The Adams

The Adams was created back in 1922 in northern Michigan by Len Halladay. Judge Charles Adams was fly fishing on the Boardman River near Mayfield Pond when he noticed some insects buzzing around. So he went to his friend and fly tyer Len Halladay’s house which was nearby. Judge Charles asked Len to tie something for him that closely matched the insects he saw. Halladay later wrote a letter to a fly-pattern historian describing what happened next.

“The first Adams I made was handed to Mr. Adams, who was fishing a small pond in front of my house, to try on the Boardman that evening. When he came back next morning, he wanted to know what I called it. He said it was a “knock-out” and I said we would call it the Adams, since he had made the first good catch on it.”

This may be the most popular fly ever invented. Its popularity is due to its effectiveness. In the following video, Brian Kosminski shows us how to tie the famous Adams. Brian is the editor of True North Trout, an obsessive angler, fly tier, and defender of quality water and public access. He has been deeply involved in Trout Unlimited, including leadership roles with the Miller VanWinkle Chapter. He is a GreenFish ambassador and promotes the use of correct technique in catch-and-release fly fishing. He lives with his family in Hemingway country in northern Michigan where he can often be found on the water or at the tying bench.

4 Comments

Filed under Step by Step, Trout flies

4 Responses to The Adams

  1. Jay

    The Adams sure is a wonderful fly.
    And I love its handsome looks.

    If you’re interested here is the link to one of my posting on the Adams:
    http://bassbug.blogspot.nl/2006/04/the-adams-family-travels-i.html