Adams dry fly question

[stripes53 0]

Starting to get into some dry flies and have found the split wing using grizzly tips a bit f a pain to tie in. Is this there for any purpose other than a hit of an indicator to us. Would leaving them out be incorrect?

 

Thanks

[DryFlies4Life 0]

The hackle tips are meant to imitate wings of a mayfly. I tye mine with just all hackle and catch fish so it's fine leave them out. Some fish used to feeding on mayflys may pass your fly however.

[shoebop 0]

It all depends on how anal (OCD) you are. It may not make any difference to the fish but why not go ahead and tie them in anyway if for no other reason than the practice? This is why we tie our own flies in the first place. Practice makes perfect If I only tied what I already knew how I wouldn't have started tying in the first place.

[Bugsy 0]

^^^what these guys said.

 

If the fish are rejecting your wingless Adams, the lack of wings is probably at the bottom of the long list of "why?"

 

On the rare occasion I tie a standard Adams these days, it's never smaller than #18 and usually #14/16. Wings are obvious to "me" in these sizes, and "I" like them,...so they get wings. It's mostly personal preference. If I was tying them in #20 and smaller, I'd probably skip the wings altogether.

[netabrookie 0]

I agree with the others. If the fish seem to refuse your wingless offerings then maybe its a step in the tying process that should be mastered. It might not matter as much on the tiny ones but a size 14 looks kind of bare without them. I have seen the feathers tied in either pointing back or pointing forward over the eye before standing them up so maybe one way or the other would be easier for you to learn. Take Care, Tony

[rockworm 0]

Without the wings the fly should be called a "Variant" and works very well in fast or rough water. But IMHO, you still need the winged version for smooth water.

[FrequentTyer 0]

Wings are the first thing the fish sees, so there is no question that they serve a purpose. As noted, water conditions will dictate how important. Teal flank tied upright and divided makes a nice substitute for hackle tips that might be a bit easier to tie.

[goldendemon 0]

I caught fish for years using dries without wings tied in and it never seemed to make a difference. I now tie them with wings so they look like they are "supposed to" but still have a load of wingless ones that i keep in my box

[carlp5351 0]

check this out. it might help

 

 

http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/details.cfm?parentID=56

 

 

carlp5351

[JSzymczyk 0]

The last few fish I caught told me the wings aren't the first thing they saw.

 

It all makes for good reading, building fancy mirror boxes and aquaria, looking at things the way we THINK fish look at things.

 

Plenty of "smart" trout (with brains the size of rice grains) caught with wingless dry flies during hatches of mayflies.

 

Without the wings it's not really an Adams, but if someone can conclusively prove trout are refusing their flies due to an absence of wings then they are supernatural... too many other factors could be at fault--- confidence of the fisherman being a major one.

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

The last few fish I caught told me the wings aren't the first thing they saw.

 

It all makes for good reading, building fancy mirror boxes and aquaria, looking at things the way we THINK fish look at things.

 

Plenty of "smart" trout (with brains the size of rice grains) caught with wingless dry flies during hatches of mayflies.

 

Without the wings it's not really an Adams, but if someone can conclusively prove trout are refusing their flies due to an absence of wings then they are supernatural... too many other factors could be at fault--- confidence of the fisherman being a major one.

AMEN if you are having that much trouble with the wings and I am shocked no one else mentioned this alternative but tie your adams parachute style they sit lower in the water and frankly I think they work better

[mrtyit 0]

If your gonna fish your adams without wings...it might be a good idea to find out which night is wing night in your local waters. The fish might not go for the wingless adams on wing night

[Scud 0]

Try synthetic material if your not a purist. It's very easy to tie in and divide. I only pretty much tie parachute patterns anymore. I like the low ride appearance and they also are great indicators.

 

Jeremy

[Will K 0]

I ditto the parachute folks, but also the no wing option. I have tied many without wings that worked, but Ill also admit, that some of my favorite drys like the Ausable Wulff and bomber, gray wulff, haystack, hendrickson (catskill style) and usual all have pretty prominent "wings".

 

Is the wing the kicker? On those flies I dont think so - they just look buggie and eatable - at least to me.

 

I bet water type plays a role. On a glassy flow more triggers, like wings, could be a big player. But if your fishing pocket water or faster flows... I think you can get away with out them.

 

Overall though, I'd say keep practicing. They may not look perfect to you, but the fish wont care. If your tying for numbers on a given day, then skip em, but if you can focus in on 2-3 ties some night, try the wings to improve your ability. I dont remember if they have a video on an adams, but check out tightlineproductions on youtube or vimeo, or google their "practical patterns" vimeo page. If that does not work try a youtube search for Davie Mcphail and Adams. I dont know if he has an adams on his list, but I'm sure he's got other hackle wing dry's and the techniques he teaches would help you for sure.

 

Will

[Will K 0]

http://vimeo.com/channels/patterns#/channels/patterns/11138567

 

Here you go, from Tightline productions - an Adams. Very good teaching video.