Mrs. Simpson

The Mrs Simpson is a classic streamer pattern and one of the most iconic flies to come out of South Africa. Part of the “Killer” family of flies, the Mrs Simpson has earned its reputation as a must-have for anglers targeting trout in the country’s lakes, rivers, and streams. It gained popularity in the mid-20th century and remains one of the most reliable attractor patterns in southern hemisphere fly fishing.

The origin of the name is steeped in humor and historical reference—tied to the infamous romance between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson. The story goes that if Mrs. Simpson could lure a king from his throne, she could certainly lure a trout from the depths.

Tied with soft, overlapping cock pheasant rump feathers for the wing and flanks, and a striking red underbody, the Mrs Simpson creates the profile and movement of a small baitfish or large nymph. In larger sizes, it mimics juvenile fish and can be stripped with speed or fished on a sink-tip line. In smaller sizes, it becomes an ambiguous attractor, drawing strikes in both still and moving water.

Its combination of suggestive movement, flash, and silhouette makes the Mrs Simpson a deadly pattern in stained or deep water, and a mainstay in the boxes of South African anglers and beyond.

Submitted by: Matthew O.

Swing It in Current: In rivers or streams, fish the Mrs Simpson on a down-and-across swing. Let the fly pulse and undulate as it moves through deeper pockets—this mimics a fleeing baitfish or stunned aquatic insect.