nymph
Rainbow Warrior
Lance Egan's Rainbow Warrior is a flashy midge/mayfly crossover pattern with a pearl Mylar body, red thread collar, and sow-scud dubbing thorax. It attracts attention and triggers strikes from trout feeding on a wide range of subsurface food in tailwater and spring creek environments.
Originated by Lance Egan
Recipe
- HookTMC 2457 — size 16 · Tiemco
- ThreadUTC Ultrathread 70D — Red · Danville
- BeadTungsten Bead — Nickel 2.3mm
- TailNatural Ringneck Pheasant Tail fibers3-4 fibers
- BodyPearl Tinsel — Large (body + wingcase) · UTC
- ThoraxWapsi Sow Scud Dubbing — Rainbow
History
The Rainbow Warrior was Lance Egan's first commercially available pattern and remains one of the all-time best-selling competition nymphs. Despite a flashy pearl body and a red-thread hot-spot collar that imitates nothing in particular, it consistently fools selective tailwater trout and eager pocket-water fish alike. Lance's philosophy with the Warrior is simple: don't worry about *why* fish eat it — just be glad they do. In sow-bug, scud, midge-pupa, midge-larva, and chironomid water, it performs like a multi-tool attractor.
Fishing tips
A competition staple. Fish it as a dropper in a Euro rig or under an indicator on tailwaters. The flash body is visible even in turbid water.