Trout are creatures of opportunity, and high-calorie forage items meet their metabolic needs. Worms are one such food source that trout will rarely pass up. Annelids are present year-round, and during certain months, environmental factors bring more of these high-calorie morsels into a trout's feeding lane.
Regardless of the time of year, worms are immobile, easy for trout to catch, and offer an excellent source of protein and calories. Most importantly, besides midges, they are one of the few forage items that can be found in almost every part of the world. Whether you are fishing a river in the American West or Central Europe, worms are found in nearby stream side banks.
For the aforementioned reasons, worm flies can be fished year-round and are effective fly patterns in almost any river in the world. If I were to pick two flies to carry with me at all times, it would be a San Juan worm and a pheasant tail, as both are universally effective patterns.
In this post, I will discuss the art of fishing the worm. There are many variations of the San Juan worm, ways to fish worm patterns, and effective tactics for how, when, and why we should choose to fish this highly effective series of flies.
What is a Worm Fly?
A worm fly is a type of fly pattern used to imitate annelids. There are many variations of worm flies, but the original pattern that many fly anglers are familiar with is the San Juan Worm. The San Juan Worm is a small worm fly tied out of chenille. It is simple and highly effective. However, some anglers refuse to fish with it.
Purists will argue that the San Juan Worm is not worthy of the respect it deserves. There are many reasons for this: it is too simple, lacks the aesthetic attributes of more complex fly patterns, or some simply refuse to fly fish with nymphs. Regardless of the reason, it is undeniable that worm flies work. For this reason alone, I always have some in my fly box.
What are the Best Colors for Worm flies?
Worm flies come in a variety of colors. As a general rule of thumb, the greater the water clarity, the more natural-colored worm fly you should choose. Colors like red, maroon, dark purple, brown, and light tan have all produced fish for me. It is hard to say why one color is better than another. In my experience, the color I choose to fish with is tied directly to the body of water I am fishing. For example, on the South Fork of the Snake River, the trout love dark red worms. Here in central Colorado, brown worms with a small orange hotspot out-fishes all other colors. It is wise to have a variety of colors in your fly box unless you have prior knowledge of what fish prefer.
When the water is stained or off-color, go with a loud, brightly colored fly. Hot pink or hot orange both work well in the springtime. Loud colors help fish find the flies in dirty water.
Choosing The Correct Size Worm Fly
In the springtime, choose large-profile flies. With low visibility in stained water, fish need to be able to see the flies as they move through feeding lanes. As the fishing season progresses, downsize your fly selection. Summer hatches wane, and as a result, there is less and less food available. Downsize your fly throughout the summer to match the progressive downsizing of the hatch.
In winter, choose very small worm patterns. I prefer flexi-floss flies. Winter brings low, clear water, increased visibility, and lethargic metabolisms. Thin-profile worm patterns with lots of natural movement pair nicely with a small midge pattern to match the relatively sparse food options during the coldest part of the year.
One trick to try is if you are fishing in the winter in heavily pressured tailwaters, where most other fly fishermen will be using very small flies, tie on the largest worm pattern you can find and sight fish to specific fish. This tactic allows anglers to target the largest fish in the river. Many times, the biggest fish will come and eat the oversized fly out of curiosity. I have caught many big fish using this tactic on heavily pressured waters.
When is it Most Effective to Fish Worm Flies?
Fly fishing with worm patterns is generally most effective in the spring months. Worms are found in stream side soils throughout the ecosystem. For most rivers, winter flows are minimal. Low flows for long periods of time create dry riverbanks. Spring rains and snowmelt—either separately or in combination—bring a sudden rise in water levels. As the water rises, stream side banks erode, and worms are flushed into the river system. These high-calorie morsels are often too good for trout to pass up.
Worms in the river system coincide with lethargic winter trout coming out of hibernation. During the coldest months, trout spend most of their time eating tiny midges. The cold, oxygen-rich water keeps trout in a lethargic state. However, warmer spring flows jumpstart a trout's metabolism, and worms become one of the first real food opportunities of the fly-fishing season. For anglers, this is the opportune time to capitalize on fishing worm flies.
As I have stated in many previous articles, there are certain aquatic insects that trout love to opportunistically eat year-round. These are insects or forage items that are present in large numbers and packed with calories. Although they might not be actively hatching, trout are aware of their metabolic value. Common forage items in this category include craneflies, stoneflies, eggs, and of course, worms. This means that it is always a solid option to choose a worm fly at any time of the year.
