Biot Emerger

Here is a very simple emerger pattern that also qualifies as a soft-hackle fly if modified slightly. The Biot Emerger has a tail; many soft-hackle flies have no tail, so the modification would be to simply not include a tail. Otherwise, the tying techniques for this fly mirror those for a typical soft-hackle pattern. Both emergers and soft hackle flies can be extremely effective during a hatch if fished properly. I like to fish them either with an indicator or on a swing.

This month’s selection is generic, but the idea for it came from an article by Dave Klausmeyer in a recent issue of American Angler. Let’s tie it in a pale yellow color.

Materials

Tying Instructions

1. Wrap the front half of the hook with lead wire and cover the hook shank with thread after de-barbing it. At a point on the shank just above the back of the now smashed barb, tie in two biots to form the tail. The concave side of the biot should be facing out as in the case of a Prince Nymph. The tail should be no longer than the hook shank.

2. Tie in the gold wire at the base of the tail. Tie in a biot at the same point. It should be tied in by its tip.

3. Wrap the biot forward in nice even wraps. Cover the rear two thirds of the hook and tie it off. Now counter-wrap the gold wire forward to the same point and tie it off.

4. Apply a small amount of dubbing to the thread and form a small thorax, leaving at least 1/6 of the hook shank behind the eye for the hackle.

5. Strip all of the barbs from one side of a small brown partridge hackle, and remove any fluff from the butt end of the feather. Tie it in by its tip at the front of the thorax.

6. Take two wraps around the shank, tie it off, and clip the excess. Apply a drop of head cement, being careful not to clog the eye of the hook.