http://susquehannafishing.com/
By Jim Kukorlo
The “Incredible, Edible Egg.”
Fish know what we know about the food value of an egg. It is a high-protein, high-fat and high-energy food.
Spawning season in the Susquehanna Region runs from late August to late May. This cool water period is when insect activity is in decline, and fish are looking for a high protein food source. It is instinctual for fish to eat fish eggs and is a great time to fly fish egg flies. You will find success fishing egg patterns throughout this cool water period.
The most popular colors are white, pink, dark pink, and orange. Carry an assortment of sizes from one eighth to one quarter inch. Smaller ones seem to be more effective in late summer and low water conditions. Larger ones are a good imitation of egg clumps or clusters. Eggs don’t swim, they roll along with the current on or near the bottom.
A drag free, dead drift is the most effective way of fishing eggs patterns. This is to fish the fly without imparting any additional movement while keeping the lure moving in the current. Add a split shot eight to ten inches above the fly to get down where they feed. If you are not getting hung up occasionally, you are probably not fishing deep enough.
Cast quartering upstream and hold your rod high, keeping most of your line off the water, to get your fly down on the bottom with little drag. Having a drag-free drift is important. This is much like nymph fishing.
Try using two flies with a bead head nymph as the first fly. Attach 12 to 18inches of 3x tippet material or 4 pound mono filament at the hook bend of the first fly, then tie on your egg. Add split shots above the first fly and between the two flies depending on the depth and speed of the water.
Often, fish will gently take the egg fly and it is difficult to detect the strike. Using a strike indicator will increase your chances of success. When fishing a strike indicator, it should be moving along with or more slowly than the bubbles on the water.
Low-water summer conditions call for a different approach to fishing eggs. Again, you can use two flies, but, use a dry fly on top. A Hopper pattern floats well and is a great choice with this method. Attach the egg dropper fly in the same manner as before, but make the drop lead longer to reach the bottom. Whatever the depth is, one and one half times that is a good starting length for the drop leader. The Hopper will be your strike indicator as well. When it stops…set the hook.
Try tying your own egg flies. Mc Fly Foam works great for egg patterns. Use egg hooks in size 14 to size 10. The most popular colors have been listed… yet, be creative. Try different colors and fish them in different water conditions. In your selection of egg patterns you should also have some sucker spawn flies. Sucker spawn is tied simply by looping yarn and tying the loops to the hook to look like a sucker fish’s egg sack. White, pink, yellow are the popular colors for sucker spawn flies.
Fish eggs are a prized high-energy food source in rivers and streams of the region. Fish know this and now, so do you. Give them a try!
Lisa Kamerzel, 19 inch bow on an egg.
Jim Kukorlo has fly fished Fishing Creek near Bloomsburg, PA and surrounding waters for over 40 years. He is a skilled angler, fly tyer and a fly fishing guide, who enjoys taking photos of fly fishers and their catch.
