This Steelhead Egg seems too simple to be effective, but that may be why it is so darn effective. The fly is small and combines a hint of orange and pink, both great steelhead egg colors. The Bead of choice is fl. Orange, unless you prefer gold, and I suppose that a rainbow beat just might work too.
This fly has just a little weight, so you will either need to add some weight, fish it in tandem with another weighted egg, or cast far enough upstream that it sinks to the proper depth to begin your drift.
This is a fantastic fly to fish in pair with a big weighted stonefly nymph.
This BEE (Best Egg Ever) is a fly, that I usually fish clear water or even in green water if there are a lot of people fishing the same water ahead of me. The fly is small, but the steelhead can see it, and if the fish have already seen a lot of bigger flies and baits, they may be more receptive to this fly, largely because it is quite small. At least, that’s what I think. Who really knows?
Jay Nicholas
February 2012
Best Steelhead Egg Patterns – BEE (Best Egg Ever)
Thread: Lagartun 95 D Fl. Orange
Hook: TMC 2457 #10
Bead: Hareline Plummeting Tungsten Bead, Gold or Fl. Orange – 3/16”
Tail: Eumer Arctic Fox tail, orange, with a hint of hot orange Krystal flash
Egg: Hareline medium Carded Fl shrimp Pink Chenille
Egg Veil: Hareline Egg Yarn – white