LeechEZ Egg Suck'n Leech
The EZ Egg Suck'n Leech from Myers Flies Fly Fishing is a simplified take on the classic egg sucking leech pattern designed for salmon and steelhead. This beginner-friendly pattern combines a fluorescent fire orange bead with a dark marabou body to create the signature egg-and-leech profile that triggers aggressive strikes from spawning fish and opportunistic trout.
Fall, Winter, Spring
Beginner
Salmon, Steelhead, Trout
Dec 2025
Overview
This Myers Flies pattern showcases how simple construction can produce highly effective flies. The egg sucking leech concept imitates leeches feeding on salmon and steelhead eggs, a common sight during spawning runs. Fish key in on this predator-prey relationship, making egg sucking patterns effective during fall runs.
Materials
Hook: 2X-long streamer/nymph hook, #6-12
Thread: Brown, 6/0 or 140-denier
Bead: Fluorescent fire orange, 1/8"
Tail: Marabou blood quill, dark brown
Body: SLF Prism Dubbing, chocolate brown
Behavior & Presentation
Natural Behavior: During spawning events, leeches actively seek egg deposits in redds, attracting territorial and feeding responses from resident fish. The combination of leech movement and egg visibility triggers both predatory and defensive strikes. This dual presentation exploits multiple feeding motivations.
Where Trout Eat It: Fish hold in spawning gravels, tail-outs, and runs below redds where eggs and opportunistic leeches concentrate.
How to Fish It: Dead drift through spawning areas and tail-outs where trout wait to intercept eggs. The marabou provides movement on dead drift presentations.
Best Water: Focus on tail-outs, spawning gravel, riffle edges, and seams below active or historic spawning zones.
Strike Type: Steady pull or line draw as fish turn with the combined egg-leech profile.
Fishing Strategy
Rigging Suggestions: Fish under an indicator or on a tight-line nymphing rig with 4X-5X fluorocarbon tippet. The bead provides adequate weight for most presentations without additional split shot.
Seasonal Timing: Most effective during salmon and steelhead runs when egg patterns are productive. Also works well in and when trout continue to feed on leftover eggs.
Pro Tips: The fluorescent fire orange bead creates a highly visible hot spot that mimics an egg while the dark marabou body suggests a leech. This combination triggers both opportunistic and predatory feeding responses.
Entomology
During salmon and steelhead spawning events, leeches actively seek out egg deposits in redds, attaching themselves to feed on the protein-rich spheres. This predatory behavior attracts aggressive strikes from resident trout and migratory fish defending their nests, triggering territorial responses alongside feeding instincts.
- Organism Type
- leech
- Life Stage
- general