Many times during the season, you can't beat an egg pattern for spawning trout in lakes. Rainbow, cutthroat and brown trout cannot successfully spawn in stillwater (they need flowing stream water with gravel streambeds), but that doesn't stop them from trying.
Last week after work, I spotted some big trout in their spawning ritual and tied on a couple of egg patterns. They produced this 26 1/2-inch hen rainbow that was stuffed with eggs. She probably weighed 7-8 pounds.
As efficient as egg patterns can be, I wonder if combining them with a bacon pattern might not be the ultimate fly combo.
