Adams Dry Fly

The Original Adams Dry Fly is one of the most influential and enduring patterns in the history of fly fishing. First tied in 1922 by American fly dresser Leonard Halladay in Michigan, the pattern was created for his friend Charles F. Adams to imitate the insects they observed on their local river. Following its early success, the fly was named in Adams honour and rapidly gained recognition as a highly effective general purpose dry fly.

Rather than copying one specific species, the Adams was designed as a versatile mayfly style imitation. Its neutral grey body, combined with mixed grizzle and brown hackle, allows it to suggest a broad range of adult upwinged flies and other small surface insects. This adaptability is one of the reasons it remains a standard pattern in fly boxes across the UK, Europe and North America.

The traditional upright wing and balanced hackle give the fly a classic silhouette and reliable flotation. It performs well in a variety of light conditions and is particularly useful when trout are rising but not clearly focused on a single hatch.

Please note all of our fishing flies are barbless unless otherwise stated.

Adams Dry Fly Specifications

Tail - Cock Cape Brown

Body - Mole Fur

Wings - Hen Grizzle Cape 

Hackle - Cock Grizzle & Brown Cape

Head - Black Silk

Hook - Barblesss, Mustad of Norway

Target Species - Trout

Why Choose The Adams Dry Fly?

Historic Provenance

Developed in the United States in the early 20th century and still widely trusted today.

Multi-Hatch Versatility

Represents a variety of mayflies and surface insects.

Reliable Flotation

Traditional hackled design keeps the fly riding confidently on the water.

How To Dress The Adams Dry Fly

Apply Floatant To Hackle & Wings

Lightly treat the hackle and upright wings before casting to maintain buoyancy.

Avoid Over Treating The Body

Keep floatant off the body to preserve a natural surface footprint.

Revive As Needed

Use amadou or desiccant powder if the fly becomes saturated.

How To Fish The Adams Dry Fly

Upstream Dead Drift

Present the fly upstream of rising trout and allow it to drift drag free through the feeding lane.

General Hatch Situations

Use when trout are feeding on mixed or unidentified surface insects.

Evening Rise Period

Particularly effective during evening mayfly activity when trout are feeding steadily on small duns.

We love the Adams Dry Fly so much we had to use it on our logo!