The pattern notebook · dry
Adams
How do you tie a Adams?
Adams is a dry fly pattern for trout. Find its 8 materials and 41 tying steps below.
- Difficulty
- 3 of 5
- Target species
- trout
Added to catalog · Updated
At the vise
Materials
- Hook: Firehole Sticks 419 or TMC 100, sizes 12-18
- Thread: Danville 6/0, Gray
- Tail: Mixed Brown and Grizzly Hackle Fibers
- Wings: Grizzly Hen Hackle Tips (paired)
- Body: Adams Gray Dry Fly Dubbing
- Hackle: Brown Rooster Dry Fly Hackle
- Hackle: Grizzly Rooster Dry Fly Hackle
- Head Cement
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Tying instructions
Secure hook in vise.
Start thread one or two hook-eye lengths back from the eye.
Wrap thread down to the start of the hook bend.
Select a brown and a grizzly rooster neck feather.
Strip off the fuzzy fibers from the base of each feather.
Clip off the tips of the barbs.
Combine 10-15 fibers from each feather, aligning the tips.
Clip off the scraggly ends at the base.
Measure tail fibers to one hook-shank length.
Tie in the tail fibers with two loose wraps.
Adjust the tail length if needed.
Make one wrap under the tail fibers to hold them straight.
Make a few tight wraps to lock the tail in place.
Clip off the excess tail material, leaving about 2/3 of the hook shank open.
Clean up the tie-in area with thread wraps.
Wrap thread back to the start of the tail and then forward again to just behind where the wings will be tied in.
Select two grizzly hen neck feathers.
Align the tips of the feathers with the curve angling away from each other.
Pinch the tips and pull the rest of the fibers downward and out of the way.
Ensure the wings are the same length as the hook shank.
Tie in the wings where the thread left off, angling forward.
Trim off the excess wing material.
Pull the wings rearward and make a few wraps in front of them to form a thread dam.
Separate the wings and place a wrap between them, crossing one way and then the other.
Adjust the wings to the correct position and bring the thread back to the start of the tail.
Dub a very fine and smooth noodle of Adams Gray UV2 dubbing onto the thread, tapering it.
Make touching wraps with the dubbing noodle up the hook shank, creating an even taper, stopping just shy of the wing.
Select a brown and a grizzly rooster neck hackle.
Prepare the feathers by stripping off the bottom fibers on both sides, leaving a small tie-in spot.
Place the brown feather on the side of the fly with the more stripped side angling up.
Tie in the brown hackle with a few wraps behind the wing and a few in front.
Clip off the excess stem.
Bring the thread back to behind the wings.
Repeat with the grizzly hackle.
Grab the brown hackle with hackle pliers and hackle the fly, two to three wraps behind the wing and two to three in front, moving the wings out of the way on each turn.
Hold the hackle out at about 60 degrees and capture it with the thread, wiggling the thread through the hackle to avoid trapping fibers.
Place two wraps to capture the hackle, then remove the hackle pliers and stroke all the fibers rearward.
Clip off the excess hackle.
Repeat with the grizzly hackle.
Whip finish the fly.
Paint cement onto the thread before whip finishing.