Gray Wulff
Lee Wulff's iconic series brought buoyancy and durability to dry fly fishing. The Gray Wulff is a superb attractor pattern and a good imitation of Gray Drakes and other large mayflies on broken freestone water. It excels in fast, turbulent runs where visibility is key — the upright white calf tail wings and stacked hair body cut through rough currents effortlessly.
- Type
- dry fly (Mayfly)
- Hook sizes
- #10–12
- Target species
- trout
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Best seasons
- spring, summer, fall
Materials
- hook: Dry fly hook #10–12
- thread: Gray 6/0
- tail: Brown bucktail or elk hair
- body: Muskrat fur or gray squirrel dubbing
- wing: White calf tail, upright and divided
- hackle: Blue dun or grizzly rooster hackle
Tying steps
- Mount hook and start gray thread; tie in a short stiff tail of brown bucktail or elk.
- Dub a robust muskrat or gray squirrel body from bend to the 2/3 mark.
- Stack a bunch of white calf tail, tie in upright, and divide into two wings with figure-eight wraps.
- Stand each wing with a post wrap at the base.
- Attach a blue dun or grizzly hackle behind the wings.
- Wind 5–6 turns of hackle through and in front of the wing base.
- Tie off, build a neat head, and whip finish with head cement.
- Trim any hackle fibers directly below the hook point with fine scissors to ensure the fly sits upright in the surface film without rolling.