Today, the Royal Coachman and its variations are tied mostly as dry flies and fished floating on the water surface.

Mary Orvis Marbury in her Favorite Flies and Their Histories (1892) tells the story of its creation as follows: The Royal Coachman was first made in 1878 by John Haily, a professional fly-dresser living in New York City.

[3] Early in the 20th century, Theodore Gordon once was of the opinion that the Royal Coachman resembled some form of flying ant, while in the 1950s, Preston Jennings, a noted fly tier and angler thought the Royal Coachman resembled Isonychia mayflies.

[4] The distinguishing features of any Royal Coachman or its derivatives are the peacock herl body partitioned with red silk or floss, a white wing and brown or red-brown hackle.

Tailing has varied over the years from the original wood duck flank to include golden pheasant tippet, brown or red hackle, moose, elk and deer hair.