Fly of the Month by Scott Reisetter
The San Juan Worm & the San Juan Shuffle
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I was blessed to learn the craft on the edge of Arizona’s Navajo Nation at Lee’s Ferry on the Colorado River. For Y’all whom don’t know where this is, it is in Marble Canyon at the mouth of the Grand Canyon. The backdrop is the Vermillion Cliffs that head to the North Rim of the Canyon. The majestic beauty of the geological formations here is unmatched. It is backed by a mystic presence of the Ancient Navajo and the feeling that all things are connected here. A sacred place! And with that, you need to respect the place and the River. This place is not for the rookie. I spent months with very experienced guides and fishermen, before I ventured out with others at the helm of my boat. This place is dangerous. It eats prop’s and lower end units daily. The current is fast, 11,250+/- cfs, the water temperature stays in the 40’s. In the summer the Canyon can be 100 degrees plus and, in the winter, you better be the hardiest they come.
Hey Scott, what about the San Juan Worm and the San Juan Shuffle. Oh yes, the SJW is one of the easiest flies that you can learn to tie, see link below. The colors range from reds, oranges and brown. In the Southwest the worm is prevalent in the cold water and the fish love them. This is a wet fly and I prefer a sink tip line to deliver this slayer. So here comes the dance lesson, don’t worry the most rhythm challenged can cut the rug with this one. Be in the water and near the seam. As you lay the worm out and it begins to sink and drift toward the seam. Point your foot down stream and slowly turn your foot to the left and the right once. What you just did is you stirred up the nutrients from the bottom of the River attaching the trout. Now you are hearing the rhythm of the San Juan Worm hitting the seam, the nutrient flow and Mr. Cutthroat pulling on the line and asking to dance! Get a guide, get out your dancing shoes and have the experience of a lifetime!
Fly tying resources and instructions:
https://leesferry.com/river-report/
https://snoflo.org/report/flow/arizona/colorado-river-at-lees-ferry/