An ode to the Adams, the perfect dry fly

It’s nothing much to look at. Gray. Drab. A little fuzzy.

Anybody can tie it, which means it turns up in various stages of gray, and in various stages of quality. There’s solace for even the ham-handed tier, however. Even in its finest condition, the Adams is a bit underwhelming.

But not to trout. To trout, it’s a magical meal that doesn’t match exactly anything on the water, but it sure appears to be close enough to a lot of food sources that it gets plenty of looks. It’s a classic attractor. A fly for all seasons.