You Bastard, ...Adams!

Bastard Adams

Hook: Standard Dry Fly (e.g. TMC 100) sizes 10-18

Thread: Grey 8/0

Tail: Grizzly and Brown Hackle Fibres

Body: Grey Antron

Wing: Polypropelene or macrame, usually white

Hackle: Cree or Grizzly/Brown

...by Karen Vanderwater

On the quest for the cutthroat slam in Wyoming I was reminded again of an old friend, the Bastard Adams. I love to dry fly fish and have used flies in the Adams family quite frequently in the past. I have had great success with the Irresistible for brown trout, the Parachute for cutthroats and every once in a while I pull out a Bastard Adams to give it a go.
As we pursued our quest to complete the cutthroat slam in Wyoming, we found the fish in a few spots to be quite stubborn. I would try my dry flies and then switch to a nymph to fulfill the slam. But my stubbornness kept coming though. Once I had the first fish of each type for the slam, I would go right back to dry fly fishing, hoping to complete the slam on dries.
The first river was off colour and we had a hard time getting fish to rise. After several flies, I went searching in the boxes for a solution to dilemma. There had to be something that would work. Up in the corner of one box, forgotten, was a beautiful size 12 Bastard Adams. I decided why not? It should work. It might be something the fish had not seen lately. Sure enough, I had a beautiful Snake River Cutthroat hit it. One down! That was the only cutthroat I caught on a dry fly that day but that was all I needed.

Snake River Fine Spot Cutthroat

The second stream was a high country stream that was spectacular. Again the fish were stubborn. We worked hard to get our first fish to complete the slam. My first fish of the day was a brook trout. First time I think I have ever been disappointed to see a brook trout but it did not fulfill my quest. After a couple of hours, I was rewarded. A fine looking Colorado cutthroat came hurtling up and inhaled  a dry fly. Which fly worked? A Bastard Adams worked, of course.
At this point, an idea hatched. Could I possibly complete the slam using a Bastard Adams? I was willing to test this and see!

Colorado Cutthroat

The third stream was a pretty stream that rambled down a mountain side with ripples and small pools.  Off we went on the search again. Bob pulled out some white fish with nymphs and then we hit some cut-throats.  We both succeeded in catching a Bonneville cutthroat on a nymph. Out came the Bastard. I was on the hunt again. As we sat eating lunch, we spotted a small rise in a large back eddy. This time I was rewarded with a beauty. I caught a 16 inch cutthroat ( a giant on this stream ) with my Bastard Adams.  I was 75% of the way to completing this mission. Being a keener, nothing but 100% would do.

Bonneville (Bear River) Cutthroat

River number four was richly rewarding. The cut-throats there were all about the dry fly. The Bastard Adams was the fly of the day and I succeeded in catching many Yellowstone cutthroats.
SUCCESS was sweet.

The Cowboy Slam on the Bastard Adams was complete. The week of fishing for a slam was very exciting and rewarding. It is a trip I will always remember. I love dry fly fishing and sometimes being stubborn is a great trait to have.

Yellowstone Cutthroat