Royal Wulff by Charlie Craven

The Royal Wulff has become the standard attractor dry in the years since its inception by the legendary Lee Wulff. Hair wings and tail, a multi-colored body, and a heavily hackled collar make this a buoyant, highly visible fast-water fly. I have no idea what makes this fly so attractive to the fish, but perhaps Lee Wulff had the right idea when he suggested that this fly imitates a piece of strawberry shortcake.
As complicated as this fly seems it is really just a combination of basic techniques all put together to make one beautiful fly. Start slow and keep an eye on your proportions and you'll be amazed at how yours turn out.
Materials Needed:
Hook: Tmc 100SP-BL #10-20
Thread: Veevus 14/0 Black
Wing: White Calf Body Hair
Tail: Dark Moose Hair
Rib: Fine Copper Wire
Body: Peacock Herl And Red Floss
Hackle: Brown Rooster Hackle
All materials are available for purchase at charliesflybox...

[@jimseaman2558]

Charlie, I have been tying for over 55 years. I truly enjoy all of the tiers on u-tube and continue to learn even at my age. You are one of the two very best tiers and instructors out there. I want to thank you for all you have done for the craft and fly fishing in general. I look forward to more content in the further!

[@TheBoolio]

Thanks for having one of the best tying channels on KZbin. I really appreciate how much detailed information you share.

[@jordanduchein691]

I love how you’re going back to tying some of the classics

[@robvegart]

That is a text book Royal Wulff! Outstanding!

[@TheXeniaman]

What a pleasure to see you tie one of the old classics. Just beautiful.

[@soloflyfishing]

Charlie, you do such a great job wrapping the hackle. After 4 ties I am still struggling to get the hackle like I want it. After watching your tutorial again I think I will get it right this time. Thank you for the instruction. Tight lines!

[@Flies_the_limit]

I think these would make cool xmas tree ornaments lol. Masterful tie Charlie.

[@southernexposure123]

Thanks for the video. 55 years ago I read about flies with Royal Wulff and Coachman in F&S magazine. I don't live in trout country, but it's good to finally see flies tied with those names.

[@Havsnsnd]

“And if you have requests, keep ‘em to yourself” 😅 thanks for the vids

[@DrJohn493]

Having only started tying flies about two years ago, I've worked all the way through Basic Fly Tying and I'm about to start tying this pattern. Ordered a few missing "ingredients" today. As a flatlander from the southeast with no fly fishing experience growing up, the Royal Wulff is the first trout fly I remember seeing on my first western camping trip with my folks in 1968 at the age of 15. I thought they were so neat looking with all the bright colors I even bought a few as souvenirs. I'm looking forward adding this one to my fly box in an assortment of hook sizes. As soon as my missing "ingredients" arrive.

[@Oldmanflyfishing]

Excellent tutorial, now to try this as a beginner that has only done wet flies

[@fredleroux6920]

Thank you I look so forward to your videos,i learn do much from your skills and knowledge 🙏

[@MapleGoodness]

This is my first time seeing one of your videos, and I really enjoyed it. As a new fly tyer, I appreciate how you explain why you're doing what you're doing, helps a lot in understanding the thought behind the pattern .

[@chrisbukowski9434]

Buy Charlie Craven books

[@MapleGoodness]

@@chrisbukowski9434 I've learned most of my fly tying info via right here on KZbin... seems easier to see it being done rather than reading?

[@RockyPhillips]

Thank you very much for this great tutorial, I was able to follow along perfectly

[@robhicklin2139]

Excellent video thank you

[@bigdaddy99929]

Topnotch presentation again. 🙂

[@jimfreeman3636]

Show Low, AZ in 1990, the year before he crashed his plane, I watched Lee tie 5 of these sans vice as he was famous for. His weren't nearly as pretty as yours. I was demo tying with Phil Camera (founder Larva Lace) and happened to look up and find Lee and Joan watching. Christ, I almost had a heart attack. Really nice tie, Charlie - as always.

[@Settertude]

A great job, indeed!

[@craiggranquist1848]

Nice tie👍

[@georgepretnick4460]

That there is a $20 fly, all day long. I'd hang it in a tree on the first cast.

[@sergtang5593]

Well after Tying Nymphs and Tying Streamers, when Tying Dries will be available? 😊. Love your way of tying flies.

[@ch4rl0s]

Question: why use two hackle vs. Multiple wraps of one? (That furnace hackle is spectacular, thank you for carrying it in your shop).

[@chrisbukowski9434]

Nice and clean

[@erniewalker5050]

Very nice.

[@TinCanFlyFishing]

Nice tutorial, thank you - but I am still wanting to like working with calf hair.

