Making eggs for egg sucking leeches

[fish_4_all]

I am going to get into injection bait making a little and I am looking for some advice on a couple things.

The first is what color egg would everyone recommend?
Second, solid colors or transparent?
Third, what size egg would you match up for what size hook or is it more the size of the fly than the hook size?
Will rubber eggs even stand up to the punishment of fly fishing? Would a harder egg make it stay better?

Only things I have ever used are chenille or hot glue to make egg sucking leeches to rubber eggs are kinda of new territory. But I know i want to use them if they will work just because of their ease of use and the colors possible in pouring your own.

Salmon Egg Sampler

That is the mold I am getting if that helps anyone help me. I really like egg sucking leech patterns and I plan on doing a lot of fly fishing for the next few years. I also have some other egg patterns I want to make using them that will hopefully change my luck fly fishing.

 

[fyshstykr]

Match the egg size/color to prevalent species in your area.

If I was looking to make up a bunch of these flies, I'd get the hot melt glue gun out with the color of glue stick needed, rotate the hook in the vise and make up a bunch of hooks with eggs behind the eye, then simply add the Bugger Body. I'm assuming you have a vise that rotates on a true center axis.

 

[fish_4_all]

I have an old toy I got as a kid that I modified to turn hot glue to make a perfect egg. Been working on a design that will turn multiple hooks at one time so a person can make a good dozen of these at one time.

I have also tied some using a pin and bead:

I wanted to move to rubber eggs because of softness of the eggs, that and the cost of quality beads and glue sticks. If my calculations are right, I can make a couple hundred rubber eggs for a couple bucks and have a myriad of colors. Not to mention dual colors, eye spots and whatever I decide to do to the egg.

If it really isn't workable to make a quality rubber egg and have it stay on through many casts then I will stick with the others for fly fishing.

 

[fyshstykr]

Get that multiple hook turner designed, built and on the market.
For the cost of the mold($34.00 plus shipping) I'd have more colored glue sticks and egg sucking leeches than I'd ever need.

 

[jaybo41]

Another tip when making hot glue eggs is to start with a brass bead and apply the glue over that. It gives the egg a real nice look, helps with the shape and adds some weight to it.

You can also start with some McFly foam and apply Clear Cure Goo over that to give it some color. Just use whatever color you prefer.

When I'm I'm tying egg sucking leaches, I typically use McFly Foam, egg yarn, chenille if I'm using material. I really like the trout beads though, they add a little weight to the fly.

Not really answering the OP's questions, just furthering the discussion.

 

[fish_4_all]

When I do the hot glue I just put it on after I have tied the leech. Ties everything together and holds it without any worries.

Both of those hot glue eggs have beads under them.

fyshstykr, where do you get glue sticks for that price and can I get transparent orange, pink, and chartreuse from there?

 

[fish_4_all]

So has anyone used the rubber eggs for making egg sucking leeches?

 

[silver creek]

Since no one has mentioned it, there already is a product for fly tying much like you are thinking of producing. Google "otter eggs" It is quite successful and I think it the milking version was introduced at the 2011 FTMS in Denver.

 

[fyshstykr]

fyshstykr, where do you get glue sticks for that price and can I get transparent orange, pink, and chartreuse from there?

Sorry, just saw this post.
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