In 1930, Lee Wulff designed three innovative dry flies to fish with on the Esopus and other Catskill rivers.

They were high floating, full bodied flies with hair wings and tails.

At the time, he was fishing regularly with Dan Bailey, a science teacher at Brooklyn Polytechnic.

Dan Bailey, who fished regularly in Montana and eventually established a fly shop and mail order business in Livingston, Montana in 1938 promoted the series extensively to western fly anglers.

[4] Angler and writer John Gierach believes the Royal Wulff is one of the most popular dry patterns over the last half century.