^Tn^Z^Ei*] - Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

FOR the red-green-orange spell he
can weave over the smartest trout.
For the exalted position he holds in
the fly box of almost every angler.
For the long-time popularity he has
enjoyed, and for his survival of a lot
of the modernizing fad that has radically
changed some of his brothers—
For all these things, we nominate
a king for the domain of trout flies.
He is the Royal Coachman.
There are other trout flies which
are universal favorites and which also
are efficient fish-takers.
But the Royal Coachman has the
dash and color of a monarch.
He looks like no living thing.
At least this writer never heard of
an insect, fish, animal, bird or reptile
that has a red body with green edges,
an orange tail with black bars, with
a speck of gold as a finishing touch at
the rear of the body, not to mention
brown—and sometimes white—legs.
The Royal Coachman has all those
features, whether he be made up as
a floating dry fly, a bedraggled wet fly,
or a miniature streamer.
So much for his appearance.
As for his popularity, it seems logical
to explain this feature of His Royal
Highness by the fact that he ranks as
a top-flight attractor—that is, a fly that
will interest trout when they are ignoring
other more conventional patterns
of flies.
His Royal Highness
By Dick Fortney
Another factor that certainly cannot
be overlooked is the fact that the
Royal Coachman is easily seen when
floating on the water—and that is important
for those of the angling fraternity
who have to struggle under the
handicap of bifocal glasses.
Be the reasons what they may, it's
a safe bet that the vast majority of
trout fishermen in Pennsylvania regard
the Royal Coachman as a standby.
Legions of anglers would not think
of going astream for a day without a
supply of the flies of this pattern in
their fly boxes.
Of course, there are some dissenters.
We know one chap who has a peeve
against the Royal Coachman. He'd
rather get skunked than use it. He
prides himself on his insistence on
using flies that really represent natural
insects.
"Why, that danged blob of color
doesn't look like any insect," he once
told me in scorn. "I have more respect
for trout than to use that fly. If I can't
catch fish on regular flies, I'll go without
'em."
I like the guy, so I didn't point out
the fact that I was having a lot of
fun and he wasn't interesting many
trout, although he is as good a trout
angler as can be found in Central
Pennsylvania.
There is a type of Royal Coachman
to suit every angling problem. First,
Trout in a mountain stream never saw a natural Insect that looks like the Royal C
but they'll strike a fly of that pattern.
there is the conventional dry patte^
Then there is the bivisible. Third *
the conventional wet fly. Fourth is ,
variation of the wet fly best describ e
as a miniature streamer. All four p 3
terns have the same specification
however.
The body is a brilliant red, with i
collar of green peacock herl back 8J$
front. The hackle is brown. The ttt
is made of whisps of a golden pheasaP
tippet or whisps of brown hacK*'
The wings are white. The tag is
twist of gold wire at the bend of *|j
hook, just aft of the wrapping of h?
that forms the back end of the boj?e
terial mats when wet, and only i
bushy, luxuriant herl should be u s .
The gold tag presumably is inten 0 ,^
to attract the attention of the fish ^ $
its tiny but piercing glitter. Many C ,,
regard the tag as not essential, h° .
ever, and certainly no one will are g
that omitting it will make the fly *
effective. .,
The wings of the dry Royal C°? C 0f
man may be made of either quill
PENNSYLVANIA ANGl t*