Royal Coachman, bead-head

BEAD-HEAD ROYAL COACHMAN

BEAD-HEAD ROYAL COACHMAN

• Hook: 2X-long wet fly hook, size 12 or 10.
• Thread: Red 3/0 (210 denier).
• Tail: Golden pheasant tippet fibers.
• Body: Peacock herl and red tying thread.
• Wing: White marabou.
• Collar: Brown, English partridge, or coq de Leon hackle.

The Royal Coachman has been tied as a wet fly, dry fly, and, of course, there’s the Royal Wulff, which has been called the unofficial state bird of Montana. The Bead-Head Royal Coachman is my version of this iconic pattern. This pattern is one of my go-to searching flies when fishing for local brook trout. While it’s dandy for fishing streams, it is also a fine choice when exploring trout ponds. The bead gives the fly a bit of flash, but more important, this weighted fly settles into the water and comes alive when you tighten the line. This Bead-Head Royal Coachman actually came from my fly box, and I’ll put it back for my next fishing trip.

From <https://www.flytyer.com/15-trout-flies-must-tie/11/>