Mustad Quality Hooks
Mustad has more than 100 years of fly hook experience. Many patterns still retained date back half a century. In spite of this long experience, Mustad's processes and technology have been continuously renewed and refined. The study of insects is fundamental in modern fly fishing, and is therefore an all important criteria in fly hook design. Mustad has combined entomology and hook making into a totally new approach to fly hooks. Hooks are designed to meet specific properties of the insect´s anatomy without compromising presentation and action in fishing.

Jeff's EGGstravaganza

Each month Mustad will present a fly here, featuring one of our hooks, complete with tying instructions and fishing suggestions. When you buy hooks we hope you will consider Mustad and Partridge first.

Jeff's EGGstravaganza
By Jeff Pierce

Jeff's EGGstravaganza is a super egg cluster imitation. This is one of my 'go-to' flies for steelhead and big brown trout when the salmon are in the tributaries spawning. While I have caught several coho and chinook salmon on this pattern it is truly a killer steelhead and brown trout fly. What a sight to see a 14lb brown trout come six feet to engulf this fly in clear water. Obviously, this pattern is most effective when there are loose eggs washing down river. While fishing for the trout and salmon with this pattern I have also caught big walleye, largemouth and smallmouth bass and carp as well.

I have been fishing this pattern for about eight years now (used a Mustad 92553R before the NEON hooks were available). Over the past eight years this fly has accounted for four of my six steelhead over 20lbs and nearly a dozen brown trout over 16 pounds, including my best to date, a 23.5 pounder! This fly has also produced trophy fish for others I have shared it with. Trust me, you need this one in your box when chasing these fish.

Materials List:

Some of the materials needed to tie this fly

    Hooks:  Mustad Ultra Point NEON 92569FO (flo. orange) in size 6 or 8.
    Thread:  Wapsi Waxed 140 thread in flo. orange.
    Body:  4 3MM Krystal Eggs in orange or you can tie your own glo-bugs.
    Additional:
    10 inches of 10lb or 12lb fluorocarbon.
    Zap-a-Gap.
    2 inches of orange Estaz

Tying Instructions:

Step 1: The pound test of the fluorocarbon needed depends on the brand you are using. It need to be stiff enough so as not to sag when support the eggs. But, you don't want it too stiff so that the fish immediately rejects the fly. I prefer to use fluorocarbon because it is more durable and more importantly, it disappears in the water making for a much more realistic looking fly. Thread one end of the fluorocarbon through the eye of a sewing needle. Then thread all four krystal egs onto the fluorocarbon. Tie a double overhand knot at the other end of the fluorocarbon. Then, slide one of the eggs down to within a half inch or so of the knot. Touch the knot with a drop of Zap-a-Gap and then slide the egg down the fluorocarbon so that the knot stops the egg and is hidden within the egg. Give the egg a squeeze to secure it, being careful not to glue the egg to your finger (been there, done that). Cut the fluorocarbon so that the egg the egg has a 2 inch tag of fluorocarbon sticking out of it.

Step 2: Repeat this procedure three more times so that you have a total of four egg stems.

Step 3: Use tweezers or your fingers to put a 90 degree bend in the fluorocarbon. This will help the egg stand out away from the hook, giving it that convincing egg cluster look. I generally try to secure the eggs so that they vary from 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch from the hook stank. Therefore kink the fluorocarbon accordingly.

Step 4: Build up a small base of thread in the center of the tying length.

Step 5: Secure the first egg where the fluorocarbon has the 90 degree bend so that the egg sticks out and back to one side or the other. Exact placement is not crucial, just remember you are trying to recreate a tasty bunch of eggs.

Step 6. Tying right handed I generally secure 1) rear left egg 2) rear right egg 3) front left egg and then the front right egg.

Step 7: Apply a drop of Zap-a-Gap to the attachment point to help secure the eggs and stiffen the attachment angles.

The photo above is a top view to show how the eggs are spaced and angled.

Step 8: Attach the Estaz in the center of the egg cluster. I generally try to do one center wrap, one wrap behind and under the fluorocarbon to help lift them, 2 more wraps in the center and one wrap forward and under the fluorocarbon again to help lift. Then tie off the Estaz, whip finish, cut it and apply some head cement or Zap-a-Gap for added durability.

Step 9: Remove it from the vise, attach it to your tippet and hold on.

Variations

Above are a couple of variations, a flo. pink version tied on a 92569FP in size 8, and flo. chartreuse version tied on a 92569CH in size 6.

Fishing Suggestions

This one liked it!

When fishing this pattern it is best fished on a dead drift. Any drag on the swing will reduce your number of strikes. When concentrating on the steelhead and browns we try to locate fast water seams 25 to 50 yards down from where the salmon are spawning. This "buffer zone" tends to distance us from the guys specifically targeting the salmon and usually puts us right where the fish are. You see, the steelhead and browns don't like to be bombarded with all the hardware that many of the salmon anglers use and the salmon tend to attack the browns and steelhead that get too close to their spawning redds. So, the trout tend to hang back a bit. The distances vary depending on the river.

When it comes to tying these, vary your colors. Some days the fish really key in on the natural colors and on other days the pink and/or chartreuse perform the best. When tying the orange colors I'll often mix in one or two white eggs or use two dark orange and two light orange eggs. This gives the fly a very natural look of milked out eggs washing downstream. Tie up a bunch in varying colors, get out on the water and have fun!

~ Jeff Pierce

About Jeff Pierce

Jeff Pierce is the North American Sales Coordinator for O. Mustad & Son (USA), Inc. and Partridge. He is the Captain of TEAM Mustad and is a diehard angler and fly tier.

Previous Monthly Flies!

Scud
Zonked Squirrel Streamer
Hopper
Velcro Crab
Pike Bunny
Glo Bug
CDC Steelhead
CDC Caddis
JP's Minnow
The Alvin Fly
The Chromie
JP's Trout Snack
Big Mack
X-File Pupa
Jeff's EGGstravaganza
Jeff's Coho Candy
The Flamingo

Visit the O. Mustad & Son website for more information on our extensive line of hooks for fly tying!

Back to the Mustad Page

O. Mustad & Sons (U.S.A.) Inc.
P.O. Box 838
253 Grant Avenue
Auburn, NY 13021
USA
Phone: (315) 253-2793
Fax: (315) 253-0157
Email.


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