Michigan Flies

Flies / Egg

Eggstasy Egg

A

A translucent chenille egg that George Daniel fishes in #16 'sweetcorn' during the sucker spawn, where any egg close to the natural pale-yellow color produces. Fish it as a small dropper below a heavier nymph behind sucker redds in late April and May.

#12–16SweetcornFluorescent PeachPeachclear water
What the pattern looks like
Reference photos of the Eggstasy Egg tied by others, shared by their photographers. Not our flies; our own product photos replace these as they are shot.

Photo © Quinn, used with permission

Season
Months this pattern is in play across Michigan, derived from what it imitates.
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec
Imitates

Eggs

  • White and longnose sucker eggs3–3.1 mm
  • Walleye eggs2–2.1 mm
  • Steelhead eggs4–5 mm
Fish it for
SteelheadBrown troutRainbow trout (resident)

Setups

  • Indicator nymphing
  • Euro / tight-line nymphing
How it's tied
A
A chenille-style egg: Eggstasy fibre on a thread core wrapped three or four turns behind a bead. The fibres go translucent when wet. A quick winter egg for trout and steelhead. Our own write-up of the standard tie, checked against the sources below. Recipe by Tim Flagler, Tightline Productions, via Orvis News (2022).

Materials

Hook
Fulling Mill 5115 heavy grub, size 14 (Tightline); Hanak H450BL size 12 (Tim Cammisa); jig hook size 16 (AvidMax)Our sizes 12 to 16.
Bead
Fluorescent orange brass bead, 3/32 in (Tightline); 3.0 mm slotted tungsten (Cammisa); 3.8 mm hot orange slotted tungsten (AvidMax)Optional but usual; Semperfli shows the same egg tied unweighted.
Thread
Fluorescent orange 70 denier or 8/0 (Tightline); UNI 8/0 Fire Orange (Cammisa)
Body
Eggstasy NX-Gen fibre (Flybox), fluorescent peach (Tightline) or pink salmon (Cammisa)Flybox colours include Sweetcorn, Fluorescent Peach, Fluorescent Cheese, Salmon, Salmon Roe, Sockeye, Chartreuse, Candy Pink, Hot Pink, Blood Red. Semperfli EggStatic is the equivalent material in Peach, Steelhead Orange, Atomic Yellow, Dead Egg White and others.
Head cementoptional
Sally Hansen Hard as Nails behind the bead

Steps

  1. 1.Debarb the hook, slide the bead on and seat it against the eye. Start the thread behind the bead and wrap a base back to the bend.
  2. 2.Strip the fibres from one end of the Eggstasy to expose about 1/4 in of the thread core.
  3. 3.Lay the bare core on top of the shank at the bend and bind it down with tight wraps, working the thread forward until it sits just behind the bead.
  4. 4.Wrap the Eggstasy forward in touching turns, stroking the fibres rearward with your fingers before each turn and leading with the core so no fibres get trapped. Three turns cover a size 14; a fourth turn packs into the hollow behind the bead.
  5. 5.Tie the core off behind the bead with several tight wraps, trim the excess, whip finish and cut the thread.
  6. 6.Pick out any trapped fibres with a bodkin and, if you want a rounder egg, trim the fibres to an even ball.
  7. 7.Put a drop of cement on the thread behind the bead.

From the tier

  • Tim Flagler (Tightline Productions, via Orvis News) calls it a killer winter egg and a favourite of guide George Daniel; the central core is what makes the material easy to wrap even on a tiny hook.
  • Semperfli's tutorial for its EggStatic version shows the variations: tie one colour at the rear and another at the front for a two-tone egg, lay a bit of roe wool in midway for a blood spot, or add a wisp of fry chenille as a veil.
  • Tim Cammisa: a simple pattern fish cannot resist under the right conditions, and there are many variations worth trying in different colours, weights and sizes.

Video: How to Tie the Eggstasy Egg Steps summarize the Tightline video as described on Orvis News and the Semperfli EggStatic tutorial; Cammisa and AvidMax supplied alternative hooks and beads. Steps were not spelled out in text on the Orvis or Global FlyFisher pages. Unconfirmed: Spelling: the material is sold as Eggstasy (Flybox) and EggStatic (Semperfli); our 'Eggstacy' matches neither exactly. 'Apricot' is not in the Flybox colour list fetched; Fluorescent Peach or Semperfli Peach is the closest. Also checked against Tim Cammisa, Global FlyFisher (2018), Eggstasy Egg, Semperfli (2023), Tying With Semperfli EggStatic, AvidMax (2024), How To Tie: The Eggstasy Egg and Feather-Craft, Eggstasy Fly Tying Material.

Materials to buy
Everything one Eggstasy Egg takes, each item once: 4 items, plus 1 optional. Quantities are for a single fly. We do not sell components yet; when we do, these will link to them.

Hook and hardware

  • Heavy grub or jig hook1

    size 12 to 16 · Fulling Mill 5115 or Hanak H450BL

    Hook

Synthetics, flash and legs

  • Eggstasy NX-Gen fibre1 card per colour

    Sweetcorn, Fluorescent Peach, Salmon · Flybox

    Body

Thread and finish

  • Tying thread1 spool

    70 denier or 8/0 fluorescent orange · UTC or UNI

    Thread

  • Head cementoptional1 bottle

    Hard as Nails

    Head cement

Other

  • Bead1 per fly

    3/32 in fluorescent orange brass, or 3.0 to 3.8 mm slotted tungsten

    Bead

Sources