River Pattern Guide

Best Flies for San Juan River

The San Juan River tailwater below Navajo Dam in northwestern New Mexico is one of the most densely populated trout fisheries in the American West and a pilgrimage site for fly anglers seeking to test...

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11 recommended patterns

Nymph

Pheasant Tail Nymph

The universal nymph — fooling trout since 1958.

Sizes 12–20

Dry Fly

BWO Parachute

The essential hatch-matcher for every Blue-Winged Olive event.

Sizes 16–22

Dry Fly

Sparkle Dun

Craig Mathews' Sparkle Dun combines a deer hair fan wing with a Z-lon trailing shuck, bridging the g

Sizes 14–20

Dry Fly

March Brown

The March Brown imitates Rhithrogena morrisoni, one of the first significant mayfly hatches of the s

Sizes 12–14

Dry Fly

CDC Blue-Winged Olive

A CDC-winged BWO that rides perfectly in the surface film with no floatant needed. The natural oils

Sizes 18–22

Emerger

Barr's Emerger

John Barr's BWO emerger is the definitive trailing-shuck pattern for imitating Blue-Winged Olives tr

Sizes 18–22

Emerger

PMD Emerger

A trailing-shuck emerger pattern specifically colored to match Pale Morning Dun emergence. The pale

Sizes 14–18

Midge

Top Secret Midge

The Top Secret Midge features a thread body with a pearl Flashabou wing case at the thorax, adding a

Sizes 18–24

Nymph

Juju Baetis

Charlie Craven's Juju Baetis is a sleek, modern nymph that imitates tiny Baetis mayfly nymphs with d

Sizes 18–22

Nymph

Surveyor

A modern Euro nymphing staple that blends the best elements of the Pheasant Tail and Frenchie into o

Sizes #14–#18

Emerger

Snowshoe Baetis Emerger

A purpose-built BWO emerger using snowshoe rabbit foot hair for buoyancy and a natural translucent a

Sizes #18–#22