If the Elk Hair Caddis is the essential caddis dry, the Parachute Adams is the essential mayfly dry. Its gray, buggy body and mixed hackle suggest a huge range of mayflies, so it matches hatch after hatch without needing an exact imitation, and the parachute-style hackle wound around an upright post makes it sit flush in the film and stay easy to see.
What it imitates
The Adams imitates mayflies in general, and does so convincingly enough to cover most of the hatches a Northeast trout angler meets. The parachute version rides low and natural, presenting the body in the surface film the way trout expect a dun or spinner to look.
How to fish it
Fish it on a classic drag-free drift during a mayfly hatch or as a searching dry over likely water. The white post is not just for the fish, it lets you track the fly on broken water, so you can see the take and set at the right moment.
Tip When you are not sure what is hatching, tie on a Parachute Adams in a middling size. It looks enough like most mayflies to fool fish, and it buys you time to figure out the actual hatch.
Sizes and colors
The standard gray Adams in a range of sizes is the core; carry small, medium and large to match the mayflies present. Size is the key variable, keep a good spread and you are ready for most hatches.