Tying by the book

[Gene L 0]

How strictly do you follow the traditional pattern?  If you tie, say, an Adams, you strictly follow the  pattern in the pattern book?  Or are you allowed to make substitutions? And if you do, is it no longer an Adams?  I'm happy to get the basic components so I substitute and do so in a carefree manner.  As a result, it ain't pretty.  It may not even be an Adams.

[cphubert 0]

If I am tying for someone other than me, I follow a pattern for consistency. For myself then subs are fine, and I would consider it a variant. If it fishes well, I might add it to my pattern list I have a large cigar box of patterns tied with subs and different styles for experimentation, many never work out to my liking and may eventually see the razor on a cold night with little better to do.

[niveker 0]

Its my opinion that most pattern recipes are merely guidelines, and the degree of deviation from the original recipe makes it a variant.  Finding and using substitutions are part of the fun for me.  

[DFoster 0]

40 minutes ago, niveker said:

Its my opinion that most pattern recipes are merely guidelines, and the degree of deviation from the original recipe makes it a variant.  Finding and using substitutions are part of the fun for me.  

My opinion as well- 

  As I don't always have chin hair from a male sasquatch available, I have to make do with angora-  The fish don't seem to notice my substitutions and from a practice standpoint catching fish is the reason to tie flies.   Substitutions make the fly a variant but the point at which an Adams is no longer an Adams is really subjective.  I suppose if you can look at a fly and recognize that it was based on an Adams you should call it an "Adams variant"?  

[flytire 0]

i follow book recipes for presentations on forums to show how the originator intended their fly to be tied (to the best of my ability)

if i dont have a particular material that i could substitute, i wont tie the fly until i do

for my fishing flies that i dont present of forums i will substitute materials

here is an example from the internet of what the tyer claims to be an "Adams Parachute"

here is an example from the internet of a traditional "Adams Parachute"

 

[flytire 0]

1 hour ago, DFoster said:

My opinion as well- 

  As I don't always have chin hair from a male sasquatch available, I have to make do with angora-  

 

[Sandan 0]

Depends. As Flytire said, presentation flies are tied "by the book".  I find that a lot of times the by the book pattern gives me a jumping off point to modify for my own particular fishing situation(s).  For instance, a light Cahill can be a fine PMD or PED imitation. In my neck of the woods PMDs have a much lighter wing than lemon wood duck and they also have a pinkish tinge to the abdomen/thorax. I'll use either  light dun hackle tips or even a light dun McFlylon for wings and mix PMD/Hendrickson pink superfine if I'm going to dub the abdomen/thorax. Sometimes I'll use a PMD dyed stripped peacock herl or a PMD quill for the abdomen and the mixed dubbing for the thorax. Those changes make a fly that isn't a light Cahill any more. But, it's based on the lt. Cahill. I wouldn't necessarily call it a lt. Cahill variant,  maybe a quill body PMD.  On the other hand if I stuck to the original recipe and substituted the light ginger tail tail for lt. dun or PMD fibbets or lt. pardo CDL then I'd call it a lt. Cahill variant.  Where does variant and new and different diverge?  That's the 64,000 dollar question we each have our own answer to. IMHO.

[RickZieger 0]

 I substitute a lot of materials. For  many patterns the number of materials was much more limited than it is now.

Now we have a great variety of things that we can use. How many other folks use ice dubbing, instead of the original dubbing to tie flies, one example.

These are variants, but they work. I let the fish decide. 

Rick 

[mvendon 0]

It's funny that you chose an Adams as an example for variation. According to an old March 2005 issue of Fly Rod and Reel magazine, there are no less than 4,095 Adams dun variations, not counting hook sizes, parachutes or the female version.  That article was written by A.K. Best 😉

Regards,

                       Mark

[flytire 0]

can you just imagine how many more variations have been added since 2005 to the 4095? 😁😁

 

[SilverCreek 0]

On 8/20/2023 at 10:06 PM, Gene L said:

How strictly do you follow the traditional pattern?  If you tie, say, an Adams, you strictly follow the  pattern in the pattern book?  Or are you allowed to make substitutions? And if you do, is it no longer an Adams?  I'm happy to get the basic components so I substitute and do so in a carefree manner.  As a result, it ain't pretty.  It may not even be an Adams.

An Adams is a specific pattern tied with specific materials.

There are variants like a Parachute Adams or a Grizzly Adams but they are not the original Adams.

In fact, the original pattern may no longer be the most popular. In the case of the Adams Dry Fly, the Parachute Adams is much more popular and is the most popular dry fly sold in the USA and in the world.

https://www.google.com/search?q=most+popular+dry+fly+in+the+usa&sca_esv=559073772&sxsrf=AB5stBhL7HPDzXrwR9Ko-vLuWjc_Ur7WGg%3A1692709923995&source=hp&ei=I7TkZJmsOuKpptQPg-OWqAg&iflsig=AD69kcEAAAAAZOTCMzWN__cj1rocTcTwtqpJgCUBM6HT&oq=most+popular+dry+dly+in+the&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6GgIYAyIbbW9zdCBwb3B1bGFyIGRyeSBkbHkgaW4gdGhlKgIIAjIHECEYoAEYCjIHECEYoAEYCjIKECEYoAEYChiLAzIKECEYoAEYChiLAzIHECEYqwIYCjIKECEYFhgeGB0YCkiQe1DqBFjRYnAGeACQAQCYAa8BoAGJHKoBBTEzLjE5uAEByAEA-AEBqAIKwgIHEC4Y6gIYJ8ICBxAjGOoCGCfCAgcQIxiKBRgnwgIEECMYJ8ICERAuGIAEGLEDGIMBGMcBGNEDwgILEAAYgAQYsQMYgwHCAgUQLhiABMICCBAAGIAEGLEDwgIFEAAYgATCAgcQLhiKBRgnwgIIEC4YgAQYsQPCAgsQLhiABBjHARivAcICCxAuGIAEGMcBGNEDwgILEC4YgAQYsQMY1ALCAgsQABiKBRixAxiDAcICBRAhGKsCwgIIECEYFhgeGB3CAgUQIRigAcICBxAAGA0YgATCAgYQABgWGB7CAggQABiKBRiGA8ICCBAAGKIEGIsDwgILEAAYiQUYogQYiwPCAggQIRirAhiLAw&sclient=gws-wiz

https://www.panfishonthefly.com/blog/2018/4/18/the-most-popular-dry-fly-in-the-world

 

 

[Gene L 0]

I guess the next question is ;Who wrote the book? Or, in other words, to whom do we bestow the final word on the Adams?  

[niveker 0]

 

9 hours ago, Gene L said:

to whom do we bestow the final word on the Adams? 

Len Halladay, it's creator

[flytire 0]

^what he said^

Adams

Hook - Dry fly

Thread - Black

Tail - Golden pheasant tippet fibers

Body - Gray wool

Wings - Grizzly hen

Hackle - Brown and grizzly

I tied this replica using original recipe

[flytire 0]

Len halladays story

Part 1

https://youtu.be/HNIinE5J9QY

Part 2

https://youtu.be/zK3Exd6qqc0

Part 3

https://youtu.be/Q9Okh-dxzbY

Halladay's grandson tie the Adams in parts 2 and 3

 

an article by tom deshanes on the adams

The Adams: History Revisited by Tom Deschaine | Hatches Fly Tying Magazine (archive.org)