Fly tying: The Nuke Egg

The Nuke Egg by Tim Flagler

By Chris Hunt

Egg patterns get a bad rap, for the most part. They're kind of like the venerable San Juan Worm—they just look too much like bait to some fly fishers, and for that reason, they're often scorned, and those of us who use them are often ridiculed.

But, in a "match the hatch" world, egg patterns do, indeed, imitate a natural food source, particularly if you're fishing in waters where salmon and steelhead are running. Often, egg patterns will work to catch those anadromous fish, but they'll also work on trout and char that follow these fish upstream in search of a meal. Big rainbows of Alaska's Bristol Bay chase the sockeye run up the rivers and gorge themselves on salmon eggs. My favorite fly rod fish in salmon waters, the Dolly Varden, is a voracious egg-eater. This last summer, on Prince of Wales Island, big Dollies were mingling among the pink salmon run in late August, grabbing eggs at every opportunity. 

The pattern featured here, by Tightline Productions' Tim Flagler, is a great overall egg pattern, and I just love watching Tim tie it. This is a fly that soaks up water and drifts really well in shallow water without the need of any weight. In deeper water, you'll need some split shot to get the fly down, but it still drifts well and, since it's tied without beads or hardware, there's nothing to interfere with the hookset. 

Watch the video, and if you're off to hit a steelhead river anytime, soon, give the Nuke Egg a shot. I bet you'll pleased with the results.