Jim Pettis’s translucent egg pattern wraps a colored glass bead in a thin veil of egg yarn.
The Unreal Egg is a specific Jim Pettis dressing. A glass bead gives the fly a colored center under a sparse, translucent yarn cover. It differs in construction from a solid Glo-Bug.
Work through the numbered steps in order, using the materials list and written proportions as your guide.
01
Mount the bead
Slide the glass bead over the hook point and around the bend before clamping the hook in the vise.
02
Secure the bead
Start red thread behind the eye. Work thread around the bead to hold it near the middle of the shank without blocking the eye.
03
Attach a sparse veil
Spread a short, small bunch of pale egg yarn evenly around the shank just ahead of the bead and secure it with firm but limited wraps.
04
Cover the center
Tease the fibers outward, then pull them rearward over the bead so the bead stays visible through a thin, even covering.
05
Shape and finish
Bind the veil behind the bead, trim it to a soft spherical egg, whip finish and clear stray fibers from the hook gap.
Beyond the bench
On the water.
Present it naturally through runs where loose eggs are drifting; choose size and color to match the water. Avoid disturbing spawning fish or their redds.
