Man, let me tell you about salmon egg flies - those little buggers are absolute trout candy when you get 'em right. You know those bright orange clusters you see washing downriver during spawn? That's what we're imitating here. I've had days where these things outfish every fancy dry fly in my box, especially when the fish are keyed in on eggs.

Tying 'em is dead simple - size 14 hook's my go-to for most situations, but I'll drop to an 18 when the fish get picky. Just wrap some hot pink or orange thread (I'm partial to that almost neon orange myself), then add a tiny wad of egg yarn. Pro tip: don't make 'em too perfect. Real eggs get beat up in the current, you know? I like to rough mine up a bit with my fingernail for that just-right look.

Now where they shine... man, the riffles below Johnson's Bend? Absolute murder with these things. Clear water's best - those rainbows can spot that flash of orange from a mile away. But here's the weird thing - last spring I was getting skunked on my usual spots until I switched to this weird peach color my buddy gave me. No idea why, but the fish were hammering it when they'd ignore the standard orange. Go figure.

Don't just dead drift 'em either - I've had killer days swinging these through tailouts like they're mini streamers. And get this - toss one about 18 inches behind a stonefly nymph when the water's up. Makes for a killer combo that'll fool even the smart old browns.

Only time they've really failed me was during midge hatches - fish wanted tiny stuff that day. But when there's eggs in the system? Man, it's like cheating. Just don't tell too many people about this spot, alright?