Slow Water Biot Wing Caddis

Wings on caddisflies are always a hot topic when it comes to tyers around the world. There are the tried and true deer hair wing designs, gossamer cut wings made from synthetics, down wing feather geometries, and even stacked hair wings. They all have their merits and of course pitfalls when it comes to actually fishing them. For several years now I have been fishing with a caddis pattern that works for me. A few years back I posted a piece on my biot wing caddis patterns. So I thought I would resurrect it with some new insights.

Biots are probably one of my favorite natural materials to work with. Biots are translucent, waxy like the natural insect, easy to dye, extremely durable, and are cheaper than dirt! If you use turkey biots they are larger than most goose biots and you can make wings to cover the full spectrum of appropriate hook sizes.

When you purchase biot wings you get two opposing feathers. The leading edge of the biot has a stiff rib section, this is your top leading edge of your wing segment. The picture above shows how I bag my biots, left and right orientation. One bag is a left wing, one bag is a right wing. By organizing them this way you do not tear your hair out looking for each segment after dying them. I do not dye biots on the feather. Reason being is that the color does not saturate between the biots very well, the pre-dyed biots on the feather never really look consistent and the color range is too limited.

This is a very very easy pattern to tie once you have your materials set up and organized in front of you. You can easily tie up a few dozen in an hour.

The above photo shows two biots on top of one another. Notice the rib on top of the leading edge of both wings. If you were to only use a single biot feather you would have a rib on the top and the second opposing wing would have a rib on the bottom. Not only would it look funny but it will not line up correctly when you tie them in. The below photo shows a half dozen fibers of Coq de Leon for an optional under wing.

Once you get both biots on your dubbed body tied in put a dab of head cement near the wing wraps this will further help reinforce them when a fish hits them. This particular pattern can take a real beating by fish and many of my biot wing caddis last season after season. The color ranges of this pattern are limitless. I tye this pattern up using a light ginger color way, dusky ginger, and medium dun Grannom coloration.

Slow Water Biot Wing Caddis
Hook: TMC 531 sizes 16-22
Thread: Veevus 10/0 or 12/0 medium dun
Dubbing: Beaver Belly medium dun
Wing: Medium dun Biot
Under Wing: Coq de Leon med Pardo (optional)
Hackle: Medium dun
Antennae: Coq de Leon tailing fibers light pardo

Slow Water Caddis Emerger

The Caddis emerger is a very important part of the trouts diet. During this life stage the Caddis is especially vulnerable to the elements and is easy prey thus making it very attractive to these very energy conscious fish. The insect is just about ready to break free of its nymphal shuck and the count down for its launch sequence begins with a few wiggles. I have always been looking for a great surface fly that mimics these little beauties. For a few years now I have gotten a lot of use of this little emerger pattern that tends to out fish most of my other emerger patterns even when there is no discernible hatch. This is a great pattern for super finicky Brown trout. I have fooled many fish with this pattern and with the right combination of materials it is a pattern that stays floating even in fast water for a long time. With the use of TMC's Aero Wing material (extended shuck) the fly is a great floater. The fibers are not only fine but hollow keeping the fly float

CB's Japanese Beetles

above photo: Provided by Debbi T. Walker an Ohio Photographer. Debbi is a talented outdoor photographer who loves to take pictures of insects, animals, and landscapes and often shoots photography around the Mad River and Cedar Bog. In the heat of the summer many fish hunker down during the day and will pass up the occasional Caddis, midge, or ant floating overhead. Often fish conserve energy for a larger more nourishing food item. During the summer months fish want to conserve energy and exert themselves only for the most significant meal. This is called the “Pounds Per Meat Law” again the least amount of energy is expelled for the most nourishment possible. This should be the mid-summer mantra for both fishers and fish! Large ants are another food item that fish will come off of the bottom for during the midday sun and heat. Japanese Beetles are one of those items on the surface menu that will spark a fishes interest when nothing else seems to work. Rise

Spidey Senses~The Irresistible Arachnid

Fishing spider patterns is a favorite activity of mine in the late spring, summer and fall. Many of the spring creeks that I frequent have adjacent fields of corn, soy, feed grass, as well as tall overhead trees and brambles. Spiders are prolific here and as much as I hate them I do love fishing with them. I have tried many patterns over the years most of which were not my own. Most of them were either too clunky, too overdressed, or just downright stupid looking. If I were to cast a wad of sheet foam and rubber bands to a big Brown on most of my usual digs I would be typecasted by most of the coherent fish instantly. After years of hit and miss I settled on my own pattern that just seemed to meet my criteria as well as the Trouts. When your standing in a “hot river” in the middle of the day and you spot a massive brown that just will not budge for the most ingenious morsel you have in your box whip out a spider. Spiders are protein intensive, they are like baklava on a silver

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