dry
Royal Wulff
- Sizes
- #10
- Imitates
- general attractor · mayflies (suggestive) · stoneflies (suggestive)
- Origin
- Lee Wulff, 1930s
The Royal Wulff is the most recognizable attractor dry fly ever designed. Its split white calf hair wings, peacock herl body divided by a red floss band, and brown hackle create a fly that doesn't imitate anything specific but triggers strikes from every trout in the river. It is the classic prospecting fly for rough water and uneducated fish.
Recipe
This is one dressing. Tie it in other colors to match the hatch in front of you.
Workbench
Variants
Swipe to see In box and Add
| Size | Bead | Body | In box | Add to box |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #10 | — | Red/Peacock/White (classic) | — | — |
At the vise
Tie split calf hair wings, a moose hair tail, a segmented body of peacock herl and red floss, and a brown hackle collar.
Tying video
Fishing now on
Rivers whose hatch chart names this pattern this month. Names and sizes only.
Not named on this month's hatch charts.
On the water
The Royal Wulff is at its best in fast pocket water and riffles where trout don't have time to inspect the fly. Dead drift it through runs, or skate it across pools for aggressive strikes. It doubles as a high-floating indicator for a dropper nymph.
History
Lee Wulff created the Wulff series of flies in the 1930s, adapting the Royal Coachman wet fly into a buoyant, hair-winged dry fly. The white wings, originally designed for visibility, and the peacock/red color scheme created one of fly fishing's most iconic patterns. It remains a staple nearly a century later.