Flashtail Egg

A compact egg-yarn body with a short rear flash tail, tied here with a bead for weight.

The Flashtail Egg is distinguishable from a plain egg fly by a short reflective rear tail. The source index shows a pink Flashtail Egg but provides no materials, so this page uses Martyn White’s documented E-Z egg-yarn flashtail as a clearly identified starting dressing.

At the vise: Beginner friendly
Common sizes: #10–16

Flies for Steelhead Flies for Trout

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From hook to fly

At the vise.

5 steps

Work through the numbered steps in order, using the materials list and written proportions as your guide.

Seat the bead
Slide a 2.5–3 mm bead onto the curved hook and seat it behind the eye before clamping the hook securely.
Tie the flash tail
Run pink thread to the bend and tie a sparse bunch of mirror flash so its tips project a short distance beyond the rear of the egg.
Anchor the yarn
Move the thread forward and secure a compact piece of pink E-Z egg yarn to the shank just behind the bead.
Build the egg body
Wrap or fold the yarn into a tight rounded body while leaving the flash tail clear behind it; bind it down before the bead.
Trim and finish
Trim the egg yarn to a compact sphere, whip finish immediately behind the bead and check that the hook eye and gap remain open.