san juan worm

[ian_brown]

When tying worms, do you spiral the chenille around the shank of the hook, or just lash it down with a few thread loops?

 

[Maurice]

You can take a couple turns to represent the "bump" on a worm but it is not necessary. And I find they unravel at times.

Try putting a little dubbing between the two tie in points to represent the bump.

Freds IPW mentioned in another post by Tim Murphy shows what I am talking about. Killer pattern.

Maurice

 

[afishinado]

Attached is step-by-step instructions for the San Juan worm. One important point is that Ultra chenille is used, not regular chenille like used on wooly buggers. Tie it like in the attached instructions, and also try using a curved scud/pupa type hook with a beadhead. Sometimes I also tie lead wire on top of the hook shank to sink the fly deep. The fly with the scud hook will flip upside down (hook point up) and will bounce on the bottom with fewer snags. Do the same thing with chartreuse chenille and you will have a modified green weenie. The green version works well to represent green free-living caddis larva. I hate using these junk flies, but they sure work.

http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/details.cfm?parentID=106

 

[MKern]

I think spiralling the chenile is optional. I personally build up thread to make the mating bump. However, at the shop I work at, our pattern calls for the chenile to be wrapped. It's preference.

 

[Dominic7471]

in washington we use this stuff called vernille..... it comes in a bunch of colors and its a tighter core wrap and less "hairy" its good stuff because you can burn the ends and really give it a worm look