Royal Wulff
Lee Wulff's Royal Wulff is the most popular attractor dry fly ever tied, combining the royal coachman's peacock-and-red body with Wulff's buoyant hair wing and tail. It catches fish from Patagonia to Alaska and everywhere in between. When you cannot identify the hatch, fish a Royal Wulff — its bold colors and high-riding profile bring up fish that are merely curious as much as feeding. Essential for broken freestone water.
- Type
- dry fly (Mayfly)
- Hook sizes
- #10–16
- Target species
- trout
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Best seasons
- spring, summer, fall
Materials
- hook: Dry fly hook #10–16
- thread: Black 6/0
- tail: White calf tail or elk hair, stiff
- body: Peacock herl, red floss center band, peacock herl
- wing: White calf tail, upright and divided
- hackle: Brown and grizzly mixed
Tying steps
- Mount a size 10–16 hook; start thread and tie in a stiff tail of white calf tail or elk hair.
- Twist 3 strands of peacock herl and wind to the 1/3 mark for the first body section.
- Tie in red floss; wind a band from the 1/3 to 2/3 mark.
- Twist 3 more strands of peacock herl and wind from 2/3 to the 3/4 mark.
- Stack white calf tail; tie in upright and divided as wings with figure-eight wraps.
- Tie in brown and grizzly hackles behind the wings.
- Wind hackles 4–5 turns behind and through the wings; tie off.
- Build a small head; whip finish and cement.