Egg

Effective during/after spawns; imitates trout/salmon eggs drifting freely.

Printed on the Joker

When fish spawn, a significant proportion of the eggs never make it into the gravel. They wash loose and drift downstream, and every trout below the redd knows it. An egg is pure protein and fat requiring no pursuit whatsoever, and during a spawning run trout will position themselves specifically to intercept them and eat little else.

The imitation is a ball of bright yarn — chartreuse, peach, orange, pink — trimmed round. Color matters more than you would expect: fresh eggs are brighter and more translucent, older ones go pale and opaque, and matching what is actually drifting can make a real difference on a pressured river.

It carries an ethical obligation. Fishing eggs below spawning fish is legitimate; wading through active redds to do it is not. Learn to recognize a redd — a clean, pale patch of disturbed gravel — and stay off it. Fish the water below, and leave spawning fish alone.

What does an Egg imitate?

Loose fish eggs drifting downstream from a spawning bed.

How do you fish an Egg?

Dead drift deep under an indicator, in the water below spawning gravel. No action, no strip — an egg simply tumbles with the current.

When should you fish an Egg?

Autumn through spring, during and immediately after salmon and trout spawning runs.

What are the quick tips for fishing it?

• Never wade through a redd. Fish the run below it.
• Match the shade of the naturals — fresh eggs are brighter than old ones.
• Trail a small nymph eighteen inches behind it.

How is an Egg tied?

• Hook: egg or scud hook, #10-#16
• Bead: optional, for depth
• Body: Glo Bug yarn in chartreuse, peach, orange or pink, trimmed to a sphere

Dressings vary by tier and region. Treat this as the common recipe, not the only one.