Worm Fishing Gear
To fly fish worms, you can use any fly rod you have. For most worm fishing and nymphing situations, it is ideal to use a 9-foot to 11-foot fly rod in a 3-weight to 6-weight fly rod with a fast-action tip. Your standard weight-forward floating fly line will work well for fly fishing with worm flies. The majority of the time, I fish worm flies either in a dry-dropper setup or in a two-fly deep nymph rig combination underneath an indicator. Both of these setups are heavy and can make a forward cast difficult on shorter or slower-action rods.
Common Fly Rig Setups for Fishing Worm Patterns
I almost always fish worm flies in a two-fly deep nymph setup beneath a strike indicator. For this rig, I prefer a leader that matches the river i’m fishing. In the West, especially during the spring with high, dirty water, I fish a 7.5-foot, 2X or 3X tapered leader. I then add 18 inches of matching 2X or 3X tippet with an overhand knot to the leader. I prefer fluorocarbon material, as it is nearly invisible underwater. The total length of the leader is around 9 feet.
At the end of the leader, I tie my first fly (the point fly) using an improved clinch knot. In this case, it is a worm pattern. From the eye of the worm hook, I add another piece of fluorocarbon tippet to the worm fly. This piece of tippet should match the size of the second fly you choose. For smaller flies in the hook size range of #16 to #22, you would choose tippet sizes from 4X to 6X. For larger second flies, like a stonefly or egg pattern, you would choose heavier tippet. Attach the second fly to the additional tippet with an improved clinch knot.
Lastly, add a strike indicator to the leader. As a rule of thumb, place the strike indicator 1.5 times the average depth of the river above the point fly. If you feel like the flies are not sinking deep enough in the water column, add a piece of split shot to the leader above the knot you added to the leader. The knot in the leader keeps the split shot from sliding down.
Dry Dropper Worm Setup
Fishing a dry-dropper setup in the summer is an excellent way to cover both the upper and mid layers of the water column. This is especially true in the heat of summer, when fish are looking up, and sudden summer showers can bring an influx of worms into the river system.
For this setup, I like to use a 3X, 7.5-foot leader. A heavier, shorter leader allows me to present larger foam flies with a heavy nymph more accurately than a longer, lighter leader. At the end of the leader, choose a large, buoyant foam fly that can float a heavier nymph. For an all-around foam fly pattern, I like to use a Chubby Chernobyl as my dry fly or point fly. Chubbies can represent various terrestrial and larger aquatic hatches, such as golden stoneflies, and can even be tied in bright attractor color combinations.
Attach 18 to 36 inches of tippet to the bend of the hook of the dry fly using an improved clinch knot. For weighted worm patterns, I prefer to use 3X tippet for the dropper. The heavier tippet makes it easier to turn over the heavier flies on the forward cast. At the end of the additional tippet, tie on your chosen worm pattern. For a dry-dropper rig, the fly usually needs to be weighted to sink deep in the water column. I prefer to use a non-slip knot to add the worm fly to the final piece of tippet. A non-slip loop allows the fly pattern to move more naturally in the water.
Where to Fish Worm Flies
Worms are versatile. They can be fished in both lakes and rivers and can even be used to catch perch. For our purposes, we will focus on fishing for trout. Where and when you fish worm flies largely dictates how successful you are with any pattern. In the previous section, we covered when to fish worms. In this section, we will cover where to fish worm flies.
Since worms enter the water from streamside banks, it is best to present your flies along undercut banks, in fast seams, and along streamside transition zones. Transition zones could be areas where shallow water meets deep water, slower water on the inside bends of the river, or river runs of fast water that enter deep holes and then come to an abrupt slowdown. All of these areas could be potential places to present your flies.
The banks in the spring are important not only for worms but also for stoneflies. Stoneflies migrate from midstream rocks to the banks to hatch, which also draws fish to the banks. For this reason, the banks are a prime place to focus your springtime attention. For the remainder of the year, summer and fall rains can bring additional erosion, so focus on the banks during rain showers.
Swinging worm flies can be an ultra-effective tactic for catching fish throughout the year. As I mentioned earlier, one of the main places fish hide is beneath undercut banks. In early spring, when both worms and stoneflies are abundant, I like to fish a Pat's Rubber Leg as my point fly and a large, unweighted San Juan Worm as my second fly. I present the flies as close to cover as possible, mend the line, and then let the flies and indicator drift past me. As the drift concludes, the flies are swung vertically through the water column and into undercut banks or beneath streamside vegetation. This has been an extremely effective tactic for me.
What are the Best Worms to Use for Fly Fishing?
