Royal Trude

The Royal Trude is a tried-and-true pattern. It very much resembles its cousin the Royal Wulff, with the only real variation being its swept-back wing that gives the fly a caddis look. Trude's origin is quite unusual, originating from a prank in 1903 at the Idaho ranch of A.S. Trude. Carter H. Harrison crafted the fly as a joke, using a large muskie hook, red worsted yarn from a rug for the body, a clump of hair from the ranch's red spaniel for the wing and tail, and squirrel tail for the hackle. To their astonishment, when A.S. Trude fished with this peculiar creation, it turned out to be remarkably effective. The fly, named after its dubious origin, the Trude, has since become a recognized and successful pattern.

If you slightly angle the hair wing downward instead of perfectly level, the fly will ride lower and push a subtle V-wake during the drift. This tiny disturbance helps fish key in on it during mixed hatches or when the surface is textured, making the Royal Trude stand out from other high-floating attractors without changing its classic profile.