Royal Coachman - Fly Tying the Original American Dry Fly

Created in 1878 by John Hailey, the Royal Coachman may be the most iconic of original American fly patterns. Typically a general attractor pattern, it is thought the silhouette may resemble certain mayflies or if tied small enough, even ants. I've never considered the Royal Coachman anything but a searching pattern but it has proven effective on American streams and rivers for over 140 years.

Hook: #10-16 dry fly
Thread: Black
Tail: Golden pheasant tippets
Body: Peacock herl with red floss band
Hackle: Brown rooster
Wing: White duck slips

Savage Flies is a project with the mission of encouraging and teaching fly tying to as many people as possible. The channel is named after one of my western Maryland homewaters, the Savage River. I've been uploading at least three new videos a week (usually Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday).

Thanks for stopping by. Please let me know in the comments if you have any tips or tricks that could help me or anyone else watching.