Leading up to Christmas, Todd White of The Yooper Fly Life posted the Royal Robert’s Drake on Instagram and I asked if he’d put together a tutorial in case you’d like to add this one to the list of flies that you’ll tie this winter.
This isn’t the first tutorial that Todd has given us and you can find those posts HERE and HERE.
I came up with the Royal Robert’s Drake color variation just playing at the vise one day a few years back, simply asking the question if Clarence Robert’s Drake, the killer light/yellow Michigan mayfly pattern with X-wrapped deer hair body, could be translated into a Royal Wulff style color palette.
This is really a testimonial to the quality and variety of terrific materials readily available to modern tiers. Nature’s Spirit and Varner’s Streamers currently produce deer hair dyed in excellent peacock shades, and Sulky Threads extra thin/extra strong red tinsel really makes this version of the Robert’s Drake possible.
The Royal Robert’s Drake isn’t just a pretty face either, this thing really cooks on the water and it has earned a reserved spot in my fly box Have had excellent results as an attractor/searching pattern for both brook and brown trout in a variety of water. And, don’t sleep on tying and fishing a 3XL version in larger sizes as a damsel imitation during the dog days. You can thank me later.
ROYAL ROBERT’S DRAKE RECIPE:
Hook: Standard Dry Fly Hook – Size 8-16 or 3XL Dry Fly Size 8-12
Thread: UTC 70 Denier – Black
Tail: Nature’s Spirit Speckled Moose Body Hair – Brown
Body: Nature’s Spirit Spinning Hair – Frog Green or Varner’s Late Season Deer Hair – Peacock
Rib: Sulky’s Thread Spooled Tinsel – Red
Post: McFlylon Poly Yarn – White
Thorax: Nature’s Spirit Strung Peacock – Dyed Fluorescent Green
Hackle: Whiting Saddle Hackle – Grizzly Dyed Coachman Brown
STEP 1 – Place hook in vise, attach black thread, measure tail to length of hook shank and tie in.
STEP 2 – Measure deer hair tips to 1/3 tail past bend and tie in butts at 2/3 shank spinning hair equally around hook.
STEP 3 – Pull deer hair tips rearward and wrap in open wraps to hook bend and
then forward to tie in point crossing over previous wraps in X shape.
STEP 4 – Tie in Sulky red tinsel at thorax and repeat open wraps rearward and X wraps forward covering previous thread X-wraps. You can paint tinsel
with Solarez Bone-Dry Epoxy and cure after completion for durability.
STEP 5 – Tie in and post white McFlylon for parachute wing.
STEP 6 – Tie saddle hackle in on base of parachute post.
STEP 7 – Tie in two strands of peacock at thorax.
STEP 8 – Figure eight peacock hurl behind and in front of parachute post to build thorax and tie off on post.
STEP 9 – Wrap 6-8 wraps of hackle to base of parachute post, tie off on post, and trim hackle tag.
STEP 10 – Finish thread head, trim post equal to hook shank length, and Go Fishing!
Follow The Yooper Fly Life on Instagram and subscribe to his YouTube channel for the latest flies you should be adding to your fly boxes.
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