Tying the San "Don Juan" Worm Fly Pattern

This variation of the Infamous Pink Worm, was created by Bob O'Donnell of Maryland. Tie it weighted or unweighted, this pattern has been successful for stocked and wild trout, as well as upstate NY steelhead.
Hook: #12-16 curved shank
Thread: UTC 70 denier (color to match the body)
Body: 1/8 inch (3 mm) leather or faux leather lace
Mid-section: UV Ice Dub, Pink (or any color)
Multi-color Faux Leather Lace: amzn.to/42nUECv
Bob's tying instructions:
drive.google.com/file/d/1N0FF...
** Some of the popular books used on this channel: **
Fly Pattern Encyclopedia: amzn.to/34U0rUe
Mike Valla's "Tying the Founding Flies," 2015, amzn.to/354oSir
Valla's "Tying and Fishing Bucktails..." 2016, amzn.to/3Jg2Mys
Valla's "Tying Catskill-Style Dry Flies," 2020, amzn.to/3DmYOjJ
Valla's "Classic Streamer Fly Box," 2020, amzn.to/3n3Vakf
Dave Hughes, "Essential Trout Flies," 2017, amzn.to/3lbCZYX
Hughes, "Nymphs for Streams and Stillwaters," amzn.to/3HC2jpc
Hughes, "Wet Flies," 2015, amzn.to/33ac3lQ
David Klausmeyer's "Favorite Flies," 2020, amzn.to/3oeSNMa
Randle Scott Stetzer's "Flies, the Best One Thousand," amzn.to/34Q15mp
Terry Hellekson's "Popular Fly Patterns," 1976, amzn.to/2L4IyvS
Dick Stewart's, "Flies for Bass and Panfish," 1992, amzn.to/3aGpFs1
Savage Flies is a project with the mission of encouraging and teaching fly tying to as many people as possible. The channel is named after one of my western Maryland homewaters, the Savage River. Thanks for stopping by.

[@bigdaddy99929]

Whatever works and this one follows KISS. I’m all for it. Thx Matt. Have a fabulous weekend.

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Clyde! Hope you had a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@diecastrejuvenation7779]

There's a lot of haters out there for San Juans. But they catch fish, and that's what we're all trying to do. Thanks for the variation, keep up the good work Sir.

[@SavageFlies]

Well thank you Troy! Hope you had a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@kenb4685]

Nice simple fly Matt. Thanks.

[@SavageFlies]

I know! Purple hoppers have been one of my most successful terrestrials the last few years. Sometimes I think it's just a trigger color. Like red is for bigmouth bass. Just something about it. :-)

[@rollinlapoint4554]

Great variation on a tried and true fish getter!!!!

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Rollin! Hope you had a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@martyrothman3933]

Thanks matt for everything

[@SavageFlies]

You're most welcome Marty! Hope you had a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@MyItalians]

Morning Matt. What a good variant. Thanks for the share.

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Nich! Hope you had a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@richardjones2129]

Nice variation Matt! Thanks for the good information on tying this sexy fishy looking fly. God Bless n Fish on!

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Richard! Hope you had a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@richardjones2129]

@@SavageFlies I did just too busy 2 wet a line....that's sacrilege. Lol

[@pc5439]

Great worm pattern Matt, there are so many different materials that you can use to tie this fly. I even like to cut some long pieces of foam and round braid them to imitate a floating trick worm similar to ones used in bass fishing and just twitch it. Gonna try and serenade a love sick gobbler this weekend, have a great one my friend. 5:26

[@SavageFlies]

Same here Phil! I've got some big Toms at the farm who have been going crazy when I stand on the back porch and gobble at them. I'm going out with my decoys and blind this weekend. 🦃

[@tompeterson559]

Thank you! Fuax leather is a great idea. Another great, simple fly.

[@SavageFlies]

You're welcome Tom! Hope you had a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@blackflycreations]

Nice tie Matt! Good looking bug!🐛Thank you for sharing👍 Steve

[@davehall2160]

Cool looking worm, Matt Definitely need some of them We have very good luck fishing worms in the winter Thanks for the video

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Dave! Hope you had a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@ybarrajc]

Thanks Matt, this one is going in my box for this weekends steelhead trip. Have a blessed day my friend.

[@SavageFlies]

Oh man, please let me know how it went! I hope you hooked up with some monsters. :-)

[@ybarrajc]

@@SavageFlies I had some unforeseen circumstances and didn’t make the trip😢 just catching up on your uploads.

[@crowdaddy8355]

Another great one. Thanks Matt.

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Chad! Hope you had a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@cheflexx778]

Thanks Matt! Thanks Bob. Will def be tying a few up for my box

[@SavageFlies]

You bet Alex! Hope you're doing well my friend and everything with the move is progressing. I've been planning my week-long fishing trip this year. Not hitting the Catskills this time, but heading back down to the Smoky Mountains. One of my old time favorite areas. Have a great week!

