youve never seen one before, dont be afraid to grab it and take a closer look. I mean, it was invented by Pat Dorsey, so what else would you expect? 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. The San Juan River is a fly fishermans dream, offering a bounty of opportunities to hook into rainbow trout, brown trout, and other species. And Get Our FREE Beginners The hatch is best on cloudy days. Landon Mayer | Illustrations by Joe Mahler. In my experience, for beginners, one of the most surprising aspects of fly fishing is how small so many of the flies actually are. 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. And while this midge might not be a 24/7 slayer, it is one that you need to keep in your fly box. Midging For Trout - Fly Fisherman Things can change suddenly during a midge hatch, or combined midge hatches, especially on productive water where large trout have the luxury of targeting specific stages of specific insects. July 18, 2021 Read . 5 Serger Thread Tips Selecting Thread Color | Sewing Mastery Copyright 2023 Abe's Motel & Fly Shop, Inc. Spring is a great time to fish the San Juan. There can be a little snow and a little wind this time of year but overall temperatures are comfortable for a properly equipped fisherman. There are many excellent patterns out there to choose from. You are not allowed to post links (http://) in comments. Learn to tie the Woolly Bugger fly with master tier Charlie Craven. That said, Ill update these links today. There are thunderstorms during the summer which bring lightning. 4. This phase of the transformation has been studied extensively by some very good anglers who have developed deadly imitations. Just be ready for a show of flying trout. Learn to tie Barr's Damsel with master tier Charlie Craven. Through tagging and conservation efforts, the quality of many historic bonefish fisheries is improving, as is our understanding of the species' movements and patterns. This is one of our favorite midge-larva patterns on sunny days. We dedicated more than 20 years and many hours and days to learn as much as possible about the techniques, equipment, presentation strategies, and fly patterns of the diminutive world of midges and the trout that eat them. Get directions to access points, boat ramps, and real-time USGS stream flow data. Heres a Suggestion. HOOK: #14-20 Tiemco 2457.THREAD: Black 8/0 Uni-Thread.BODY: Red and green Ultra Wire wrapped together.WING: Small tuft of Z-lon.THORAX: Gray and green rabbit fur, mixed. How about putting a pic and recipe for each fly rather than having to click on each one individually? Whatever the thoughts, we aren't here to debate the effectiveness of the zebra midge. Skip to content. San Juan Unified School District, CA . If you really want to give the fish what they want, you could trail a Trailing Shuck Midge from a Morgans Midge. Support the Global FlyFisher through several different channels, including PayPal. My friend and I showed Heng a trout we had spent hours trying to catch, and he promptly hooked and landed the 12-pound leviathan in three casts. When fish get picky and refuse to take anything else you throw at them, the Transitional Midge can be a game changer. Smokejumper Midge. Sorry there was no pictures! 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. 7 reviews. If needed contact info - HERE, Disclosure: "This site is owned and operated by River Traditions LLC, a limited liability company headquartered in Michigan, USA. Hi Joel, this post is two and a half years old. The absolute best spot is just of the small island closest to the parking lot. Indicators with long leaders, heavy point flies like a tungsten beadhead mop fly and a trailing size 22 beadhead zebra midge. Dont let all the drift boats let you think youve got to float this river. I love everything to do with fly fishing. Adding a foot to the depth can mean success. Johnny Gomez's Johnny Flash has the profile of the WD-40 and the emerging wing of the RS2. Felt boots and a wading staff are a must. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mcflytier/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcflyangler/Twitter: https://twitter.com/McFlyAngler Special Thanks to my Supporters! There are snow storms, usually of short duration during the winter months as the sun generally comes out soon after a snow storm helping clear the roads. The segmented body is similar to that of a natural, and the white Antron wing looks as close to the pupal wing buds as you can get. Phil on vacation or something? Was there last week. 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. Guide Recommendation: James Garrett and the guys at About Trout ( link) THE GUIDES if you cant get in James boat ask for Kyle. Learn to tie the versatile Hare's Ear with master tier Charlie Craven. There is not much hook on such a small fly to grip the lip of the trout. You have to spoon-feed these trout so all they have to do is open their mouths. Black, olive or cream have been best. We often fish it as point fly with a Zebra Midge or Transitional Midge trailed behind. I fish the "invisible dry-fly method" I discussed above and concentrate on where the fly ought to be. In addition to co-founding Fly Fishing Fix with his father, Matt, Zach also runs a personal finance blog called Be The Budget. These circumstances require special tactics and tiny flies that imitate the prevalent midge population. Trout are always on the lookout for this food source, especially in seasons when other insect hatches are not occurring. The combination of white Zelon, and grizzly hackle imitates the clustered midges very effectively. Like a switch, the trout turned onto dry fly ant patterns. The facilities for taking out are great and you can even stop at a couple of spots to use a restroom. Most of my fishing is on reservoirs sometimes desolate windy rough places, where buzzers come into their own. Yong Special Featured in Fly Fisherman Magazine - Sporting Road Is that why its designer named it the Manhattan Midge? Guide Pro Tip: Heres a little secret spot, walk down the boat ramp take 10 steps up river and drop a midge pattern in the run about 20 feet out. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. The annelids that float down this river are a constant food source for the big trout that swim in its waters. The bling midge is one of the more popular flies on the San Juan river. Dark or light gray, brown and olive have been the best colors in a size 20 and 22. It has been said that 90% of trout flies sold are dry flies, and yet 90% of what trout eat is sub-surface. Sometimes simple is best. Unfortunately, with a daily blog featuring more than a decade of content, we cant keep track of all the links that change over time.