Royal Wulff

White upright wings, brown hackle, and a bright red waist. A buoyant attractor for broken water.

The Royal Wulff is an attractor rather than a close copy of one insect. The divided hair wings and stiff hackle give it a recognizable silhouette. At the vise, the challenge is keeping those wings upright while leaving room for a compact, three-part body.

At the vise: Intermediate
Common sizes: #10–16

Flies for Trout

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From hook to fly

At the vise.

6 illustrated steps

Work through the numbered steps in order. Use the written materials and proportions as your guide; select an image for a closer look.

Lay a thread foundation
Clamp the hook level. Start black thread behind the eye and cover the shank. Return to the wing position, about three-quarters of the way forward from the bend.
Bench note Leave about one eye-length clear for the final thread head.
Set wings and tail
Tie in calf hair with tips forward, measuring one shank long. Trim the butts on a slope. Raise, divide and secure two upright wings with figure-eight wraps. At the bend, attach a moose-hair tail one shank long; cover the trimmed butts smoothly.
Bench note Clean the underfur from each hair bunch before stacking the tips.
Wind the rear herl
Attach peacock herl at the tail base after removing fragile tips. Gently twist the strands together and wind a short rear body section. Secure and trim.
Bench note Use light tension: peacock herl breaks more easily than thread.
Build the red band
Tie in red floss and wind a smooth center band. Keep room behind the wings for another short herl section. Tie off and trim the floss.
Bench note A flat floss strand makes a smoother band than a twisted cord.
Add front herl and hackle
Wind a second short peacock section to complete the three-part body. Tie the prepared brown hackle stem just behind the wings, leaving room for wraps on both sides.
Bench note Hackle fibers around one-and-a-half hook gaps long are a useful starting point.
Hackle and finish
Wind roughly three or four hackle turns behind the wings and three or four ahead. Secure the tip, trim, and form a compact head. Whip finish and cement without blocking the eye.
Bench note Move stray fibers away from the eye before tying the final knot.

Beyond the bench

On the water.

Try it on riffles and pocket water where a buoyant, visible dry fly is useful. Dress the dry materials with floatant and look for a drift that moves with the current. A visible fly is easier to follow, but drag can still spoil the presentation.

Tied by independent makers