Michael and Anthony explained the meaning very well. You might also be interested in the origin. When fox hunters train dogs to find and follow foxes, they don't want the dogs to follow other animals instead. So, they will drag a dead fox on the ground, and then they will drag a dead red herring (which has a very strong smell) in another direction. If the dog follows the smell of the fox, they reward it, but if they follow the smell of the herring, which smells stronger and is more attractive, they punish the dog.

A red herring is a false clue deliberately left with the intention of deception. Gloves were found at the crime scene but they were a red herring left by the criminal in order to cast suspicion on the gloves' owner. The mystery writer always includes a number of red herrings in her books to keep the reader guessing.

Red herrings are usually used in mystery novels where it is some sort of clue that is meant to mislead you from the solution. They are "fake clues" to mislead you from actually solving the problem (or mystery.)

I agree with Anthony who commented below. This is a perfect example that I got from www.softschoo.com, "In literature, a red herring is an argument or subject that is introduced to divert attention from the real issue or problem. ... Examples of Red Herring: 1. When your mom gets your phone bill and you have gone over the limit, you begin talking to her about how hard your math class is and how well you did on a test today.". Hope this helps!

I agree with Anthony who commented above. This is a perfect example that I got from www.softschoo.com, "In literature, a red herring is an argument or subject that is introduced to divert attention from the real issue or problem. ... Examples of Red Herring: 1. When your mom gets your phone bill and you have gone over the limit, you begin talking to her about how hard your math class is and how well you did on a test today.". Hope this helps!