http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...hotos/zulu.jpg
hook: wet style
thread: black
tag: red wool
hackle: black palmered
body: peacock herl
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...hotos/zulu.jpg
hook: wet style
thread: black
tag: red wool
hackle: black palmered
body: peacock herl
Hi Norman: Is that a classic wet fly? I bet it has fooled a lot of fish.
Bruce
it comes from "forgotten flies" in the ray bergman section, so i'd say its a classic wet.
It is very much a classic, it dates from the last half (approx) of the 19th century (1870s), about the time of the Battle of Rourkes Drift, as in the film "Zulu". At the same time a very successful type of herring catcher came into use on the east coast of Britain, was also called the Zulu.
Which came first? the herring boat or the fly, I am not sure but both were great fish killers and the fly is still very popular with loch style anglers.
After that battle the Zulus were highly respected in the UK.
There you are! another wee bit o' social and fly fishing history.
p.s. There is a variant called the Blue Zulu.
Normand,
Have not used that pattern in years. Did very well on trout here in the early 70's with it. Also caught my first Landlocked Salmon in the main branch of the Ausable River in upstate New York on it! I was using light trout gear at the time. Had on a #16 Zulu (called it a black wooly worm). When that fish hit I learned quickly why they call it the leaper. Since I had never caught one before, I thought I was into the biggest brown trout in my life!!! A friend was just down around the bend, and when he heard me whooping he came running to see what all the commotion was about. When he told me it was not a big brown but an Atlantic I think I was even more excited! BTW, I like that pattern with a red floss (royal coachman red) tail. No particular reason other than I have a lot of the red floss. Your bringing back some good memories with your patterns Normand!
Best regards, Dave S. (fishdog54)
To me this is the classic wet fly of all time. It's been around "forever" with alternative black chenille or yarn bodies.
As for recent evidence, it is still a most successful fly for local stocked rainbows.
Hi Guy's
I'm living in the Netherlands, here it's named a "red tag" which describes it perfectly i think.
It's one of the first fly's i tied as a newbie. I currently have it in dry, wet and weighed style and some variations with yellow and pink tags. It still works!
Erik P
So is it far to say the venerable woolly worm is actually a Zulu?
the red tag doesnt seem to have a palmered hackle
http://www.google.com/images?rlz=1C1...w=1366&bih=643