San Juan or More Trout Lives Matter

[Bruce Day]

After the Green River in Wyoming and Utah we traveled south to northern New Mexico and the San Juan River, another blue ribbon trout stream that is notoriously hard to fish. The water is clear coming out of the Navajo Dam and rich in nutrients and insect life .

We did well, many rainbows each day from 12 to 18 inches and some in the 20-22 inch range.

We use a 5 wt rod ( I use a bamboo rod) with a 6x Tippett. The fish are cautious and we use midges of 24,26 and 28 size. Thus a heavy trout can easily break the line or straighten the hook. They are hard to tempt and hard to land. One of our crew brought into the net a 31 inch Brown. That is the fish of a lifetime.

Every time I go there I learn more. These trout can be difficult and subtle.





B

[Shane Jennings]

Nice! Those San Juan fish definitely have a PhD in recognizing drag.

That brown is a toad.

[Dean Romig]

It’s loads of fun but such light tackle can stress a hooked fish to the point of no return. A 6x tippet is fine but I would choose a heavier rod. Darn nice fish though and that big one pictured would be a trout of a lifetime for all but the hardest of the hardcore trophy anglers.





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[Garry L Gordon]

Great photos! Great fish! I remember fishing the San Juan years ago. We had a guide, or I'm sure we would not have caught any fish. My best memory was that the air temperature was in the 90s and the water temperature was in the upper 30s. A surreal experience.

[Bruce Day]

The photo looking straight down into the water , it is hard to see, but shows several large trout feeding at my feet. They come to your feet and wait for you to move and dislodge aquatic worms .

I am on my way back to Missouri. I will be giving my 12 year old grandson his first flying lessons then our Boy Scout Camp will be opening at the end of June . I will teach shooting with social distancing but as for me I have to be able to grab the gun quickly and keep it pointed in a safe direction .

We live in troubling times with many lost people. Stay wary, stay safe.

[Joseph Sheerin]

Wow, what a beautiful place to fish, and that Brownie is a tank.

We are headed to CO end of June, can't wait to wet a fly!

Just started fly fishing a few years back, and now wonder why I waited so long.

[Dean Romig]

I’ve heard the “San Juan Worm” is an effective pattern there, have you used it?





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[Bruce Day]

A San Juan worm is a small red wrapped anelid in size 22 to 26 . The worms live under the rocks and are dislodged when water flows are increased to flush the river moss . Until water flowage is increased the San Juan worm is not appropriate. We did not use them.

[Dean Romig]

They weren’t dislodged by your feet?





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[Garry L Gordon]

They weren’t dislodged by your feet?

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Known as "The San Juan Shuffle" and frowned upon by the purist. (It was odd that every time you moved, large(!) trout would sidle up beside you.)

[Bruce Day]

The practice is illegal and we do not do it. However normal walking will dislodge the worms and the trout will promptly eat them before the current carries them less than a foot.

Fish and game officers watch for it.

[Carl G. Bachhuber]

I haven't fished over there since they started flooding the river in late spring. Right now the flow looks perfect. Does N.M. have any restrictions on due to COVID?
C.G.B.

[Bruce Day]

As of last week, the state campgrounds were still closed.

[Kent Nickerson]

Learned it as the "Bighorn Shuffle" many years ago in Montana when we fished that river the first year after it opened. The mud plume downstream was full of flashing trout. Fun for about 5 minutes or so. A 20 paradun floating towards some big noses is lots better.