Wing materials for adams

[Wayne92]

I have been experimenting with some different wing materials for Adams dry flies and was wondering what you guys have used or tried

 

[McSneek]

An traditional Adams is tied with grizzly hen hackle tips so not sure why one would try something different for the wing if you're tying an Adams. Is it still an Adams if you start changing the basics like the wing material?

If I tie them parachute style I'll use calf body hair for the wing if I'm feeling particularly adventurous or want to frustrate myself otherwise, white poly is much, much easier to tie with. I've also used chartreuse poly for the wing to aid with visibility.

 

[afishinado]

I too like the parachute Adams. A Poly yarn or z-lon for the post has always worked well for me.

 

[Wayne92]

I know it wouldn't be a true Adams anymore but;I have never been one to strictly adhere to a pattern. I always like to experiment and see the results and I was recently at an event and one of the demonstrations was an Adams with a woodcock colored mallard flank feather for a wing and it turned out pretty nice. I was just wondering if anyone else had tried any other variations

 

[SteveG]

Ditto on poly wings for the parschute. I always have different colored parachute posts for each pattern because some colors are more visible than others at a given time. I usually have tan, white, orange, and green or yellow.

 

[dc410]

If I'm tying a true Catskill style Adams it is grizzly hackle tips for the wing for me. However, it's never a bad idea to mix and match materials on any pattern or tie with something that you are personally more comfortable with - that's one of the neat things about fly tying.

Your woodcock colored mallard flank wings kind of sounds like a gray bodied grey fox pattern.

 

[MKern]

I've used:
Hen Hackle Tips
Burnt wings, using grackle hackle
Mallard Flank (not dyed)
Calf Tail
and a bunch of synthetics.

For a traditional look, and what I think of when I think of fly fishing, I use Hackle tips.

For fishability, I prefer para post, parachute style.

 

[flyfisherkshcrk]

Mallard flank has similar barring. It seems to work for me.

 

[JeffK]

For early season fishing I like the grizzly hackle tip wings tied a little on the long side. It seems both the trout and I can see them little better.

 

[nfrechet]

grizzly hen hackle tips

 

[nfrechet]

 

[GenCon]

If tying traditional. Grizzly hen tips. Barred wood duck works very well on Adams and many other drys. Also you can see it from a long ways.

GenCon

 

[WildTigerTrout]

I use white or light gray parapost or poly yarn. I tie the wing comparadun style.

 

[Billems]

Ed Van Put is THE adams master. Read about how he ties them here: https://www.thefloatingfly.com/ed-van-put

 

[tomgamber]

Adams Dry Fly History and Varieties – Troutster.com – Fly Fishing Tips and Tactics

troutster.com

 

[GANGGREEN]

Ed Van Put is THE adams master. Read about how he ties them here: https://www.thefloatingfly.com/ed-van-put

Interesting info and some fine looking flies on that page.

 

[troutbert]

I know it wouldn't be a true Adams anymore but;I have never been one to strictly adhere to a pattern. I always like to experiment and see the results and I was recently at an event and one of the demonstrations was an Adams with a woodcock colored mallard flank feather for a wing and it turned out pretty nice. I was just wondering if anyone else had tried any other variations

Try using tan/light brown for the body color. It's better than gray, IMHO, because more aquatic insects have a tan body than a gray body.

Also try a Yellow Adams, which has a yellow body, and light ginger hackle, along with grizzly hackle of course.

 

[falcon]

I tie a adams type fly with amber dubbing with good results. Same grizz and brown hackle. I like it better parachute style.

 

[afishinado]

I have been experimenting with some different wing materials for Adams dry flies and was wondering what you guys have used or tried

I'm going to try to tie a wally wing Adams. A little extra work, but they look great >

 

[poopdeck]

I find Wally wings super easy and possibly quicker to tie in. they are not difficult since it’s the properties of the Mallard flank that forms the wing. You can tie the hackle in sparse or thick with no effect on the wing. when I tie them sparse I just use a single grizzly hackle that I will dabble with a brown sharpie at the end of the tie. While not as durable as hackle tips they are slightly more durable than one would think. Since I tie my own I really don’t care about durability all that much anyway.