How to Effectively Fish with Egg Patterns
Egg fly season is upon us once again. Learning how to fish an egg fly effectively and ethically can turn a slow day into a great day. Use these simple considerations the next time you hit the river.
Know when to use an egg pattern. Egg patterns work best when:
Trout or other species (salmon, suckers, whitefish) are actively spawning.
Water is cold and fish are feeding low in the water column.
The river has gravel beds, riffles, or tailouts where eggs drift naturally.
Tackle setup:
Rod: 4–6 wt
Leader: Euro leader or a 9–12-foot tapered leader if you prefer.
Tippet: 4X–6X, goes as heavy as you can to allow you to fight the fish effectively.
Weight: Using a tungsten bead of brass bead on your pattern or split shot 6–12 inches above fly
Your goal is to have the egg drifting near the bottom without constantly snagging. Remember trout typically feed looking level or above themselves given their eyes are on the top half of their head.
Water to target:
The water below redds is the only place to ethically fish to trout. Do not disturb actively spawning fish or fish gathering on redds. These fish are already taxed from their journey up and fighting for their right to spawn along with added stress from the colder than ideal feeding water temperatures.
Below redds look for drop offs, tailouts and current seams where eggs will naturally gather after being carried downstream from the redds. Eggs will settle there and are naturally good places for trout to maximize their calories by allowing the food to drift to them without burning many calories.
Try to avoid walking in the river below redds as well to avoid stepping on eggs that are floating down river.
The Presentation:
A natural drag free drift is a must! Weight your rig accordingly to have your flies just above the bottom of the river. Short drag free drifts are better than long drifts with drag. A good rule of thumb is that your fly should start to tick bottom the last 1/3 of your drift. Adjust your weight and leader until you find the sweet spot.
Effective egg colors:
Without going too crazy down the color scheme rabbit hole, have a few colors to start with as trout will become dialed into certain colors over another based on time of year, what is spawning, how far along the spawn is and water clarity. Five colors that are a good starting point are: Peach, Apricot, Cheese, Pink, Chartreuse (great for off-color water) and White with a blood dot or red bead. If you are confident that you are presenting a good drift to feeding trout without success, start rotating colors.
Here are materials I recommend to tie your best egg patterns:
Quick review:
· Get your eggs deep with a drag free drift just off the bottom
· Watch for the slightest deviation in your drift as trout often sip eggs and lightly set your rod
· Adjust your weight and depth first before your egg color
· Ethically fish to trout below redds, not on redds
· Handle fish gently and immediately release your catch