I can definitely tell that this year (in just 96 days, 7hrs, 17 minutes, and 19 seconds…as of the moment I wrote this part) is going to be a return to Fly Fishing, for me. Between making the route changes to drive by various rivers, re-reading some magazine articles on fly tying or places to fish, and my renewed desire to change the line on by 5wt…I think the bug is back.
The good bug…not that other bug.
Today ended up too cold and windy to head up to the mountains. We had thought of taking a family photo (excuse to drive along another river, looking for a photo op), but instead it ended up a great chance to do some more tying.
Today, Adams two ways.
In both cases, I used the following:
- #14 Dry Hooks (Kumoto – no mods. I did crimp the barbs, as I do for any I intend to use)
- Veevus 12/0 Grey thread
- Cow Elk Fair – Natural
- Grizzly Bugger Pack
- Super Fine Dry Fly Dubbing (some just grey, some a mix of Grey and Burnt Orange)
- #14 Grizzly Golden Olive hackle
As a side note – Steve (owner at Worley Bugger Fly Co.) introduced me to the Veevus threads, some time ago. I was skeptical, at first, with the claims of such an increase in tensile strength, but have since really come to enjoy using it.
I’m … well … and over-wrapper. Please don’t tell anyone. I try to minimize, but I’m compelled to throw on a couple of extra turns to really lock things down. With the Veevus, the bulk this adds is minimal, so perhaps the fish will stop laughing at my flies…
Anyway… the Traditional Adams:
Hook on, post barb-crimp, and the thread started behind the eye.
Wrap to the top of the bend, to make a nice bed of thread for the rest to cling to (I know, there I go with the wrapping, again). Note also the slightly thick patch I tend to put on the top of the bend. I think this makes the tail fan out and stand up a bit more.
I then pull a few Elk hairs, and get them into a small stacker.
Tie in the elk around that thread bulge. They don’t have to be too neat, just aimed in roughly the right direction. Trim off the excess hair ends, once locked in.
Next, I grab a small bundle of long hackle fibers. In most tying texts, the spade fibers are used to provide length and buoyancy in the tail. With my additional of the elk, the hackle fibers really just add some body to the tail.
Tie the hackle fibers over the elk hairs. At this stage, I tightly tie the front of the fibers (towards the hook eye), but then gradually wrap a bit more loosely towards the back, before over-wrapping to lock it all down. This allows for the end of the wrapping above the bend to guide the hackles and hairs into a neater bundle, without crimping the Elk Hair and causing it to flare out.
Trim the tips off a pair of feathers from the Bugger Pack, looking for similar color patterns and size.
Wrap the thread forward from where you left it, on the tail fibers. When you get to the eye, start back, then tie in the cut ends of the feather tips, so they project towards the tail. Once locked in, hold them upright, and begin wrapping thread immediately behind them, to force them to stand upright. When they get to this position, start a figure-eight wrap, to separate them so they stand (if viewed from the front) at roughly 45-degree angles from upright, one leading left and the other right.
(End result, but shows the off-set angle of the uprights)
Wrap back to the bend, then twist on the dubbing and wrap forward until you are just behind the uprights.
Moving one wrap in front of the upright wings, and with no dubbing on the thread, tie in the long hackle feather so the cut end is immediately behind the eye, and the body of the feather hangs back, passing between the wings. Wrap it snugly in place, then return the thread to just in front of the wings, twist on dubbing, and dub up to just behind the eye.
With the thread tied off behind the eye (half-hitch, then rest of on something to keep it extended to the side and out of the way) grasp the hackle and wrap at least two or three times behind the wings, pass it forward of the wings while wrapping under the body, then 4-5 more times in front of the wings.
Whip finish, trim the thread, then a drop of head cement on those final wraps. Trim any fibers that may have gotten caught under thread wraps.
Did not turn out to badly, I think. I definitely need to tie more…
We shall see. Hopefully the fish think it is good enough!
Tight lines…