About the Hairwing Coachman Trout Fly

August is the month when the Elk River in the East Kootnays runs clear and is in perfect dry fly condition! Strong stubby Montana cuts cruise the gin clear water and slash vigorously at the evening fly hatches. A little work is required to get away from the pools near the main highway but the rewards are ample when the cutthroat trout so willingly take your dry fly offering. I prefer a hair wing fly tied with white kip tail for the wing simply because it is easier to see the float of the fly as it bounces through the ripples. As well, those short but very thick cutthroat do not seem to mind this deviation in the least!

Expert Tip:

A dab of floatant is necessary to insure your fly will cockily float through the runs and prove irresistible to those river trout!

Creator of this trout fly: Don Haaheim

Tier of this trout fly: Don Haaheim

Country of origin for this trout fly: Canada

This trout fly is designed to be fished on Rivers & Streams

Dressings

• Hook : Size 8 to 14.
• Tail : Red pheasant.
• Body : Peacock herl over wrapped in the center section with red floss.
• Hackle : Grizzly or brown saddle.
• Wing : White kip's tail.
• Thread : Invisible mending.

Tie in a short tail of grizzly or perhaps a little more appealing to many fishermen, red pheasant. Next wrap the hook shank with peacock herl and then over wrap the center section with red floss. White kip's tail is then used to make a vertical wing that projects upward at least equal to the length of the hook shank. This greatly increases the visibility of the fly on the water. The final step is to wind a brown saddle hackle several turns just behind the kip tail wing. Mustad dry 94842