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Why Fish Egg Flies?

Pound for pound, eggs have a very large proportion of protein, and are a favorite of trout. One egg can have the equivalent nutrition of 500 midges, and trout are keenly aware of the energy requirements to grab 500 midges vs. 1 egg!

Rigging Egg Flies

Size and color are important. Orange is a good starting point, and a rig of 3 flies, of varied color, with a weight above the top fly is an effective way to start. Pink, yellow, blue and chartreuse are also effective colors to experiment with. A strike indicator above the weight will show you when a fish bit one of your flies.  Here are a few of the Egg Flies we carry:

See All Egg Flies

Fishing Egg Flies

First of all, try to envision how a real egg would drift down the river.  With this in mind, cast upstream, and allow the fly to drift naturally, just like a real egg.

Fish will clear out the vegetation in a shallow, rocky portion of the river, which is where they will spawn.  This is called a Redd.  When you see a pair of fish, swimming over or near this redd,  please do not target these fish, as they are spawning.  It is important to allow them to spawn successfully, without adding the stress of being caught.  Below are a pair of Spawning Brown Trout over a Redd that they have cleared the vegetation.

Instead, target fish that are downstream, which are most likely there because they are feeding on eggs. (Brown or Brook trout will often sit opportunistically below a pair of spawning rainbows or Cutthroat in the spring and visa versa) Deeper pools are another prime spot to drift egg flies.

When To Fish Egg Flies

Rainbows and Cutthroat spawn February through May.

Brown and Brook Trout spawn September through December.