Leadwing Coachman

Leadwing Coachman

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Tying Instructions

1. Attach the thread to the midpoint of the shank and lay a thread base to the shank just above the point.

2. Attach the Gold Tinsel at an angle to the shank just above the point. Secure the tag end with thread wraps.

3. Wrap the tinsel about 3 times with overlapping wraps toward the curve of the hook and wrap back again to the tie-down position above the point. Trim the tag end and secure with thread wraps.

4. Attach a fine gold wire to the shank in front of the gold tag. With the thread just above the point, apply Olive Antron to the thread for a tapered underbody.

5. Wrap the dubbing forward and then back to the position above the point, creating a tapered underbody.

6. Select three herls and attach the herls to the top of the underbody directly above the point. Wrap the herls around the thread to create a herl rope with a thread core. This will help strengthen the herl.

7. Wrap the herl rope forward to about two eyelengths behind the eye. You’ll need this space for the hackle, wing, and head.

8.Counterwrap the fine gold wire with about 4 wraps to help strengthen the herl.

9. Select a hen hackle with the barbs about 1.5x to twice the gap of the hook. Message the barbs downward, forming a open area between the hackle fibers and the tip. Remove enough of the lower hackle fibers so that there are enough fibers to wrap for about 2-3 turns. Bring the tip to the tie-down position just in front of the body. The hackle should have the shiny side facing you.

10. Wrap the hackle forward, preening the fibers back with your left hand as to not entrap any of the fibers. Give one more additional wrap of the bare quill and secure with thread wraps. The hackle fibers should not extend beyond the bend of the hook

11. Clip two matching mallard quill segments about 1/4″ wide or slightly smaller than the hook gap. Match the quill segments with the concave sides facing each other with even tips.

12. Place the quills on top of the shank just behind the eye. Place a pinch loop about one eyelength behind the eye, tighten the thread to secure the quills evenly on both sides. Apply two more pinch wraps. Trim the butt ends. The quill length should reach the end of the hook bend.

13. Finish with a thread wrapped head. Whip Finish.

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	TMC 9300 #10-16
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Tag	Gold Tinsel
Ribbing	Small Gold Wire
Body	Peacock Herl
Underbody	Olive Antron Dubbing
Wing	Gray Duck Quill
Hackle	Black Henback Hackle

Leadwing Coachman

The Leadwing Coachman finds it’s origins in the early 1820’s as an offering from a carriage driver, Tom Bosworth, to his English Lord for fishing. The original Coachman fly was a wet pattern of a peacock herl body, white duck quill wing, and brown throat hackle. Although wet flies found much interest during the early 1900’s, they seem to have lost favor with most fly fishers.

The Leadwing Coachman can still be an effective fly, today. The wings were switched to a pair of Gray Mallard slips and a Gold wire tag was added to the rear of the body. The Peacock Herl body has proven to be popular as an atttractor with many patterns from the Zug Bug to the Prince Nymph. The best use for the Leadwing Coachman is during gray caddisfly hatches, particularly when the dry flies seem to be ineffective. The Leadwing looks like diving caddis laying their eggs on the bottom of the trout stream.

Royal Coachman

Other variations from this pattern include the Royal Coachman and the California Coachman. The Royal Coachman was first tied commercially by John Haily of New York in 1878 while he was employed by the Orvis Company and is probably the most recognized fly in the world. Mr. Haily received the prototype of the Royal Coachman from another tyer. The tyer was concerned that the peacock body was too frail and suggested red silk in the middle to make the pattern more durable. Some Wood Duck fibers were also suggested for the tail. Mr Haily incorporated the changes but replaced the Wood Duck fibers with Golden Pheasant Tippet. After these changes were made, the pattern was recognized as the Royal Coachman.

The Orvis Connection

Mary Orvis Marbury

According to John Haily, “A gentleman wanted me to tie some Coachman for him to take up into the north woods, and to make them extra strong, so I have tied them with a little bank of silk in the middle, to prevent the peacock bodies from fraying out. I have also added a tail of the barred feathers of wood-duck, and I think it makes a very handsome fly.” A few evenings later, a circle of us were together “disputing the fly question,” one of the party claiming that numbers were “quite suitable to designate the flies as so many nonsensical names.”

The others did not agree with him, but he said: “What can you do? Here is a fly intended to be a Coachman, yet it is not the true Coachman; is quite unlike it, and what can you call it?” Mr. L.C. Orvis, brother of Mr. Charles Orvis, who was present, said: “Oh, that is easy enough; call it the Royal Coachman, it is so finely dressed!” And this name in time came to be known and used by all who are familiar with the fly.” Credits: Quoted text from Favorite Flies and Their Histories, by Mary Orvis Marbury, published by The Lyons Press.

Other Variations

The California Coachman was designed by Mr. J.W. Fricke of San Francisco in the early 1900’s and was published in A. Courtney Williams book, “Trout Flies” in 1932. It merely substituted the colors of the silk floss middle from red to yellow. Most of these patterns had a later dry fly version using a catskill style.

Royal Coachman, Leadwing

Hook	TMC 9300 #10-16
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Tail	8-10 Golden Pheasant Tippets
Ribbing	Small Gold Wire
Body	Peacock Herland Red Floss
Head	Black Ostrich Herl
Wing	Gray Duck Quill
Hackle	Ginger/Brown Saddle Hackle

California Coachman, Leadwing

Hook	TMC 9300 #10-16
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Tail	8-10 Golden Pheasant Tippets
Ribbing	Small Gold Wire
Body	Peacock Herland Yellow Floss
Wing	Gray Duck Quill
Hackle	Ginger/Brown Saddle Hackle