Ruby Band Royal Coachman Dry
by @dekasso
Royal Coachman · Dry fly
A red belt riding the riffle
A classic Royal Coachman dry fly on a size 12 hook, with olive hackle and a red floss band, for trout in quick, broken water.
A Royal Coachman dry fly with upright divided wings and a full olive collar. Two bands of peacock herl frame a bright red floss belt, with a cream tail and red thread head.
- Pattern
- Royal Coachman
- Imitates
- Attractor Mayfly
- Hook
- size 12
- Tippet
- 4Xrule of three
- Red floss band between peacock herl
- Divided mallard flank wings
- Olive dyed hackle collar
- Cream hackle fiber tail
- Size 12 dry fly hook
On the water
Peacock herl sits fat and green at both ends of the body. Between them, a clean band of red floss. Mottled wings stand up and split apart, a bushy olive collar circles the hook, and a long cream tail trails out behind.
Fish it where the water chatters: riffle seams, pocket water, the tail of a run. Dead-drift it on a short line and watch the pale wings bob through the chop. A small twitch at the end of the drift can wake it up.
Peacock herl is the part to get right. Twist two or three strands with the thread before you wrap, so the butt and thorax stay plump and the fragile fibers do not snap on the first fish.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 4Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, tapered — longer and finer in flat water
- Rig on 5X tippet with a short, tapered leader for quick water.
- Dress the hackle and wings with floatant so it rides high in the chop.
- Try it as the top fly in a dry-dropper, with a small nymph below.
Where and when
- Hatch
- Attractor Mayfly
- Target
- Trout
- Water type
- Riffles, pocket water and broken runs
- Also fishes
- Also works on small mountain streams and in summer evening light on flat water when no single bug is hatching.
Make it yourself
Intermediate7 materials · 10 steps
- Pattern
- Royal Coachman
- Style
- Dry fly
- Hook
- Dry fly hooksize 12
- Thread
- Red 8/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- WingMallard flank
- TailCream hackle fibers
- ButtPeacock herl
- BodyRed floss
- ThoraxPeacock herl
- HackleOlive dyed hackle
- HeadRed 8/0 thread
Details
- Colors
- Red, Olive, Peacock green, Cream, Grey-white
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (10)
- Mount the hook and lay a red thread base from the eye to the bend.
- Tie in a mallard flank bunch one third back from the eye, tips forward, wing as long as the hook shank.
- Stand the wing upright with thread wraps in front, split it in two and set each half with figure-eight wraps.
- Tie in a slim bunch of cream hackle fibers at the bend, about one shank length long.
- Tie in two peacock herl strands, twist them with the thread and wrap a round butt over the rear quarter of the shank.
- Tie in red floss and wrap a smooth, flat band forward over the middle of the body.
- Tie in fresh peacock herl and wrap a second herl band just behind the wing.
- Tie in the olive dyed hackle by its stem behind the wing, shiny side forward.
- Wrap the hackle three or four turns behind the wing and two or three in front, then tie it off.
- Build a small, neat red thread head, whip finish and add a drop of head cement.
Proportions (4)
- Tail: about one hook shank long.
- Wings: about one hook shank tall, set upright and split evenly.
- Hackle fibers: about one and a half times the hook gap.
- Body: herl butt, red floss and herl thorax split roughly into thirds.
Tips (3)
- Keep the floss flat as you wrap; untwist it often so the red band stays glossy.
- Pick out the hackle fibers between turns so the collar stays even all round.
- Set the wings first so the body and hackle can be built cleanly behind them.
Common mistakes (4)
- Thin, broken herl: twist the strands with thread to give them strength and bulk.
- Crowded eye: stop the hackle short and leave room for a small head.
- Wings leaning back: build a small thread dam in front and post them upright.
- Lumpy floss: keep an even thread base under the red band before wrapping.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 12 · Materials only · 12 flies
$54.25
$4.52 a fly
Includes Dry fly hook · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 9 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry fly hook$6.50
Thread & wire
- Red 8/0 thread$2.95
Materials
- Other material: Mallard flank$4.50
- Cream hackle fibers$11.95
- Peacock herl$5.95
- Other material: Red floss$4.50
- Olive dyed hackle$11.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 12 · Materials only · 48 flies
$103.08
$2.15 a fly
Bought separately $108.50 · you save $5.42
Includes Dry fly hook · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 9 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry fly hook$13
Thread & wire
- Red 8/0 thread$5.90
Materials
- Other material: Mallard flank$9
- Cream hackle fibers$23.90
- Peacock herl$17.85
- Other material: Red floss$9
- Olive dyed hackle$23.90
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 12 · Materials only · 144 flies
$259.29
$1.80 a fly
Bought separately $294.65 · you save $35.36
Includes Dry fly hook · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 9 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry fly hook$35
Thread & wire
- Red 8/0 thread$17.70
Materials
- Other material: Mallard flank$22.50
- Cream hackle fibers$71.70
- Peacock herl$47.60
- Other material: Red floss$22.50
- Olive dyed hackle$71.70
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 12 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$204.25
$17.02 a fly
Includes Dry fly hook · and 17 more
Every item in this kit · 18 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry fly hook$6.50
Thread & wire
- Red 8/0 thread$2.95
Materials
- Other material: Mallard flank$4.50
- Cream hackle fibers$11.95
- Peacock herl$5.95
- Other material: Red floss$4.50
- Olive dyed hackle$11.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 12 · With vise & tools · 48 flies
$245.58
$5.12 a fly
Bought separately $258.50 · you save $12.92
Includes Dry fly hook · and 17 more
Every item in this kit · 18 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry fly hook$13
Thread & wire
- Red 8/0 thread$5.90
Materials
- Other material: Mallard flank$9
- Cream hackle fibers$23.90
- Peacock herl$17.85
- Other material: Red floss$9
- Olive dyed hackle$23.90
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 12 · With vise & tools · 144 flies
$391.29
$2.72 a fly
Bought separately $444.65 · you save $53.36
Includes Dry fly hook · and 17 more
Every item in this kit · 18 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry fly hook$35
Thread & wire
- Red 8/0 thread$17.70
Materials
- Other material: Mallard flank$22.50
- Cream hackle fibers$71.70
- Peacock herl$47.60
- Other material: Red floss$22.50
- Olive dyed hackle$71.70
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
The creator
How it was made
1 iteration led here; the saved one is marked
1 Saved
Remixes
Remixed from
- Ruby Band Royal Coachman Dryyou are here
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
“give it a body like royal coachman”
fly pattern · made
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- royal coachman
- dry fly
- attractor
- trout
- peacock herl
- red floss
- olive hackle
- mallard flank
- riffles
- pocket water
- size 12