The preferred way on the San Juan is to:
1. Secure a foam strike indicator or bobber to the line, generally a 6x.
2. about 1.5 times the water depth, place an attractor fly, such as the red nymph you see, maybe a size 16-18.
3. a small split shot between the strike indicator and the attractor
4. add the small midge, size 22-24 as a trailer to the attractor. That can be tied as preferred either to the eye of the attractor or to the hook.
Dick and I were taught last year by the well known Rick Takahashi, a Colorado State U. professor and author of midge fishing books that we met on the river. What a great guy who gave unsparingly of his time and we were most grateful.
Must crimp barbs on the San Juan.
Use a high stick drift. Don't really need to have a long cast except if you are throwing streamers. However a fellow there last March got into about a 6 lb brown on a streamer on 6x on a 5 wt.
I have a couple rods from Gary Howells in 4 and 5 wts and will bring this time a 6 made by Jerry Kustich (Sweetgrass) and a 7wt Granger, plus the 6wt Parker Hawes. The Parker Hawes will be lightly used only. Big fish need to be played off the reel and those Bogdans are more than sufficient.
Dick, Charlie and I were salmon fishing at Vancouver Island a few years ago, we would like to get into coastal British Columbia and we are planning an expedition into the southern reaches of Yellowstone , the lake arms and the Thorofare next year. Large cutthroat trout.
PGCA member Jim Bielke is building me a custom 17ft Rangley design boat adapted for motor use that will be used. He does absolutely beautiful work and has a website,
www.jimsboatworks.com for those interested. I have been pushing my luck too many times in a canoe on big water in waves.