There are many ways to fish for trout or steelhead during particular times of the year. Many anglers agree that using egg patterns is the most effective way, especially during the spawning season. They are an easy way to reel in a fish because eggs provide so many nutrients; it would be hard to pass up, scoring you the perfect catch. If this has you overwhelmed, and you do not know where to start, here is a guide to fly fishing with egg patterns.
The goal is to match the eggs with the specific prey it feeds on. Matching natural color combinations is crucial. Orange and light pink egg flys are some of the best colors, for they more closely resemble the real thing.
Eggs from spawning rainbow trout have a yellowish-orange color and are about 3/16 inches while eggs from spawning steelhead and Coho salmon have the same translucent color about ¼ inches. Chinook salmon eggs are the same color as well but are ⅜ inches. Unlike the rainbow trout, coho salmon, steelhead, and Chinook, brown trout's eggs are bright orange and are ¼ inches.
Another tip is to make sure you have different variations of colors within the oranges and light pinks. This also helps the egg look more realistic. Free drifting or trapped eggs stuck in gravel are in the water for a while, and it shows in their color. Their color becomes less vibrant and turns more translucent. After a while, it becomes completely opaque.
Having off-white or cream-colored eggs would also prove to be very useful in your fly fishing arsenal because these types of fly eggs naturally imitate those eggs that did not get fertilized. When the real eggs are not fertilized after they have been laid, their color becomes a whitish color, and it is murky instead of translucent. You should also consider having egg cluster patterns just in case you find yourself fishing in murky waters.
Most egg flies are made out of yarn and cut into an oval shape to resemble a natural egg, with a wide variety of colors. The most common colors used are peach, pink, orange, and yellow. The color you pick depends on where you are fishing as the best color to match is the most common natural eggs that populate the area where you will be fishing.
After you have found the right color and size for your fly eggs, another thing to do to maximize your chances of getting the egg pattern. The multicolor aspect of this egg pattern helps to better represent the eggs in their various stages while in the water. Together both colors are translucent in the water. It may look very light and weightless, but it sinks when in water. This egg pattern is best in a large size and used when the water is full of leaves and other debris.
This egg pattern is tied loosely to the hook. This type of pattern is commonly used with two egg flies. The larger egg fly is brighter in color. The other egg fly has a more realistic pattern and is smaller. It more closely resembles what might be in the water.
This egg pattern is the most simple but still highly effective. The glo bug fly pattern is lightweight and will toss and turn with the water with ease. In order for it to get where the fish is, it is imperative to add enough weight either above it through the reel line or below.