If you've ever fished for Fall run Pacific salmon you know how easy it is to lose these bruits, especially when using fine leaders and tippets.  There is no simple formula to retrieving an angry 25+ pound fish, against the roaring current with nothing else but a 6lb leader and your 9' weapon of choice. 

Between breaking off on fish, getting caught in the trees and shrubs behind you,  or just getting snagged on the countless obstructions on the river bottom, you can practically empty your fly box in no time at all.  So what's the cure?   Most traditional salmon flies take a very long time to tie, and not a lot of time to lose.  So if you want to spend more time fishing instead of tying when the salmon are in, try out some newer "simple" flies, designed to minimize your tying time and maximize your daily catch.
 

Apart from sounding like something out of a Terminator movie, the Egg-a-lator is really a simplified Devastator with the same explosive results.  This fly is best fished either drifting through a fast run, or by swinging it through a deeper pool in front of hungry staging fish.  It is very simple and quick to tie, in-fact even faster than the simplest egg patterns.  The size and color vary depending on the conditions and the mood of the fish. 

Tying the fly:

1.  Secure the hook (size is up to you) in the vise, and start the thread by making a few turns back and fourth over the thread.  This will secure it and prevent unraveling.



2.  Once the thread is started, add some fine lead wire and wrap it around the hook shank.  The lead will supply critical weight that the fly will need to penetrate the faster runs and get down to where the fish are.  Once the lead wire is wound, wrap your thread over it a few times to secure it firmly to the shank of the hook and finish with the thread located at gape of the hook.



3.  With the thread located at the back of the shank, secure some medium Ultra chenille with the thread.  Wrap your thread forward and once at the eye, start wrapping the chenille onto the hook shank, making sure that the wraps are tight and consistent. 



4.  When the chenille reaches the eye of the hook wrap your thread over it a few times to secure and trim any away excess.  With the body done, we can now begin to work on the wing.  Tie in a marabou feather so that the length of the wing matches the length of the body.  Both the wing and body are the same color in this example but don't be afraid to experiment.  Some dynamite results can be achieved with bright bodied white winged Egg-a-lators.



5.  Trim away any excess marabou and a few strands of matching colored Krystal Flash is all it takes to give the Egg-a-lator it's fish attracting glow.  Tie in approximately 2 or 3 strands of Krystal Flash at the head of the fly and trim to match the length of the wing.



6.  Whip finish the head and apply head cement.  That's it!  You're done.  On a good day it should only take about an hour or so to knock out a dozen or so Eggalators which are certain to give you more than the time you put into making them on the water.  Remember, fly tying is about innovation, do not hesitate to experiment with colors, sizes and attractor strategies.



Interested in other easy to tie salmon / Steelhead flies?  Be sure to check out the following editor's picks from our Online Fly Box:

• Traditional Devastator
• Lazer Devastator
• Christmas Tree
• N2 Lazer Spey
• Glo-Bug

Written By: Nick Pujic, © Oct, 2003
Photographs By:  Nick Pujic