Tying the Adams

Last night, two dedicated souls showed up for the fly-tying night at Brevard Brewery.   Braving the weather, we worked on a traditional fly called a parachute Adams.  For this particular style, we used turkey flats for the wing post.  Most tyers use synthetic post materials these days but I have found the turkey flat work better on pressured trout.  Besides, they just look cool. 

            Everyone tied two variations, one with muskrat fur body and one with a quill body.  The muskrat fur is traditional and works great.  However, the quill body fools fish too, and floats a little better.  Either is fine, it just depends on how you want to tie it. 

            The hackle on the Adam flies is traditionally a combination of grizzly and brown hackle.  I use a grizzly hackle dyed bronze.  It works well in our waters and makes tying the pattern much easier.  The most difficult part of tying the fly is creating the wing post.  It takes practice passing the bobbin between your hands to wrap it.  However, folks seemed to pick up quickly last night and made some very fishable flies. 

            The white wing post contrasted with the bronze hackle and grey body is striking.  I really like the looks of the fly and the trout must too.  They seem to eat it well.  Adams in sizes 10 and 12 work in the summer during the Isonychia hatch.  Most of the time the Isonychia hatch sporadically.  With that in mind, the Adam fly is a great searching pattern when you don’t see anything else.  You can use the fly in the early spring as well.  Most trout will take it as a Quill Gordon.  Tie it in a small size, say 20, and you have a good midge pattern.  Don’t forget the bass.  I had a killer day on smallies this summer during a massive Isonychia hatch. 

            This is a fly you shouldn’t leave home without.  Make sure you tie up a few and keep them in the fly box.  Thanks to the brave souls that showed up last night and good tying and tight lines. 

            For those who missed the evening, here are the basic tying instructions for the fly.

Adams, Parachute

Materials

1. 10 or 12 dry fly hook, Standard

2. Gray 6/0 thread, Optional: Black

3. Tails: Coq De Leon feather Gray and Brown, Option: Spade hackles or Synthetic Tailing

4. Body, Abdomen

1. Muskrat fur

2. Option: Grey Quill

5. Thorax: Muskrat fur

6. Wing: White, orange, or Grey Turkey Base feather, Option: Poly yarn

7. Hackle

1. Grizzly & Brown

2. Optional: Bronze Grizzly

Instructions

1. Start thread in the rear, create a thread bump

2. Cut tailing 1 hook length, small bundle of gray and brown, and just behind the bump

3. Body

1. Dub in body working from thin to thick. 2/3 hook shank

2. OR 2 quills, one base layer, one outer layer.  Add glue to shank

4. Wing

1. Cut wing slightly wider than hook bend

2. Length 1 hook shank

3. Tie in facing forward, then tilt up

4. Create a thread base about 1/3 wing height. 

5. Hackle

1. Size: 1.5 to 1.75 hook bend

2. Cut with shiny side facing you

3. Trim away barbs away on right side equal to hook eye to top of thread base.

4. Trim away left side 1.5x the left

6. Dub thorax with muskrat dubbing

7. Glue post and wrap hackle down and tie off on the post.  Don’t over wrap, 4 or 5 wraps. 

8. Bring the thread to the hook eye and tie off.