Overview

The Flashtail Mini Egg is a small egg pattern from Umpqua with a short flashy tail behind the egg.

When trout, salmon and steelhead spawn, loose eggs drift downstream and become a rich food source. A small egg matches the size of trout eggs and looks natural in clear water, while the flash tail adds a little sparkle and movement that helps fish find it. It is a go-to fly on many tailwaters and spawning rivers in spring and fall.

How to Fish It

• Two-fly rig: fish it as the lead fly under an indicator with a small nymph or midge trailing.
• Near the bottom: eggs roll along the streambed, so add weight to get it down.
• Spawning seasons: fish below spawning areas in spring (rainbows) and fall (browns and salmon).
• Respect redds: fish the water below spawning beds, not the fish on them.

Choosing Color and Size

Egg is a natural, pale egg color for clear water and pressured fish. Pink is brighter and shows up in stained water. Pink Champagne is a soft, translucent pink that sits between the two.

Choose 14 for stained water and bigger eggs, 16 as the all-around size, and 18 for clear, low water and wary fish. Pink comes in 18; Egg in 14 and 16; Pink Champagne in 14, 16 and 18.