Old Guy question

[Uptonogood]

Does anyone tie or use the Royal Coachman pattern? I used it as a kid in the 1950’s, haven’t seen it in photos or referenced in many, many years.

 

[Evan B]

They still catch fish

 

[clarkman]

I still have a row of them in my dry fly box that's been missing for months...

 

[Tom Butler]

That's another of the flies that I just haven't had much luck with over this way. Can't remember the last time I fished one, don't have any in a box.

 

[Evan B]

I'm probably one of the least trouty people on this forum, but since I was a kid, I think close to or over 75% of my dry fly fish have been caught on either a royal coachman or parachute adams. They seem to just be all rounders that are good to have on hand.

 

[Buzzy]

One of my go to small creek patterns is the Royal Wulff, sorry, not the Coachman. I do recall having a few in my @Tim L like collection back in the same time frame you're referring to, no doubt from Swain's in Port Angeles.

 

[FinLuver]

I haven’t had much luck with commercially tied RCs staying together. Could be a factor why they don’t seem to be in favor. Having tied my own, they can be time consuming to lash together…other files of the speedier tie, catch fish just as well. I like fishing RCs in the little mountain blue lines. Also like to fish H&L Variants.

 

[kmudgn]

Royal Coachman, Royal Wolffe, and Trude are good standard flies to keep in any box as they catch fish

 

[krusty]

While it's the pattern I caught my first fish on a fly about 60 years ago, I don't think I've even got one in any of my boxes. The classic Royal Coachman materials just weren't that durable, and there are so many other flies that fish just as well.

Even as a kid I started noticing that the Coachman continued to catch fish even when torn to shit and no longer resembled the original...so I just started tying much simpler flies.

 

[Bonefish Jack]

Does anyone tie or use the Royal Coachman pattern? I used it as a kid in the 1950’s, haven’t seen it in photos or referenced in many, many years.

Royal Coachman - no
Royal Wulff - YES!

 

[Wetswinger]

Tied as a wet fly, it is good attractor pattern. I've used them with good success in alpine lakes..

 

[Tom Butler]

While it's the pattern I caught my first fish on a fly about 60 years ago, I don't think I've even got one in any of my boxes. The classic Coachman materials just weren't that durable, and there are so many other flies that fish just as well.

Even as a kid I started noticing that the Coachman continued to catch fish even when torn to shit and no longer resembled the original...so I just started tying much simpler flies.

June a few years ago I had a few good weeks fishing coachman and renegades, white and peacock I guess was it, but I didn't have any royals to try. Have not had that same success with them since.

 

[krusty]

June a few years ago I had a few good weeks fishing coachman and renegades, white and peacock I guess was it, but I didn't have any royals to try. Have not had that same success with them since.

For many years Renegades and BiVisibles were two of my favorites.

 

[Matt B]

I toss a Royal Wulff parachute on blue lines on occasion, usually to good effect. I find the parachute a lot easier to tie than the split wing, and I’m lazy. I mean efficient.

 

[Flymph]

Royal Wulff used to be a guide favorite on the Madison??? Had a guide tell me it was candy for the trout and at times the finicky Madison fish had shown a preference for it. He may have said it represented an ant but this was many seasons ago before whirling/warm water years.

 

[Dave Westburg]

I grew up fishing a coachman for the cutts on Kelsey creek in my backyard. The outdoor writer Joe Brooks swore by it. Enos Bradner liked it with a bucktail wing. I still fish a royal coachman and coachman on beaver ponds in May and June.



I have a leather fly wallet full of larger royal coachmen and leadwing coachmen for fall cowlitz cutts...

 

[Tom Butler]

For many years Renegades and BiVisibles were two of my favorites.

If I lived in cutthroat country I bet I'd fish that renegade a lot more. Always seemed to have good luck with it for those fish.

 

[Chadk]

I don't fish them often anymore.

For trout that aren't picky, I RW floats better and is highly visible. Love them in small streams, turbulent waters, pocket water, etc. Some good effect on alpine lakes as well.

Where RCs come in for me are those moments where I don't care if it floats or sinks. Fish dead drift, fish skate or wake it, or fish it like a soft soft hackle, or strip it like a bait fish. Kind of a do it all pattern. Cast out...oh, it sunk, let's roll with that and see what happens.... Where a RR that isn't floating- time to dry it or tie on another.

 

[Wayne Kohan]

I don't fish them often anymore.

For trout that aren't picky, I RW floats better and is highly visible. Love them in small streams, turbulent waters, pocket water, etc. Some good effect on alpine lakes as well.

Where RCs come in for me are those moments where I don't care if it floats or sinks. Fish dead drift, fish skate or wake it, or fish it like a soft soft hackle, or strip it like a bait fish. Kind of a do it all pattern. Cast out...oh, it sunk, let's roll with that and see what happens.... Where a RR that isn't floating- time to dry it or tie on another.

Thats how I fish my Elk Hair Caddis, usually dry/dropper, then dive it and swing it at end of drift.

 

[Chadk]

Thats how I fish my Elk Hair Caddis, usually dry/dropper, then dive it and swing it at end of drift.

Yep, EHC basically stole my RC spot in my fly box.