How to use biots for bodies?

[dawgvet 0]

Bought some dyed goose biots to try making biot bodies for dry flies. Main question is do I use the long side biots or the shorter biots on the leading edge of the feather? Any help appreciated.

Thanks

Jed

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

biots are the shorter barbules on the leading edge of the flight feathers remember to moisten them before wrapping them on the hook to avoid breaking them

[flytire 0]

bookmark these

 

http://www.invictaflies.us/Articles/all_about_biots.htm

 

http://www.sexyloops.com/flytying/summerbiots.shtml

[lykos33 0]

bookmark these

 

http://www.invictaflies.us/Articles/all_about_biots.htm

 

http://www.sexyloops.com/flytying/summerbiots.shtml

 

 

:lol: I'd swear on a stack of Bibles.... NO ONE can find a web answer like flytire... :lol:

[flytire 0]

i just bookmark stuff when i find it. not many folks seem to do that. i also ask GOOGLE alot of questions

 

and use turkey biots, they are longer

[troutguy 0]

Take a biot and tie it on a thin wire egg type hook. Tye it on the thick side with the pointed side out like the body of a may fly. Tye wings of antron, wood duck or whatever and then tye a parachute hackle and walla a great simple low riding mayfly. I have not seen anyone else tye this way with a biot.

[P.G. Beckett 0]

Hmm; I wondered what you freshwater trout guys did with those biots, I did something similar with condor quills over forty years ago. I guess i'm behind the times. But never to old to learn.

[perchjerker 0]

Soaking the biots, as well as feather quills for bodies, in warm water with a few drops of glycerine in it softens them, and makes them much easier to work with. Once soaked, keep them between layers of damp paper towel to maintain the flexibility.

[williamhj 0]

I soak quills before using them but not biots. I do like to put a drop of head cement on the thread base before wrapping the biot. Hold everything together nicely.

[SBPatt 0]

Pulled these pics from the Rusty Spinner SBS

 

 

take a moistened goose biot (turkey works well, too, but I think the goose provides better looking segmentation); the moisture makes them more flexible and less prone to cracking while winding; putting the notch side down makes the segmentation stand out - if you'd rather have it smooth, make it notch side up

 

 

 

 

 

tie in

 

 

 

 

 

 

grab biot with hackle pliers and wind forward; here's the segmentation I was talking about - fish don't seem to care either way, I just think it looks cool

 

 

 

Regards,

Scott

[JimE 0]

I only moisten the goose biots. Turkey biots seem more flexible and don’t seem to need it. I typically use the goose biots for size 16 and smaller bodies and turkey for 16 and large