"Greenens'Articulating Egg Leech

Greenens'Articulating Egg Leech
By Ron Greenen, Columbus, Onio

Report: Since there has been a lot of discussion on flies to use while fishing for Michigan King Salmon, I thought I would share this pattern with the rest of you. I spent the last two seasons developing this, the Kings in my experience take to the fly, at least 5:1 over the typical egg sucking leech patterns. The following is my personal favorite, when tying this pattern.

Materials for Greenens'Articulating Egg Leech

Hook: Mustad 9672, size 4 or similar.
Weight: .025 lead wire.
Thread: Danvilles 3/0 waxed mono-cord, dark gray.
Tail: Wooly Bugger Marabou, Black.
Flash: Thin Silver Mylar, Pearl Crystal Flash, Salt Water Blue, Crystal Flash.
Body: Variegated Tinsel Chenille, Medium Black/Pearl.
Hackle: Keough Saddle Hackle, Black (or other).
Ribbing: Thin copper wire.
Egg: McFly Foam, any color, tied to gamma Deep Blue 50#.

Instructions for Greenens'Articulating Egg Leech:

Directions for Tying Egg:

Make a large overhand knot with mono. Insert McFly Foam and cinch tight. Create another overhand knot with mono, cinch tight. I recommend pliers to put proper pressure on knots.

Trim tag end of knot and cut McFoam fly to desired size. Leave one tag end of mono approximately 2" in length.

1. Tie in thread, just above bend. Add weight to hook and secure.

2. Tie in marabou at bend. Tie in one strand Mylar both sides. Tie in 2 strands pearl flash, both sides. Tie in 3 strands Salt Water Blue flash.

3. Tie in copper wire at bend.

4. Tie in chenille at bend.

5. Strip small section of hackle and tie in leaving a slight space at the hooks eye.

6. Tie in egg starting just short of hooks eye, keeping the mono on top of shank, tie all the way back to hooks bend using securing thread wraps. Advance thread back to eye of hook.

7. Wrap Chenille tightly creating the body. Tie off with securing thread turns, just short of hooks eye leaving plenty of room for a thread head.

8. Wrap hackle making 4 to 5 turns at the front section of the leech. Following wraps should be sparse working its way to hooks bend. Tie off hackle with 3 securing turns of copper wire at hooks bend, making successive wraps to the hooks eye, securing hackle to the body. Tie off copper wire with securing thread turns. Use a little larger than normal thread head, using thread to build up a slight upward arch on the eggs mono. Achieving a slight upward arch of the egg is a necessary step in order to make the egg articulate.

9. Double whip finish and add cement.

Notes from Ron:

The fly should be fished dead drift and held for a brief period at the end of the drift. Typically this is when strikes occur. If fishing in lighter flows, substitute the 50# Deep Blue with 30# Deep Blue. I have found it allows the egg to articulate more appropriately. Some of my favorite egg colors are as follows: Grapefruit, McCheese, Chartruse. I typically tie the egg with a blood dot. It is important that the mono lead be secured in an upright posture, no more than 3/4 of an inch from the hooks eye, and no less than 3/8 of an inch, this can vary depending on the stream conditions you'll be fishing, shorter for faster flows, longer for slower flows.

Have fun with this fly, if you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me, rgreenenbrookstone@wowway.com

I look forward to any feedback as to the success you have while fishing the articulated egg leech. TIGHT LINES and MIND THAT TREE BEHIND YOU!
~ Ron Greenen

For more great flies, check out: Beginning Fly Tying, Intermediate Fly Tying and Advanced Fly Tying.