[@user-mb1hg4qu9f]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@duderoony]

Nice variation on the original there Charlie. And the plus of the tips along the way. Add to this the correct zoom level and we have a perfect fly pattern tied and demonstrated perfectly. Thank you for another one dude.

[@MiddleEarthTenkara]

Great instruction

[@TinCanFlyFishing]

Curious... Seems many use moose hock and not golden pheasant neck feathers for the tail. Why?

[@CharliesFlyBox]

A Wulff, by definition, has a hair wing and tail. The old school Royal Coachman had GP tippet for the tail and white duck quill wings. The Wulff series of flies were developed by Lee Wulff for heavier water and increased flotation

[@tmarkk99]

Love it. I tie this fly a lot. But still learned something new. Thanks Charlie really appreciate it. Having trouble with your channel though. Can’t subscribe. Just says error subscribing when I try.

[@CharliesFlyBox]

Mark, I think i have the channel issue resolved. Please try subscribing again. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. More coming!

[@tmarkk99]

Yes! I am subscribed again. Thank you!

[@mikekuczynski1552]

Love this pattern , tie the abdomen in multiple colors . Doesn’t seem to matter but it does to me . They work great here on the Madison they float so good in the fast water . But I would like to suggest :-)

[@tinoyb9294]

Skip the wire. Wrap the herl around the thread a couple times and then wrap around the hook. The thread will continue to wrap around the herl as it's wound on the hook.

[@CharliesFlyBox]

Kevin Hall where can I see your video??

[@cachi-7878]

Nice fly, Charlie. Question on thread. I’m old school when it comes to threads, simply because I haven’t exhausted my stock of Danville 6/0 or Unithread 8/0. How does the strength of this Veevus 14/0 compare to that of a Danville 6/0 thread? Thanks.

[@CharliesFlyBox]

Cachi - so Veevus is a polyester thread so it has less stretch than the nylon Danville 6/0, and it’s slightly smaller but probably about the same strength...maybe slightly stronger.

[@EMD_Ski]

I notice you sometimes will twist herls to form a cord as you did here, and other times will just hold the group loosely and wrap freely on other flies. What makes you choose one method or the other on a fly?

[@CharliesFlyBox]

In this case, they’re the fine herls from the eye so I roll them to strengthen them a bit, but also to coil them into a bit more of a rope to build up the individual segments. Does that help?

[@EMD_Ski]

@@CharliesFlyBox definitely, and thanks for the quick response, much appreciated! 👍

[@robertposenal6981]

Nice fly coach🫵😉

[@zafotbeeb]

White calf body hair looks nice but tends to sink the fly as it is heavy and being straight it become a water wick.

[@CharliesFlyBox]

Nah, modern flotants solve that problem. The wing doesn’t touch the water and if you pull it under, a couple false casts ought to shake it dry in short order.

[@wyomingtrout5581]

Charlie - old school said that you tied the hackles in with the dull side forward towards the eye of the hook, you seem to go against tradition - can you explain why. Thanks

[@CharliesFlyBox]

I like the outsides of the feathers toward the eye cupping rearward as it allows me to really pack the hackle wraps tightly together without catching any fibers. Some folks wrap them the other way, but they’re doing it wrong ;)

[@TGging]

Charlie, I have a request.

[@73sck]

me too. bawahaha. Great fly Charlie

[@hermelmorin6210]

Can you put a lighter backgrown so we can see better.

[@CharliesFlyBox]

Shhhhhh…..

[@bladerunner8832]

Anyone know what the copper wire is for? 🤷‍♂️ I’m a novice at tying.

[@CharliesFlyBox]

The copper is merely to reinforce the peacock and floss. Peacock is fairly delicate stuff.

[@hni7458]

Many thanks Sir. Just wondering: one could surely cut down the dressing material with about 50% for better floatability - or artistry if nothing else. An old rule: use as few turns of the thread as possible, and pull the thread for every turn as much as it can take - isn't really followed today. Comments please!

[@joef1299]

You preface with “just wondering” and then proceed to make a statement. Directed towards one of the most talented, finest tyers alive. Or dead. I think Charlie knows what he’s doing and his fly will float just fine. I agree with thread tension, although with sophisticated dries it becomes more about control than absolute tautness.

[@wyomingtrout5581]

Charlie; is not calf tail a better material for the wing, its crinkly nature creates air pockets that will enhance the flotation of the fly.

[@CharliesFlyBox]

wyomingtrout calf tail is super floaty for sure, but it’s much harder to work with and is even more difficult to find a tail with the right hair for these things. If you’ve got a good one, use it!

[@cachi-7878]

I was taught to use calf tail as well but then shifted to calf body hair when the great Del Mazza taught me this alternative when he tied his stunning Catskills style dries sold in his dome setups