Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2012 - 9

Fishing the Beadhead Egg
by Carl Haensel
photos by the author

Heading out on a morning of steelhead fishing is always an expedition. The early morning drive contains coffee, humor and discussion of fishing strategy for the day. Right at the heart of the discussion is which fly to start the day with. Time and time again, I’ve turned to a beadhead egg pattern. Whether as a single fly or as part of a two fly rig, it’s a great option in the morning. The combination of a bead for weight and flash along with a variety of colors works well in many situations and does particularly well in low light and off-color water. Successfully fishing an egg fly is a key component of effective steelhead fly fishing. One of the most common types of flies for migratory trout and salmon, it catches fish when no others can. There are many different ways to cast a fly for steelhead, and all can be successful. To truly “dial in” to successful strategies, there are steps that an angler can take. Start with rigging your flies to the situation. Use a strike indicator and set it between 1 and 1 ½ times the water depth. Your strike indicator is not a bobber and is not designed to float your fly. It should show the progress of your fly in the moving water and show when it stops on either a snag or a fish. If using two flies, set the egg fly as the second pattern with a larger streamer or stonefly pattern as a lead fly. This will give your egg pattern a more natural drift. Make sure to vary your weight to get the fly down to the fish. Steelhead will not move far to take a fly most days. If the fish are visible, observe your fly underwater on its drift. If it drifts a foot over the top of the heads of the fish, they will not come up to hit. It should drift right through the pod of fish. If you never snag the bottom, you do not have enough weight on your line. When casting your fly, make sure to start your cast well above the pod of fish so that your flies will have time to drop down through the water column. This will help avoid disturbing the fish. Manage your drift closely so that your fly drifts “dead” with the current past your target fish. While a swung fly can work very well at times, starting with a dead drift is the best way to fish most steelhead streams. Anglers should carry egg colors from bright to dull along with a variety of hook sizes. Choose the color of the fly based on water and weather conditions. Early morning and stained water call for larger, brighter egg patterns. Neon orange, pink and green can work well in these types of situations, and your egg pattern can be as large as size 4. If you’re fishing in the harsh midday sun in crystal clear water, use very small patterns
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in more natural steelhead egg tones. Look for real eggs on the bank where an angler has recently landed a “ripe” female steelhead ready to spawn. Pink and flesh toned colors in hook sizes as small as 12 can work well at these times. Manage your leader and tippet for the conditions as well. If the water is high, 1x tippet is a great option. If it is low and clear, try using fluorocarbon tippet in 3x or maybe even 4x. Keep in These flies are some of the many mind that when you hook other options that can be used on a fish, it will likely run for a Lake Erie tributaries. From top to while, and lighter tippet can bottom are the Egg Sucking Leech, lead to break-offs as well as Egg, Kaufmann Stonefly and stress for the fish. Green Rubber Leg Copper John. The best advice for a steelhead fly fishing trip is in many ways the simplest. When on the water, believe. To catch steelhead, you have to believe that they’re going to bite. You may cast for a long period of time without a bite. If you lose concentration, sit down and take a break. Take some time to change your presentation, flies or location. Then, wade back in, and keep fishing until the big one bites. If the fish are not hitting your beadhead egg pattern, try a variety of different flies until you find one that works well for your fishing style and situation. The flies shown here can address a variety of conditions, though their fishing styles vary quite a bit. Streamer patterns like the Egg Sucking Leech can be fished on a swing to entice active fish to bite and cover water quickly. The large egg pattern is great in low light conditions and high water. Stoneflies are often better for fish that have been in the stream for a longer period of time and are more accustomed to natural, local food. Small nymphs, like the Green Rubber Leg Copper John, are a great low water pattern for easily frightened fish.

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • November/December 2012

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10/3/12 8:22 AM

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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2012

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