{"product_id":"wapsi-otters-soft-milking-salmon-eggs-3-egg-cluster","title":"Wapsi Otters Soft Milking Salmon Eggs (3-Egg Cluster)","description":"\u003cp\u003eDesigned by The Otter himself\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWalt Mueller, Jr., aka The Otter (always in the water and usually catching fish), has been an avid fly tier and fisherman for over 50 years and resides along the Blue River in the Colorado Rockies. While also known for his many small nymph patterns, Walt has the distinction of developing and marketing the original Soft Milking Egg fly patterns to the industry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Otter initially developed these realistic and deadly milking egg patterns for the Great Lakes steelhead areas that he fishes. They have also proven to be exceptional flies for all the cold water fish species worldwide—from South Africa, Japan, Europe, Russia, New Zealand, Alaska, Canada, and the entire USA. His Otter's egg patterns are recognized worldwide and are second to none.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Origin of The Otter's Soft Milking Egg\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile on a Great Lakes Steelhead fishing trip, Walt found a molded, opaque fishing egg available in local bait shops. Although the product was not of the correct size or color, Walt recognized its potential and contacted a friend with a lifetime of plastics injection and molding experience. With his friend's assistance and with guidance from Walt, they formed a partnership to develop a new synthetic egg—an imitation that was soft and fully translucent, in colors and sizes that truly mimicked natural eggs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn designing this fly fishing pattern, Walt has duplicated real trout and salmon eggs that are deposited on the stream bottom by the species. As eggs are laid on the gravel bottom by a female fish, a male of the species darts in and ejects white sperm upon those eggs to fertilize them. This sperm sticks to the eggs for a short while, as the eggs drift into the bottom gravels of the stream. Many species of fish will then dart in and eat these freshly laid and fertilized eggs. The white sperm covering coming off of the eggs in the current triggers a strike from fish eating these eggs. It is a key signal to a fish that the egg is real and highly prized as food.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFish of the same and other species will eat these eggs, even in a cannibalistic way. For example, if a brown trout is spawning, other brown trout will eat these eggs, as will rainbow, brook, cutthroat, salmon, and other species in the area. Furthermore, these eggs are very soft and fragile during the first 10 to 15 minutes in the water. Until they slightly harden and set up to a jelly-like consistency, they rupture very easily.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs these eggs are deposited onto the stream bottom, some are actually ruptured and split open, allowing the interior embryo to exude into the water current. This interior content of the egg exudes as a whitish-colored liquid into the current, very similar to the sperm from a male fish. In addition, if one were to impale a fresh egg onto a hook, it would also result in the same occurrence of this whitish liquid exuding into the current.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe conditions described above can result in fish feeding readily upon these milking eggs. While there are many other egg patterns on the market, none are soft and milking. Others are made of hard plastic or epoxy and do not exhibit the milking characteristic of real fish eggs. The Otter's Soft Milking Egg duplicates real fish eggs when drifting in the water current. Due to numerous species in the rivers, Walt developed and created various color and size combinations to duplicate realistic colors for the different species of trout, salmon, and sucker spawn eggs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Otter's Soft Milking Egg:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRecognized worldwide\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeadly effective for trout, salmon, and steelhead\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvailable in 17 colors, 6 sizes, and 3 varieties\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Wapsi","offers":[{"title":"Opaque\/Apricot","offer_id":48478435934441,"sku":"SKU053526630114","price":4.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Trans\/Kiwi","offer_id":48478435967209,"sku":"SKU053526630060","price":3.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/1846\/1673\/files\/wapsi-fly-tying-wapsi-otters-soft-milking-salmon-eggs-3-egg-cluster-1199952845.jpg?v=1761956407","url":"https:\/\/www.tridentflyfishing.com\/products\/wapsi-otters-soft-milking-salmon-eggs-3-egg-cluster","provider":"Trident Fly Fishing","version":"1.0","type":"link"}