The Caddis Fly: Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

The egg-sucking leech is a great staple winter steelhead pattern in Oregon. You can tie it in purple, black or any other color combination.

Egg-sucking leech pattern materials:
Hook: Tiemco 700 size 4
Thread: Black 6/0 Uni Thread
Tail: Purple rabbit strip
Weight: .25 lead wire
Body: Purple cross cut rabbit strip
Eyes: Large dumbbell
Head: Fluorescent orange chenille

So what does the egg-sucking leech imitate? Oregon leeches aren’t purple, and most people say leeches don’t eat salmon eggs. According to Westfly, the Egg-sucking leech might represent a stonefly drifting in the current with a salmon egg in its mouth. More likely, the motion, combined with the egg on the front is irresistible for some ineffable steelhead reasoning.

You can fish egg sucking leeches on the swing, or dead drifted under an indicator near the bottom.