Ausable Wulff

The Ausable Wulff was one of Fran Betters' most sought after and purchased fly pattern.

Lee Wulff developed what became the Wulff patterns in the 1930s. It was a reaction to the more delicate slim bodied and mostly hackle flies that he found to be hard to keep floating. At the time the Hewitt Bi-Visible was gaining popularity also. Lee wanted to combine the bugginess of that pattern with something easy to float. He first set out to mimic the Gray Drakes of the Ausable in the Adirondaks which are a big fly. Out of that the Gray Wulff was created. The focus is bucktail for tail and wings and a bushy buggy body and hackle.

Fran takes this idea to his style with hot orange thread, rusty orange possom and woodchuck tail...

Pattern Recipe:
Hook: Long Shank hook. Fran liked the Mustad 9671 which is a streamer hook. Any long shank dry fly hook should work.
Tail: Woodchuck tail fibers or guard hairs from a fur patch. Don't be shy. Length equal to hook shank.
Body: rusty orange Australian possom
Wing: Calf tail. Don't be shy. Length also the hook shank.
Hackle: Grizzly and Brown saddle hackles. Fran preferred saddles. Barb length should be just a bit shorter than the wing.
Thread: Hot Orange. Uni Fire Orange is great.

Thanks!