Description
The Ausable Wulff is a legendary dry fly pattern that has earned a permanent place in trout anglers’ fly boxes, especially in the Northeast. It was created by Fran Betters, a well-known fly tier and guide from Wilmington, New York, who ran the Adirondack Sport Shop near the Ausable River. Betters introduced the fly in the 1960s as part of his series of rugged, buoyant patterns designed specifically for the fast, rough water of the West Branch of the Ausable River.
The Ausable Wulff is not an exact imitation of one insect—it’s more of a “searching” attractor pattern. Its rusty orange body makes it suggestive of March Browns, Isonychia, and late-season drakes, while the high-floating Wulff style allows it to stand up to heavy currents. On the Ausable and other freestone rivers, trout see it as a mayfly, stonefly, or even a terrestrial, depending on what’s hatching.
Pro Tip
- Designed to ride high and withstand multiple fish without sinking.
- Excellent for pocket water and riffles where visibility and floatation matter.
- Works well both during hatches (especially rusty-bodied mayflies) and as a general attractor when nothing specific is emerging.
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Recipe
- Hook: Dry-fly #12–16 (e.g., Dai-Riki 300, Mustad 9671)
- Thread: Fluorescent orange (6/0–8/0)
- Tail: Woodchuck guard hairs
- Wing: White calf tail
- Body: Rusty orange/cinnamon possum dubbing
- Hackle: Brown and grizzly rooster mixed
- Finish: Whip-finish with optional head cement
General Tying Steps
- Mount the hook and secure fluorescent orange thread with base wraps.
- Tie in the tail: Prepare woodchuck guard hairs, stack tips, measure to about one hook-shank length, tie in at the bend.
- Prepare and tie in the wing: Stack calf tail hair, measure to hook-shank length, tie in upright at about one-third of the shank back from the eye. Create a thread dam to stand the wing vertical.
- Separate wings: Splay into an “X,” stabilize with several thread (figure‑eight) wraps.
- Dub the body: Apply a tapered noodle of possum (cinnamon-orange), wrap forward up to just behind the wing.
- Add hackle: Align and tie in brown and grizzly hackle stems side by side behind the wing. Wrap each 2–3 times (brown then grizzly), both behind and ahead of the wing, then secure and trim excess.
- Finish: Build the head, whip-finish, and apply small amount of head cement for durability.
Video
From: Charlie Craven