How to Tie a Royal Wulff

The Royal Wulff is a classic dry fly pattern designed by legendary angler Lee Wulff. The fly is an attractor and does not represent a specific group of insects. It is designed to ride high in the water and is ideal for fishing turbulent areas that drag other flies beneath the surface. Although the colors are adjustable in the Wulff series, the combination of red and peacock remains one of the most popular and effective choices.

Things You'll Need

  • Vise
  • Standard dry fly hook, #12 to #16
  • 8/0 tan thread
  • Moose hair
  • White calf-tail
  • Peacock herl
  • Red floss
  • Brown hackle
  • Scissors
  • Whip finisher
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the hook in the vise and clamp the jaws. Start the thread at the eye of the hook and make consecutive wraps until you reach the bend of the hook.

    • 2

      Cut six to eight moose tail fibers from a patch of hair. Measure the fibers to 1.5 times the length of the hook shank. Hold the measured fibers on the hook bend to form the tail. Make three loose thread wraps to position the fibers and six firm thread wraps to secure them on the hook.

    • 3

      Cut a small bunch of calf-tail fibers and measure the fibers to match the length of the hook shank. Lay the clump of calf-tail on the hook shank, with the base of the fibers meeting the base of the tail fibers. Cover the base of the calf tail fibers with 10 thread wraps to secure them on the hook. Wrap the thread from the base of the fibers to the two-thirds point on the hook shank, covering the calf-tail with each wrap.

    • 4

      Fold the calf-tail in an upwards motion to form a wing. Make 10 helicopter wraps around the base of the calf-tail to form a post. Split the post with the thread and make 10 figure-eight wraps around the base of each split post to form two wings.

    • 5

      Wrap the thread to the hook bend. Hold the tips of two to three peacock herl strips on the hook and make four thread wraps to secure them in place. Cut a 1 foot piece of red floss and tie it to the hook bend with four firm wraps. Wrap the thread until you reach the point on the shank that is even with the hook bend.

    • 6

      Wrap the peacock herl from the bend to the thread. Cover the red floss with the wraps. Secure the herl and floss with four firm thread wraps. Wrap the thread an equal distance down the hook shank, covering the peacock with each wrap. Wrap the red floss to the thread and make four thread wraps to secure it to the hook. Cut the excess floss flush to the shank. Wrap the thread to the wing and stop. Wrap the remaining peacock to the wing and secure it to the hook with four thread wraps.

    • 7

      Select a brown hackle with fibers matching the length of the tail. Stroke the hackle fibers to expose the tip. Place the tip on the hook shank, immediately in front of the wing. Make four thread wraps to secure the hackle tip and wrap the thread to the eye of the hook.

    • 8

      Make two hackle wraps between the peacock body and the wing. Make the subsequent five wraps between the wing and the eye of the hook. Stop at the eye and make 10 firm thread wraps to secure the hackle. Cut the excess hackle flush to the hook shank.

    • 9

      Use a whip finisher to knot the thread and cut the thread flush to the hook shank.