1st Adams

[agn54 0]

Here's my first attempt at an Adams. Actually my first attempt at any traditional style dry fly. Any suggestions to improve it would be greatly appreciated. I'm thinking maybe I need to make the collar thicker. Also without a hackle gauge I just tried to go off of the pictures I have seen. It seems the hackle needs to extend a bit beyond the hook point but I'm not really sure on the proportions there. I dropped it in water and it floated a bit then sank. I'm assuming false casting will fling off the water to help it float and not get saturated?

 

[GC59 0]

Nice ty. Floatant will also help it stay on the surface longer.

[johnnyquahog 0]

Your first Adams inspired me to sit down at the vise and tie one up. I haven't fished this pattern for years but they are a great dry fly. Even though I favor a #16 or #18 I went with this odd ball turned up shank Orvis #14 hook. These days I need the mag eyes to go smaller. Back to your fly.... I think you should set the wings just slightly more to the rear of the shank. It seems like you may have run out of room in front of the wings to wind your hackle and complete your whip finish. You likely would have taken a couple more hackle turns if the wings were set back slightly. If you don't have a hackle gauge (or even if you do) think on the small side. Make sure the hackle stems are stripped bare of barbules where you start to wind them. This helps keep the hackle perpendicular to the hook shank and not cock to the rear. The good news is that you are off to a good start and when you master the Adams there are a whole bunch of flys that use similar techniques. Hope this helps!

 

[Flat Rock native 0]

Good job on the Adam's guys.

 

You are inspiring me.

 

I am going to do a Wonder Wing as demonstrated in Al and Gretchen Beatty's e-book (Amazon, $4.99, free with Prime) and per Al's video. This is a great pattern on almost all of our waters.

 

I think the more ways you can tie it, the more ammo you can carry for "seasoned" trout. Keep posting... Carry On...

 

Did the WWing..... Thanks Al & Gretchen, top of line instructional e-book, did this on only 2d attempt...

[Bruce Norikane 0]

You don't need a hackle guage. The hackle should be 1.5 times the hook gap.

[vicrider 0]

C'mon flytire. Let's see the proportions chart you've showed us before.

 

As for your fly agn, very fishable johnnyq pretty much nailed it with his tie. Your wings could be back a little more on the shank and a little more straight up. Then you can strip the base of your hackle and the side of the hackle that gets wound on first strip a little further back. This will also help keep hackle more straight up. Always keep yourself room to do a finish wrap behind the eye so you do not have to wrap the base of the hackle collar and push the hackle on a slant backwards. A little floatant and a feeding fish will make you like that fly a lot more.

[agn54 0]

Thanks a lot for the tips guys, I'll do up another one and post it to see if I get it better this time. As a salty I have to say it is a real challenge tying such small flies, and this one is a #12 which is probably big by a lot of your standards.

[agn54 0]

Here is another attempt. I moved the wing back and made this one a lot bushier. It actually floats, for a little bit but then absorbs water and eventually sinks but with floating it should fish I hope. Thanks for all your suggestions and any further suggestions on how to improve on this would be appreciated.

 

[Flat Rock native 0]

Good job on the Adam's guys.

 

You are inspiring me.

 

I am going to do a Wonder Wing as demonstrated in Al and Gretchen Beatty's e-book (Amazon, $4.99, free with Prime) and per Al's video. This is a great pattern on almost all of our waters.

 

I think the more ways you can tie it, the more ammo you can carry for "seasoned" trout. Keep posting... Carry On...IMG_2096.JPG

Did the WWing..... Thanks Al & Gretchen, top of line instructional e-book, did this on only 2d attempt...

Maybe a Wonder Wing Sculpin next....

[bellevue.chartreuse.trout 0]

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[agn54 0]

You're spot on, it was about 3 wraps behind and 4 in front. This one floats much better than the first, I'll keep the spinning thing in mind, thanks for the tip

[mikechell 0]

I have experienced Catskill style flies spinning quite a bit ...

I've had this spin happen on poppers, too. Anything that "unbalances" the fly, can create a lot of spin as it flies through the air. If it doesn't twist the leader too much, though, I've had that phenomenon actually help.

I've watched as the popper spun on the water surface ... making realistic ripples without the fly going anywhere. I've gotten a few big hits with that happening.

[bellevue.chartreuse.trout 0]

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[Chris_NH 0]

Here's my first attempt at an Adams. Actually my first attempt at any traditional style dry fly. Any suggestions to improve it would be greatly appreciated.

Well, the first thing that comes to mind to improve it is to make it a parachute fly, or an emerger with a deer hair or snowshoe hare wing, as they almost always outfish the traditional dun types.

 

But that's probably not what you were looking for. Seriously though, your fly looks fine. Maybe a slightly shorter tail and a bit fuller hackle would bring it a bit more in line with the traditional tie.