The variety of fly-tying materials on the market allows for endless variations of worm fly patterns, but it’s essential to focus on a few effective patterns. Here are just a few worm flies I like. Each serves a specific purpose and comes in handy for different fly-fishing scenarios.
The All-Around - Squirmy Wormy
The Squirmy Wormy is a popular and effective worm fly pattern that can be tied in various colors and styles. I love the Squirmy Wormy because it took the already effective chenille body of the San Juan Worm and improved it. The silicon body of the Squirmy Worm gives it a lifelike feel and movement in the water. The Squirmy Wormy is my go-to worm pattern and an excellent all-around fly. If I were to choose one fly pattern to fill my fly box with, this would be the one.
I like them tied heavily weighted with a tungsten bead. The Squirmy Wormy makes an excellent fly for conventional nymph rigs. If you want to get tactical, the Squirmy Wormy can be used as your point fly in Euro nymphing.
Lightweight Classic for Multi-Fly Rigs - San Juan Worm
The San Juan worm is perfect for multi-fly rigs where you don't need a ton of weight to get your flies down to depth. Because San Juan Worms are so lightweight, we sometimes use them as a dropper fly under a smaller dry fly. For shallower runs or slower flows you can fish San Juan Worms under a strike indicator just by itself or pair it with another lightweight nymph like a Zebra Midge or Glo Bug Egg fly. For faster flows and or deeper runs, many anglers use the San Juan Worm trailing behind a heavy tungsten nymph.
Tight Line Nymphing - Jig Head Squirmy Worm
The Jig Head Squirmy Wormy is a worm pattern tied with Squirmy Wormy material on a tactical jig hook. It is weighted with a heavy tungsten bead head. Similar to the Condom Fly, it is an excellent point fly for tight-line nymphing. The heavy tungsten bead head keeps the fly in contact with the bottom of the river.
In my opinion, it outperforms the Condom Fly because it serves the same purpose of keeping the fly in contact with the bottom of the river. However, unlike the Condom Fly, it has much more natural movement and performs in a more realistic manner.
Dirty Water - The Sparkle Worm
In the spring, high water can create visibility issues for both fish and anglers. A bright pink or red sparkle worm is an effective, highly visible fly pattern that works well in dirty water. In addition, it is tied from braided sparkle material, which is extremely durable. For me, the pink version of this fly has been the most effective.
Euro Magic - The Condom Fly
The Condom Fly was born out of necessity. Created behind the Iron Curtain in communist Poland, it is tied with strips of pink condom material. Designed by competition fly anglers, the fly is meant to skip along the river's bottom. The heavily weighted underbody, red thread, pink condom strips, and wrapping in gold or silver wire create an ultra-realistic fly pattern.
When Euro nymphing, your point fly bounces along the river bottom. It is important to have a heavy fly that maintains contact with the riverbed, and the Condom Fly performs this task well.
Clear Water - Flossy Worm Jig
As mentioned earlier, worm flies can be fished year-round. In winter, I primarily like to fish downsized point flies. The thinner profile of the flexy floss body gives this worm pattern erratic movement. This fly is ideal for fishing small streams or in low-clear water.
Fish The Spawn - The Egg Sucking Worm
The Egg Sucking Worm is an excellent springtime fly that covers two high-quality forage items in a single fly. The front of the fly pattern is an egg, and the back half is a chenille worm. I have also seen this fly tied with Squirmy Wormy material. During the spring, rainbow trout are spawning, so both eggs and worms are highly sought after by trout. If trout don't eat the worm, they will often eat the egg.
Fly Combinations for the Whole Year
Maximizing your double-fly rig configuration will increase your effectiveness. Below are a few fly combinations I like to use for each season of the year. These combinations are assuming that you are fishing a two fly nymph rig below a strike indicator.
Spring
Point Fly - Pink, Red, or Brown Squirmy Wormy (Larger Size), Second Fly - Pat's Rubber Leg
Point Fly - Pink Sparkle Fly (Larger Size), Second Fly - Beadhead Veiled Cabalerro
Summer
Point Fly - Squirmy Worm Red or Brown (Down Size From Spring), Second Fly - Split Case P.M.D.
Point Fly - Pat's Rubber Leg (Golden Stone #8-#10), Second Fly - Flashback Pheasant Tail or Guides Choice Hare's Ear (#14-#18)
Fall
Point Fly - San Juan Worm (Down Size From Summer), Second Fly - Split Case P.M.D.
Winter
Point Fly - Flossy Worm, Second Fly - Zebra MidgePoint Fly - Flossy Worm, Second Fly - Rainbow Warrior
Point Fly - Flossy Worm, Second Fly - JuJuBee Zebra Midge
