As I have been tying a few patterns using purple ribbing for the abdomen, the thought kept coming to mind that perhaps the reason so many tiers argue they are so effective may be because it looks similar to the Adams. It really does seem probable to me that it may be sort of the New Adams?
Is the Purple Loop Wing Dun the NEW Adams?
Simply put - no.
John,
You don’t think there is a similarity? Especially when the body of an Adams gets wet and darkens up?
Byron -
Not trying to be a traditionalist or anything like that, because I’m not.
The Adams is the Adams.
Your purple loop wing dun is your purple loop wing dun.
Why try to make your fly something that it isn’t ?? Or give the Adams a new name when the old one conveys so much to so many ??
John
P.S. Since I usually use CDC for the loop wing flies I tie, I wouldn’t even consider the flies in the pics to be loop wing flies - maybe bent over purple foam thingies.:twisted:
The original foam loop idea is from Craig Mathews as far as I can tell. As far as I know, I was the first to use the purple stretch material for the body on that fly style.
The funny thing is, I use a Purple Haze Cripple FAR more than the foam loop style. I just saw a niche where the foam loop could work better (during fall BWO hatches) and went with it. The cripple is my first choice in purple flies, except if for whatever reason I want to fish an upright-winged attractor in pocket water, in which case the standard Purple Haze is more effective due to better visibility/floatation.
And no, it’s not the Adams. I honestly can’t remember the last time I used a standard Adams, and even the Parachute Adams is one I use a lot less these days, though a big chunk of that is that it’s unusual for me to want to fish an upright-winged attractor. So many more of the insects around here have down wings (hoppers, caddis, stoneflies, spruce moths) that when I want something generic, I go to a downwing like a Trude, Clacka Caddis, or Stimmie.
Thanks John. I was just trying to figure out why the “purple” haze craze had so many followers and why it is purported to be so effective.
By the way, it’s not my “purple foam thingies”. I first saw the purple bodied version being tied in a youtube video by Walt Wiese of Parks Fly Shop in Gardiner, Mt. He is a pretty renowned fly tier in his own right.
I think he calls it the Loop Wing Purple Haze as I recall. Not precisely the same, but where I got the idea.
Here is the video
I KNOW it’s not the Adams. However, as I keep saying, I’m wondering why the purple haze craze is apparently so effective. And, again, while tying, it dawned on me that the Adams, when the abdomen is wet, is a bit “purple”? As I was saying, I was tying a variation of the pattern Walt Wiese (sp?) of Park’s Fly Shop in Gardiner ties in his videos.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2hKEYjmTdY
W](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2hKEYjmTdY)hat I mean by “New Adams” is that the Adams does not seem to be as popular as it once was, and I thought it was sort of a come back for the basic color combinations and basic profile of the Adams.
Walt Wiese would be me, although most people call me Wally. 
In terms of being a go-to mayfly pattern, in SW Montana and especially among guides I’d say that the original Purple Haze is definitely heading that direction. I know several guides (myself included) who carry boxes devoted to nothing but purple mayflies, and the original Carlson pattern is at the top of the list.
Well Hello Wally!!!
I really like your videos. Please keep them coming!
This is my attempt at a Purple Haze Cripple
If you were about to step into a river you had never fished before, knew nothing about, and the law required you only fish one fly at a time… What would you put on first? The Adams or Purple haze? Doesnt matter to me, I rarely fish drys, but that should answer your question Byron.
I must be blind. I have never seen a Purple tint to Muskrat.
Personally, I would have chosen the Adams. I am responding to all the folks who swear by the Purple bodied variations referred to as “Purple Haze”. Now, I’m not so sure. Will try this new (to me) fly this summer. Yes, the wet Adams abdomen is not purple, but isn’t it somewhere near it on the spectrum? I could well be wrong about this, but just my thought on the reason it may be so popular now. I guess it is actually a extra spectrum color.
Am sure you aren’t blind. Maybe I’m color blind, but I still think this wet Adams abdomen is in the general range of the purple haze abdomens?
Is purple the new charcoal grey in men’s fashion?
Not sure what to think of that? What are you saying?
Byron,
That picture is just Batting around the idea of Joking around.
But, you could add a little purple dubbing to the dubbing mix for an Adams and come up with a variant. The Adams is such a fantastic fly that a slight variation of it should work just as well.
Larry —sagefisher—
Guess they are more different than I thought, but still think there is a similarity…
Just joking with you.
Great. Are you fond of THE Silver Creek or a different one???
Byron, You have two very similar looking flies there. My question is this. Will one work when the other doesn’t? If they are totally interchangeable, but nothing more then you are wasting a lot of effort re inventing the wheel. My starting point when designing a new pattern is the problem I haven’t been able to overcome with the flies I have.
From the look of it there is no great difference in tying difficulty between them both, so no advantage there.
Today I’m off fishing. I have one small fly box that is about 3/4 full. I know it will cover all my fishing today. My boat partner will have at least 3 boxes, twice the size of mine, all full (I know they are full, I filled them for him!). If he uses half a dozen patterns today I’ll be amazed. My point is that I know what to expect and have covered it. I don’t need more. I do need to replace 3 flies I lost the other day so I’d better do that now.
Cheers,
C.
Good point Alan. I was trying to demonstrate that I too believe the purple body version is quite like the traditional Adams style couldn’t agree more
I’m not trying to invent something, actually. Just playing around with some variations using purple stretch material.