I have found several flies bearing the name “Trude”.
I have found little to no information regarding the origin of this moniker.
It seems to represent a fly tied with a white calf hair downwing, though I found no definition as such.
Do any of you fellows know where the name came from and/or what it represents?
Thank You
I don’t know if that answered my question in totality, though, it seems that there may not be a complete answer. 
Thanks for the info!
Trude
Compiled By James Birkholm
Quoting from Fly Patterns and Their Origins, "This pattern, one of the earlier hair flies and the first known to have been tied in this fashion, in which hair was used as a substitute for feathers in making the wings, was created in fun by Carter H. Harrison in 1903, while a guest on the A.S. Trude ranch, in Idaho.
Red worsted from a rug for a body and a bunch of hair from a red spaniel dog, put together with a squirrel tail hackle in the spirit of fun on an over-size muskie hook, and presented to Mr. Trude, looked so good that a few more serious samples were made up with a red yarn body wrapped with silver, squirrel hair tied long enough to show the dark band, and red rooster hackle. They caught all the fish the party could carry away from the Snake River, near the ranch.
Mr. Trude was a resident of Chicago, a noted criminal lawyer and prosecutor of Patrick Prendergast, who was hanged for slaying the elder Carter H. Harrison in 1893. Alfred S. Trude died in 1933.
Mr. Harrison has successfully used this pattern on Lake Superior fontinalis and small mouth bass, and states: “It’s a great fly and the ancestor of a big family.”
Trude
Originator: Carter Harrison, 1900s.
Hook: Mustad 94840, or equivalent, size 6 - 12.
Thread: Black 6/0.
Tail: Reddish brown hackle fibers.
Body: Scarlet wool yarn.
Rib: Silver tinsel.
Wing: Red fox squirrel tail.
Hackle: Two reddish brown neck or saddle hackles.
Another quote, this one from Trout Country Flies by Bruce Staples, “That Carter Harrison created this fly in 1901 as a practical joke on his host A.S. Trude is a well known story… What is less realized is the impact of this fly’s wing on future fly tying. “Trude-style wing” is as recognizable as “Royal Coachman body” or “tied in the round.” Hundreds of patterns are tied with this wing style.” ~ JC
Credits: Quoted portions and photo from Fly Patterns and Their Origins by Harold Hinsdill Smedley, photo and recipe from: Trout Country Flies published by Frank Amato Publications.
see “hairwing flies”
http://www.flyfishinghistory.com/quiet.htm
what part of the question wasnt answered??
My response was meant more as a tongue in cheek reference to the fact that the “Trude” fly seems to have a non specific history.
By substituting the feather style wings with hair they often concluded that they had a Trude fly, never stopping to think that what they had was a hairwing variation. Such patterns as the Royal Coachman came to be known as the Royal Trude when it fact it could only be defined as a “Hairwing Royal Coachman.” Substituting hair for feathers on all manner of flies took place. In reviewing just the streamers, steelhead and atlantic salmon flies alone one will quickly see where many of their original dressings called from feather wings. There may have been whose who used the idea of “hairwings” prior to Harrison but it is doubtful that any were ever as successful as his original Trude.
The original point was trying to identify the Trude form, so that I could be clear about its purpose. I was trying to answer the following questions:
Initially, my thoughts were that 1 and 2 were true, that the Trude fly was specifically representing a specific bug (caddis or stone fly) or a specific life cylce (spinner).
Based upon the information provided, it seems that the hairwing feature is predominant feature that defines the fly, not to discount its other features.
This all started by looking at the various Adams patters. The Adams Trude was the only one that I did not understand.
I have a much better understanding of the Trude fly now.
Thanks!
Hello brianakee, if you want a clearer understanding of the AT, tye some on #10 and 12 nymph hooks, add some extra white calf for the overwing, don’t add ribbing and sparse out the body but use a dubbing that floats well. Grease just the overwing and hackle so the AT floats low, body and tail in the film is ok. Now go to your favorite mountain rainbow trout stream/river that can’t be reached with hatchery trucks and try to stop smiling for the rest of your life as you come to an understanding !
Cheers,
MontanaMoose
Now that is an answer that only a fisherman could love!
He He He!
Thanks!
Was hoping you’d like that and yer welcome ! A flyshop owner gave me the first Trude i ever tried and i tyed and fished them an awful lot from then on. Here’s another idea for you if you like…try a lime Trude on those great overcast days when it’s not raining.
Cheers,
MontanaMoose
1: Dry fly
2: Caddis or Stone fly
3: Yes, the hair wing
4: Yes, the wing is tied down-wing or delta style
5: Refer to #1
The Trude style is defined primarily by the use of the hair wing tied in a delta style, using the standard feather hackle collar. Many folks identify them as the predecessor to the Stimulator patterns.
MM, gotta love that Lime Trude!
Kelly.
I used a lot of lime Trudes on gin clear water on o’cast days because i could see them ! Lime or even flo green is popular on the steelhead pattern called ‘green butt skunk’ and i thnk more gbs’ have been sold here on the coast than most other steelhead flies.
Cheers,
MontanaMoose
i think #1 could read “dry fly/emerger”, especially as a caddis emerger when sunken.
wouldnt the “sofa pillows” be the predecessor to the stimulators?
Yep, pulled under they do well.
The older Trudes, the Sofa Pillow, the Birds Stone…all are very similar.