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Written tying guide

Orange nucleus · white translucent veil

5 numbered steps and a complete materials list for this dressing.

Read the tying steps
Egg / Pattern notes

Nuke Egg

A bright yarn nucleus covered by a sparse translucent veil; all colors share one tying method.

The Nuke Egg places a bright, rounded McFly Foam egg inside a thinner pale veil. The layered construction is distinct from both the plain Glo-Bug and the bead-centered Unreal Egg.

At the vise
Beginner friendly
Common sizes
#8–18
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.

  1. Lay the base

    Clamp the hook, start white thread near the eye, and cover the front third of the shank smoothly.

  2. Tie the egg nucleus

    Secure a compact bunch of orange McFly Foam across the shank with firm stacked wraps, leaving equal material above and below.

  3. Trim a round core

    Pull the foam ends upright and cut them decisively about half a hook gap from the shank. Gently tease the fibers into a sphere.

  4. Wrap the milky veil

    Put a trace of tacky wax on the thread, fold a very small bundle of white egg-veil fiber over it, and wind sparse turns around the core.

  5. Finish and trim

    Whip finish in front of the egg, draw loose veil fibers rearward, and trim them just behind the bend so the orange core still shows through.

Beyond the bench

On the water.

Dead-drift it in suitable runs for trout or steelhead, adjusting the size and weight of the rig to the water. Keep clear of active spawning fish and redds.

Tied by independent makers

Find your Nuke Egg.

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One fly, several listings

Names and colors in the source index

Flys and Guides ↗ uses these labels for this fly. The recipe above describes the stated version; change materials where a colorway calls for it.

  • Beadhead Nuk Egg – Fl. Pink
  • Beadhead Nuk Egg – Cerise

Recipe references

Original written instructions adapted from the sources below. Materials and methods may vary between versions.

For the same fly box.

Flashtail EggEgg · #10–16Glo-Bug Egg fly patternGlo-Bug EggEgg · #6–14Unreal EggEgg · #12–16