# how to fish egg patterns?



## WINative (Sep 15, 2004)

How do you guys fish egg patterns for steelheads? Are they more effective at a certain time during the season?

Thanks,
JM


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## fishing pole (May 2, 2004)

Egg patterns seem to work better as the water cools into the 40's. I fish them bounced along the bottom (or just off) with a strike indicator or without


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## silverbullet (Apr 14, 2004)

When I fish egg patterns I most always will fish them under an indicator. It is not always the way to go but used in the right conditions is deadly. There are times when dead drifting works better, aka faster water. I have been known to fish egg patterns as early as October and still get good results on early fish. Eggs + candy to steelhead. I have my best luck though later in the season as the water cools and the fish slow down and are found primarily in the deeper pools. Fish the egg under the float so that it is close to the bottom, let it hang up at the shallow humps in the pool, the fish will find it and game on. I normally run the lead a few feet deeper than the water, shot it accordingly, not too much though. good luck and when in doubt, set the hook, it could be a fish, (or rock)

Jeff


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## WINative (Sep 15, 2004)

Thanks for the tips. I'm looking forward to getting my first on the flyrod.

JM


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## fishing pole (May 2, 2004)

Let me know when your out i fish your side of town quite a bit


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## ngski (Aug 16, 2005)

Hey silverbullet notice a few post from ya, can you answer me this question.

_I'm still kind of new to steelhead. My question, does the hot glue eggs work or the standard yarn pattern work the best. I find it much easier to make glue eggs with different colors and create cluster eggs which to me looks more real then the yarn eggs._

Beginner at tying flies, the hot glue method was easier for me to turn out quanities.


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## silverbullet (Apr 14, 2004)

ngski

I have personally had much better luck with yarn eggs. I know guys that use the glue eggs and do well. I just never have really had the luck. I think its mostly a comfort zone with the yarn too. I am confident with them. 

JEff


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## shestamps2 (Oct 14, 2006)

I have heard tell that the yarn gets caught on their teeth helping set the hook, makes sense to me.
Rick


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

I seldom fish the egg pattern alone. My usual method is to fish the egg close to but not on the bottom and under a strike indicator. I also tie another tippet about 10 to 12 inches long off the egg hook and then tie on a nymph.
Have caught steel on both offerings and one time had two on at once but only landed the fish hooked on the egg.


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## jholbrook (Sep 26, 2006)

Another good egg imitation can be made by cutting up plastic worms into small pieces about the size of an egg. It's the easiest method I have found and can be made with leftover tackle from summer or the worms that are so used up that they barely stay on the hook.

John


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## silverbullet (Apr 14, 2004)

Good point on the worms. I have had very good success with an otter egg. Its a soft plastic egg with a white veil over the top. I still prefer the yarn mainly because they hold up better than than the soft plastics. 

Shortdrifts mention of the nymph, spot on.


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## ngski (Aug 16, 2005)

Now is the rule of thumb, the more stained the water the brighter the color egg???


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## silverbullet (Apr 14, 2004)

Yes, however nothing is carved in stone on that one. I have done well on bright eggs in clear water already. Also use a bigger fly in stained water/ smaller fly in clear water.


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## jholbrook (Sep 26, 2006)

When I was in Wisconsin, fishing the Root River, the rule seemed to be the clearer the water, the smaller the egg pattern. When the water was low and clear, some swore by patterns about the diameter of a pencil's eraser. (Or about this size  ). Higher water meant egg cluster patterns, big pieces of yarn and spawn sacks.

John


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## jholbrook (Sep 26, 2006)

I was wondering what you all think about steelhead taking eggs. If they mostly eat insects in the big lake before coming in to spawn, why are eggs so productive? Especially in Erie, there aren't the numbers of salmon spawning to make it a viable food source. And why do they hit spoons, but not feed heavily - at least as I understand it - on minnows?

The best I can figure is that steelhead slam lures like spoons and rattle-traps out of aggression. Could aggression cause them to hit spawn also? It's usually bright and smelly, maybe steelies find it annoying? I wonder if a large, shapeless, brightly colored streamer would take steelhead - I'm betting it would.

In my limited experience takes on spawn are often far more aggressive than the gentler takes on nymphs, shrimp and small jigs when you can sometimes feel them "chewing" the fly. 

Geesh.... instead of thinking about steelhead, I need to be fishing for steelhead.


John


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## ngski (Aug 16, 2005)

Guys thanks for the advice, caught back to back steelies on some good old yarn egg flies, as a bonus I tied the flies myself. Felt great when I landed the guys on flies I tied and no one else was catching anything. Had a good day on the Rocky, Wednesday.

Made a clown egg, combination white, bright yellow and pink. When I get a chance I'll post the pics of the guys.

Used jlhollbrook method, water a little high used a big chunk of yarn.


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## Samjw08 (Nov 23, 2006)

nice advice ill give it a try too


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## jholbrook (Sep 26, 2006)

Ha! You use my "method" and caught fish; while I was in Cleveland I got skunked. Today, I had an hour to fish, walked a good distance away from the crowds and found a nice hole. I planned to fish it from head to tail-out and go home. After about 15 minutes a guy and his girlfriend show up, stand within 15 feet of me and start floating spawn through the tail end of the pool, limiting my drift. To add insult to injury they pulled out two and I made the 3 hour drive home reeking of skunk.

Anyhow, congratulations on the catch. It is a helluva fishery up there, huh?


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## ngski (Aug 16, 2005)

Here is a pic of my first Steelie landed using my own tied egg pattern. Nothing to brag about but tying a few more color combination can't wait till season is in full swing to try them out.


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