Over the past eight years, the Blood Dot has proven to be my most effective egg pattern for Great Lakes steelhead.

Blood Dot patterns were first shown to me by Jeff Blood. Jeff felt that conventional Glo Bug patterns were too dense and not a realistic representation of an actual egg. Comparing a thoroughly saturated, conventional egg pattern to a saturated Blood Dot pattern proves his point. Tied correctly, Blood Dots are amazingly realistic. Looping the yarn enables the water to penetrate into the core of the pattern. Once the pattern is saturated, the individual strands meld together, forming what looks like organic tissue.

Fauceglia's Blood dot saturated with water.

My version of the Blood Dot simplifies the tying process. It requires one small, tightly secured loop that holds the large rear loop in place and one large front loop. In between the two large loops, a small strand of colored yarn is tied in to represent the yoke. After whip finishing, the small rear loop is pushed forward against the eye of the hook. This forces the two large loops to encompass the colored yarn and creates an egg-shaped effect.

The pattern is durable, realistic, inexpensive, easy to tie and effective--you can't ask for more.

--Ted Fauceglia

Step 1. Secure thread to hook. Tie in a strand of Egg Glo Bug yarn halfway down the shank, form a loop the size of the hook gap, and secure.

Step 2. Tie in the yolk so it sits tight against the first loop.

Step 3. Form a second loop with the Egg Glo Bug yarn so it sits tight against the yoke. Half hitch the thread and cut it off.

Step 4. Trim the yolk so yarn sits flush with the top of the egg yarn loops.

Step 5. Before you cement the fly, push the base of the loops together at the yolk. This creates the egg-shaped effect.