Western Coachman

This month's fly is an old pattern called the Western Coachman. The Western Coachman was created by Buz Buswek of California in the early 1940's. Buz had been fishing all his life in the Sierra Nevada mountains which led him to take up tying as an adult. In 1947 he quit his job and opened a flyshop in his home. During his early years of fishing the turbulent waters of the Sierras he noticed that flies with white wings were much easier to keep track of. After many variations he decided that he preferred a large wing that swept back over the fly. The article I read about Buz also stated that the Rangeley Region Sports Shop was one of a handful of shops outside of California that he wholesaled his Western Coachman to. The fly was originally tied as a wet fly but is also now tied as a dry fly.

Hook - dry fly
Thread - Black
Tail - Golden Pheasant feather section
Body - Peacock herl
Rib - small gold wire
Wing - whitetail deer flank hair
Hackle - Coachman brown