[@ConorMakes]

A lot of the time simple is just best. Kind regards Conor

[@SavageFlies]

You know it COnor! Hope you had a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@oldsmugglerflyfishing]

A new pattern to me, it's like a squirmy wormy and a gurgler had a baby.

[@SavageFlies]

Hahaha! It does look like that. I actually tried this out this weekend and without weight, the faux leather does float for a little while. But then when it got water logged, it ended up being a slow sinker. But still looked pretty good in the water.

[@garyproctor6044]

Thanks Matt !!! We used to laugh at these "flies" until we realized they are great for teaching the kids how to tie flies and they catch fish on their own fly. We didn't have the faux leather lace material so we stripped the hair of dyed rabbit zonkers..... worked well and caught fish 🤣

[@SavageFlies]

Great comment, and tip Gary! I like stripping rabbit zonkers but leaving just a little fur at the tip and using it for my mouse tails. I don't know if it does much for it, as I've never caught a fish on a mouse pattern, but I want to someday!

[@markfritch3168]

Certainly no lack of imagination when it comes to fly tying. I’m always intrigued by what makes some patterns work. When Lee Wulff was asked what bug the “Royal Wulff” was supposed to imitate he said no bug. He just said it looked like a banana split to a trout, and they couldn’t resist it. Keep exploring the possibilities Matt. Warmest regards

[@SavageFlies]

Great comment Mark! Who doesn't love banana splits?? I've had some great days on small brook trout streams with the old classic Royal Coachman and Royal Wulff. Of course wild brook trout are notoriously opportunistic feeders. :-)

[@mhanson4972]

Very cool pattern!

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Mark! Hope you had a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@Jd-yc3gw]

Good morning Matt. ☕️time. I don’t find it surprising that this would catch fish especially after seeing some of the patterns that have been developed. Nice simple tie too. Doing some work on my boat this week and then headed back home likely tomorrow. Season is getting closer. Have a great weekend Matt.

[@SavageFlies]

Oh yeah John! I was out chasing turkeys Saturday morning and it felt like I was in Canada. Well not really. 40 degrees but it had rained all night so it felt colder. Good luck with the boat and opening day!!

[@Jd-yc3gw]

@@SavageFlies So…..are you eating turkey???

[@SavageFlies]

I wish! The turkeys are safe for at least another week. 🤣

[@leemowers9395]

Thanks Matt for Sharing.

[@jimgollach6202]

I've never fished a pink worm, but I definitely fish a green inchworm. An excellent worm color around these parts. Thanks Matt, enjoyed watching.

[@SavageFlies]

Funny you mention that Jim, I was just answering another comment and said if you tied it in green, and make it about half the size, it would make a decent inchworm. And if it's not weighted, this thing will float at least for a little while.

[@patgentile8521]

Awesome 👍 fly matt

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Pat! Hope you had a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@joeduca8582]

"Don Juan" 🤣great name for a worm pattern. I remember using rubber bands to tie worm flies, then I heard about using chamois for them and other patterns. It's not the same as the San Juan but Vladi's Condom Worm caused quite a stir. Klausmeyer has it and a couple more "worms" in his 101 nymphs & wets. I think D.K. ties a squirmy san juan too. Yeah, worm patterns definitely work and on the Salmon R. too. I had a fishing buddy that wanted me to tie something for him that he saw used on the Salmon. I didn't understand what he was describing but now realize it may have been a San Juan, and that was in the 80's. When Berkely came out with their power bait trout worms they were very popular up there, especially in pink. Great video Matt, I don't cringe about fishing I don't know if your season is open yet but good luck 🦃Ours starts tomorrow, so does pike and walleye. 🤔Have a good one 👍

[@SavageFlies]

Oh yeah Joe, the rivers I fish here in Maryland are open all year, but turkey season opened last week. So I'm at the farm this weekend, and about sunrise on Saturday I go out on my back porch and let out a loud gobble and see if any big toms answer. I've got woods on either side of my pastures and I got answers from both sides. I pick the closer side, hike down an access road to the other side of the ridge, set up my blind and decoys and start calling to him. And oh boy he answered immediately. Not at all happy to think another tom was in his territory. I probably only got him within a hundred yards or so, and I never saw him before I scared him off. I'm a total rookie turkey hunter but it sure is fun trying to outwit these guys. And they are not as easy to call as I thought they were going to be. But I'll get there. I hope you were able to get out for your opening day!

