I know there's a lot of controversy over fishing a "pegged egg" or a bead egg rig, but they just plain catch fish.
Bead eggs are very popular in Alaska where fisherman are chasing salmon and trout of epic proportions. In addition to wet flies and nymphs, bead eggs are in every Alaskan fisherman's arsenal.
They are now just making a big push into Colorado!
The only problem with most commercially available bead eggs is the size. Color is secondary, but still very important.
I've used a variety of egg beads and ended up ordering some in bulk for myself just to get the right size and color for Colorado. (They also work well in other states with water similar to CO, just don't expect them to work in Alaska and up north for the big salmon runs!)
If you want to order a trial pack...e-mail or message me.
Trial pack includes 44 bead eggs and 5 hooks
The colors and sizes that I've chosen have all caught fish in Colorado. They work especially well during spawning season, but are still effective all year long. Fish remember that an egg is a concentrated food source and will readily take them.
How to rig:
There's lots of information out there on the web for how to rig them, but just recently a "better" way has come along. Before, you had to use a toothpick, or some other way to "peg" the bead on your line. A better way is to tie the bead on. This prevents the bead from slipping or you having to carry a bunch of toothpicks around with you!
The process is simple, thread your tippet through the bead like you normally would, then thread the tippet through again forming a loop. Tie on your hook, and adjust the bead down to about 2 inches above the hook. Then thread the hook through the loop on the bead about 5 to 7 times and then pull tight. You have just essentially made a clinch knot to hold the bead.
Bead Selection:
For Colorado and states that have similar fishing conditions, commercially available bead eggs and other egg patterns are just too large. Most yarn or "glo bug" egg patterns measure out to a whooping size 12 mm or 14 mm. This is much too big for Colorado. Although they do work on occasion. A smaller size is more readily taken and recognized as an egg by trout in Colorado.
For Brookies, Grayling and Whitefish, a size 4 mm egg is a perfect match.
For Rainbows, Browns, and Cutts, a size 5 or 6 will also work.
Depending on water conditions, you can move up or down a size. For faster water, a larger egg is more visible and when fishing slower water, use a smaller size that more closely replicates natural eggs.
Color Selection:
Attractor colors are always a good bet. Especially in Colorado where bead eggs haven't been fished extensively; fish will hit attractor colors hard. However, if you are fishing during a spawning season, fish will wise up and eventually start looking for more natural colors and sizes.
Attractor Colors: Pink, Fluorescent Red and Orange, Chartreuse and Pearl.
Natural colors are great for fish that have seen it all, or on heavily fished waters. On tailwaters, a natural yellow/orange or mottled color in a 4 mm or 5 mm bead will pick you up more fish.
Natural Colors: Translucent Red, Orange, and Yellow, Mottled Orange and Red.
When and Where to Fish?
Spawning season is the most effective time to fish egg patterns. Just be careful that you are not disturbing the redds and spawning sites of the fish.
Spring Spawners: Rainbow, Cutthroats, Whitefish, Grayling
Fall Spawners: Browns, Brookies, Grayling
It might be counter intuitive, but you can fish "opposite" of the spawn. In the spring, when the rainbows are spawning, large browns will follow behind gorging themselves on eggs. Lots of big browns remember the pattern and will key in on them. So instead of fishing for the spawning rainbows, you have an opportunity to catch a brownie of a lifetime! So there's no need to disturb fish on redds, start your drift behind them. Eggs do travel quite a ways from redds so there's no need to try to fish to spawning fish.
Hot Spot Locations in the Spring:
Inlet at Green Mountain Res
Inlet at Eleven Mile (Dream Stream)
Yampa Below Stagecoach
Hot Spot Locations in the Fall:
Inlet at Georgetown
Inlet at Eleven Mile (Dream Stream)
Eagle River in Avon
Arkansas River below Pueblo
There are obviously many more locations, but here are a few to get you started. And don't forget that you can fish bead eggs all season long.
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| Red Mottled |
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Flo Orange
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| Pearl Pink |
I would like to get the sampler. How?
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