The Adams
by
Eugene P. Macri Jr.
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© 2006 E.
P. Macri Jr.
The Adams
The Adams is one of the most versatile
dry flies ever invented. But most anglers fail to understand
the many ways this fly can be used. The Adams in its many sizes
and variations can be used as an attractor or searching
pattern. It can also be used to match a number of mayflies, and
the fly can also be used as a general imitation when a certain
shape rather than color is important
Besides the standard patterns below you should also carry a
parachute variety and one other little variation on a
few of the patterns. Make the egg sacs sulfur
and orange colored
The Adams is both a good pattern for mayflies and caddisflies.
It´s a great pattern for early season mayflies in sizes 12-16
especially in rough water. Because the Adams “ on the water
looks” like many patterns for some reason. Throw it out there
and it´s light pattern seems magically to somehow “match the
hatch.” It´s an amazing trick I´ve watched over and over again.
A spent parachute female Adams with egg sac is one of the best
patterns for returning mayflies. The trick is to use a smaller
size even if it doesn´t match the hatch. You may be surprised
how well it works.
Once trout begin rising during a prolonged
period of time in a stream then they will often take a dry fly
that resembles a light pattern of what they´ve seen recently.
This is where the Adams comes into its own. Find water where
the fish will come such as a shallow area on the opposite bank
and you could be in for a great day. Most anglers believe that
if the fish are not rising for a hatch that they will not rise.
This is not the case. Even in the hardest fished streams if you
know where to fish you can find a spot or two where the fish
haven´t been hammered recently.
One day on the Yellow Breeches I saw a fellow
do just that. It was in the spring and the stream was
fished hard. While most anglers took a break for lunch,
this fellow carefully fished the opposite bank in the
shallows. He popped a number 14 Adams into the slicks,
backwaters and pockets. I watched him catch over 30 trout
in 2 hours. He landed two fish over 20 inches. Remember,
the water was cold, and no fish had been rising that day.
But earlier that week the fish had been coming up for a
variety of caddisflies. Did the trout have the imprint?
Seems so to me!
It´s kind of strange because an old poacher I
knew taught me the same trick years ago. What´s the lesson
here? Find fish that haven't been hammered. Find a section of
stream depth where the fish will respond (notice this angler
didn´t try and take fish from the heavy water or deep holes
with this technique) to the stimuli and then give them
something that they will take. You might just call those the
three basic laws of fly fishing and the Adams is the finishing
touch
The Adams is good caddisfly imitation also. Try a size 8, 10,
or 12 in both the male and female for many dark caddis and the
fly works well especially in riffles, rapids and sometimes even
on slow water.
Adams Fly Tying
Table
|
Pattern
|
Wings
|
Hackle
|
Body
|
Tail
|
|
Adams
Male
|
Grizzly Tips Tied Spent
|
Brown and Grizzly
|
Grey Muskrat dubbing
|
Brown and Grizzly
|
|
Adams
Female
|
Grizzly Tips Tied Spent
|
Brown and Grizzly
|
Grey Muskrat dubbing with yellow eggs
sac
|
Brown and Grizzly
|
|