[@laytonmarvin3790]

Simple and effective, what else do you need. Thanks Matt for sharing

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Layton! Hope you had a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@burtonbrocious171]

Tks sweet easy pattern i say fly fishing is a lot of fun catching fish is more fun tight lines matt😊

[@SavageFlies]

You know that's right Burt! Hope you had a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@johnnylightning1491]

I guess the only fly that could be more simple is the actual San Juan Worm with only one material. As you alluded to the color variations are endless. Keep the good stuff coming.

[@SavageFlies]

Oh yeah Dave. I'm thinking in anything but pink or a light brown, this thing has got to be an attractor pattern. Or maybe tie it half the size in green and it could be a decent inch worm. Another pattern I've never tied or tried. But they do show up in some books from time to time! Hope you had a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@Sfunst38]

Thanks for the video Matt! I just picked up some of that suede leather lace a couple of weeks ago! Definitely a coincidence! I have been tying similar patterns but using semperfli nano silk for the thread. You can really crank down on it to get the suede bound down well. The color choices are a little lacking but it's still really good stuff. Anyway, thanks again for the video and keep them coming!

[@SavageFlies]

Great comment Sean! Using this material was a first for me but I think these patterns are going to do well. I'm definitely putting a few of them in my panfish box!

[@jimholland1592]

Good morning Matt,☕️☕️ 🤣🤣🤣you came over to the dark side. But ya know after a good rain…. What’s in the streams the worm hatch🙂

[@SavageFlies]

Hahaha! Yes indeed Jim. I just got in from the farm. A couple days of bush hogging and turkey hunting. I still haven't gotten my first turkey but I'm getting better at calling them. :-) Hope you had a great weekend!

[@jeffjackson5331]

That is pretty neat!

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Jeff! Hope you had a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@jeffjackson5331]

@@SavageFlies you are very welcome. Same to you and your family Matt

[@michaelburk9171]

Great looing pattern. Simple and easy doesnt equate to ineffective. The size a color variations would be about infinite. Not much trout fishing in my area. But a small version would probably be great for sunfish. And a bigger one with some weight could sink horizontally like a senko for bass.

[@charlieboutin3341]

Nice one! I’m a streamer guy, but have used a Juan or a Mop on rare occasions, and they work for sure. My go to for our stockers is a mini black leech or a local guys Morris Mauler (brown & yellow marabou jig fly). They’ve caught hundreds. I understand the purist, but believe you use whatever you’re confident in. I heard of places overseas that only allow natural dry flies, bamboo rods, and you can only cast to rising feeding fish. That’s way too pure for me! 😂 Have a great weekend Matt. Saw you might be going Turkey hunting. Hope you get a good gobbler! 🦃👍🎣👌 Thanks a lot Matt!

[@SavageFlies]

Great comment Charlie! The Morris Mauler sounds like a cool pattern. Let me know if it's something I should tie for the channel and I'd be happy to help publicize a local Texas pattern. And yep, I went out chasing turkeys Saturday morning and today. It was pouring rain this morning so I didn't last too long, but I was out a good while Saturday. I didn't get any big toms within my range, but I had a long conversation with one and think I got him within about 100 yards. I never saw him but I sure was pissing him off! I'm new at this turkey hunting game so I probably over called and scared him off. Not to mention I'm not real good with a slate call yet. But I'll get there. I've got a few more weeks this year to get back out. :-)

[@randymorris8740]

Nice pattern, it's just a matter of time before we see you tie the mop fly... 🤣

[@SavageFlies]

Hahaha! Don't tell anybody Randy but I did tie a handful a few years ago!! Hope you had a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@joutdoorsmen23]

Matt thanks for sharing, I know this will catch fish and I’m not sure what’s up with the purple color too, I’ve never seen anything in the water that looks like it but man oh man what ever pattern you tie the purple color in it will catch fish

[@SavageFlies]

I don't know either! But there's just something about purple. Pink and purple hoppers have probably been my most successful terrestrial patterns the last few years. Even more so than a semi-natural looking green or tan. I think purple can be a trigger sometimes. Maybe like red is for bigmouth bass.

[@joutdoorsmen23]

@@SavageFlies you might be onto something I I tried nymphs in purple with different color beads and they are all trout magnets I use the different color beads for different types of water color and that seems to be the only thing that makes the difference to the colors purple, orange, green, and pink all in chartreuse but purple is my go to

[@SavageFlies]

Love it!! Thanks for the tips. :-)

[@harryjoesather6539]

😎

[@whathohoratio1842]

I wonder if you made this with foam and floated it how it would do

[@SavageFlies]

That's a good question Christian. I'll bet it would do well for panfish or bass, but I'm wondering if trout would eat a worm on the surface. I imagine some of them would. :-)

[@jamesvatter5729]

Yes, this will make "purists" cringe, but I guarantee it'll catch plenty of fish.

[@SavageFlies]

Yes indeed Jim! Hope you had a great weekend my friend. :-)