Royal Coachman Fly-Tying Instructions

In the first half of the nineteenth century, British fly fishers developed a fly known as the Royal Coachman. Designed to sink just below the surface of the water to simulate the nymph stage of the insect life cycle, the Royal Coachman's popularity has endured due to its successful insect mimicry. Many fly fishing enthusiasts choose to tie their own Royal Coachmans at home and, with the right tools and technique, you can too.

Things You'll Need

  • Fly-tying vise
  • White hen hackles
  • Brown hen hackles
  • Peacock hurls
  • Wet fly hook ,size 8 to 14
  • 70-denier 8/0 black thread
  • Red floss
  • Fly-tying scissors
  • Fly-tying cement
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Instructions

    • 1

      Set a wet fly hook, size 8 to 14, in a fly-tying vise and lock it in position.

    • 2

      Wrap a smooth base of 70-denier 8/0 black thread along the length of the hook. Tie off the thread and cut it with fly-tying scissors. This will create the base for the body of the fly.

    • 3

      Select a brown hen hackle, wrap it to the back third of the body of the fly, tie off the string and cut it with a fly-tying scissors. This will create the tail of the fly.

    • 4

      Tie off three peacock hurls by the tips and wrap them around the body of the fly, tying them down at the head of the fly. This will create the thorax and legs of the fly.

    • 5

      Wrap the center of the body of the fly with a length of red floss, tie it off and cut it with scissors.

    • 6

      Wrap the section in front of the red floss with the peacock hurls still attached to the body of the fly. Secure the hurls with four tight wraps and cut the string and excess peacock hurl with scissors.

    • 7

      Select another brown hen hackle for the beard. This is the section on the front-bottom side of the fly that will create the legs of the fly. Wrap the brown hen hackle to the front bottom of the hook near the eye of the hook. Secure the hackle and cut the string.

    • 8

      Select a white hen hackle, trim the ends of the fibers, and roll them between your index finger and thumb to create a tube shape. Wrap the rolled hackle just behind the eye of the hook on the top side of the fly, secure the string and cut it with fly-tying scissors. The rolled hackles should extend about halfway down the length of the tail. This will create the wings of the fly.

    • 9

      Apply a small amount of fly-tying cement to the string just behind the eye of the hook. You now have your Royal Coachman.