Royal Wulff

I really want to tye this pattern better, I see alot that don't really look appealing to my eye. I was wondering if anyone had a picture or some tips as to how Lee Wulff actually tied his.

Thanks for any help,
Doug

Doug,

I did not have the privilege of seeing Lee Wulff tie this fly in person. However, I've watched one of his videos, numerous times I might add, in which he ties that pattern. Here's the recipe he used, I believe his tying sequence, and remember, he tied without a vise.

hook - I don't recall if he mentioned the hook model in the video but I'm pretty sure he used the Mustad 9671.
thread - black
tail - deer tail, brown
body - 1/3 peacock herl, 1/3 red floss, 1/3 peacock herl
wings - deer tail, white
hackle - coachman brown

Hope this helps.

Allan

Well said Allan, that's probably THE pattern. Now the trick is to tie it with no vise...
Eric

I think I've told this story before here, but it's worth repeating. Back in the 80's I saw Lee Wulff tie a size 26 dry fly at the Texas Conclave in Dallas. He was sitting alone at a round table and motioned for me to sit down next to him. About 3 or 4 other guys sat down, too. He had a tiny hook, a tiny feather, and a 2 inch long piece of thread. It took about 30 seconds and he tossed this thing that looked like a cigarette ash on the table, mumbled something, and walked away. We all stared at it. I picked it up but, even 20 years ago, had trouble seeing it. He walked back to us and tossed a small magnifying glass on the table and said, "Try this." He laughed and walked away. It was perfect. Tail, thread body, and hackle. No wings, but we let him slide on that. He had to have been in his 80's back then. Damnedest thing I ever saw. Like an idiot, I left that fly there. What I wouldn't give to have that fly now.
Joe

thanks for sharing that cool story joe.

now I've got another goal to accomplish before I die ;-]

mgj

[This message has been edited by mikeytwoshoes (edited 22 September 2005).]

Weird fact about the Royal Wulff.
Lee Wulff did not create the Royal Wulff but did create the White and Gray Wulffs. Before the Wulffs a verison of the Royal Coachman was tied for a cumtomer of a Catskill tyer, I can not remember the names right now. When the Wulffs came out it was natural for it to become one.
This is a fly I do enjoy to fish, not as much as a White Wulff though. As for tips if you can post of picture of one of yours so we can see what we are working with.

another interesting anecdote about the ryal wulff...craig matthews can't get any of his in-house (town) tyers to tie it. I guess it's too labor intensive to be profitable, I'm guessing. he told me that 85% of the flies at blue ribbon were tied locally.

I rarely fish the fly but have tied a shlitzload of them. everyone else seems to love them. I prefer a humpy as an attractor. then again, I can be kind of a dumbass.

mgj

I tend to tie more Royal Trudes than I do Royal Wulffs. The Trude style wing is not as labor intensive, at least for me, as the Wulff style. They both seem to work equally as well. I also get a helicopter effect when casting Wulff/Humpy style wings. My poor tying skills, I'm sure.
Joe

I wish you guys would stop talking about me so much.

Later, RW

------------------
"We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours." -James Leisenring on fishing the wet fly-

Thanks for all the replys and help. Some really interesting and informative stuff.

Has anyone read Lee's book on tying? any good?

I went onto the old flies section of this website and did some more reading, Did Lee Wulff not come up with the Royal? Did he originate the grey wulff? And can anyone provide me with an orgiinal recipe?

Thanks agian
Doug

Ashbourn,
The fly was called the Quack. It was named after a fellow with the last name of Quackenbush. It was the only fly that he fished and they say he caught alot of fish,even while others got skunked. I do believe it had a hackle fiber tail.
Jim

------------------
[url=http://www.Jimsflyco.com:8f012]www.Jimsflyco.com[/url:8f012] <A HREF="http://www.flymph.com
" TARGET=_blank>www.flymph.com
</A>

As you've probably discovered, some of the Wulff flies were not done by Lee, but by
Dan Bailey. They were good friends and fishing buddies.

------------------
LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL

Thats it the Quack, hackle fiber tail and it is a great fly. Lee did the Gray and White Wulffs. The Royal Wulff came about 5 years later or so when requests started to come in for them. People saw the quack and thought it was a wulff so the tail was changed to match the wulff and the rest is histoty.