Mark: I see.. Thanks, will do, Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: "mark romero" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, June 26, 2005 10:52 PM Subject: Re: [VFB] Feather ? Biots
> Chuck, when tying your biot in by the tip.....keep that "notch" to the left > for the smoother abdomen, and to the right for the more pronounced > segmentation. mark > > >From: "DonO" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Reply-To: <[email protected]> > >To: <[email protected]> > >Subject: Re: [VFB] Feather ? Biots > >Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 09:04:44 -0600 > > > >Chuck, > > > >Although the term 'biot' in not originally correct, in flytying it has been > >adopted to mean the tough, leading-edge barbs from the flight feathers of > >goose, duck, turkeys, and other large, legal flighted birds. Most common > >are goose biots. These are tough and durable, and change shape(contour) > >and > >length continually down the length of the feather. There are many uses > >such > >as antennae, legs, tails, and wrapped abdomens, based on the bird, the > >shape, and the length. These barbs have no velcro effect (like the barbs > >on > >the back sides of the wings) but are stacked one on top of the other and > >laid down flat. They stay in place because of stiffness and there is a > >slight concaveness down the length, lessening towards the tip. The lead > >edge flight feather (#1) has the best and toughest barbs, for obvious > >reasons. Then they reduce in quality (as biots) as you move back through > >the flight feathers. > > > >There are no two identical feathers on wild birds, just two mirror image > >matches from left to right. Size, shape, color, configuration- all change > >constantly down the length of the bird and out on to the wings. Every > >section of every feather has qualities that make it suitable for specific > >flies. > > > >If you have more specific questions on feathers, just ask. > > > >DonO > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: "Chuck Alexander" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >To: <[email protected]> > >Sent: Saturday, June 25, 2005 11:22 PM > >Subject: Fw: [VFB] Feather ???? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Peter: Thanks for the tips... So the Biot is a strip of feathers that > >comes > > > off the main quill, but remain together if I understand right????Then > >I'd > > > wrap them in a spiral down the hook shank for the body??? I know which > >side > > > you are talking about, cause thay (and I guess about any feather like > >the > > > wing feathers) have a long and a short side... Is there a site I can go > >to, > > > to see one of these??? You're right.. it sounds easier to see than to > > > understand in text... Kinda like readign these books I have on tying > >flies, > > > vs watchingthe DVD I have..but if I follow you right, the finished fly > >will > > > have a body kinda like the furry caterpillers you sometimes see??? But > >will > > > be spiraled down the body (ie hook shank)?? Or am I totally wrong in my > > > understanding???? Sound like it would be great for bluegills... I hope > >I'm > > > understanding you right??? Thanks again, Chuck > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > From: "Peter Gramp" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > To: <[email protected]> > > > > > Sent: Saturday, June 25, 2005 9:27 PM > > > > > Subject: Re: [VFB] Feather ???? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hey, Chuck- > > > > > I'm not sure if this will help or not, but I use canadian goose > > > > > biots (the "thicker" part of the wing feather that is super-stiff if > > > > > you try to fan the fibers out from the stem) all of the time for > >biot- > > > > > bodies. These fibers are from the "not- wide side" of the feather, > > > > > and when peeled from the feather's quill / stem, have an elongated > > > > > triangle taper to their appearance. I tie them in by the point and > > > > > then wrap the feather biot up the hook shank to give a segmented > >look > > > > > to the body. I can send some samples if you wish, so you can see > >what > > > > > I mean. > > > > > Also, you can get fancy, as the biot has a notch at the base of > >the > > > > > triangle taper... where you stripped it from the feather's quill. > > > > > Well, if you wrap the triangle fiber piece (called a biot) with the > > > > > notch on one side versus the other, you can make a raised fuzzy > > > > > divider of the segmentation, or you can just cover over it and have > > > > > darker edging but no raised fuzzy edge. Again, it's easier to show > >it > > > > > than it is to explain it... if this doesn't make sense, feel free to > > > > > ask me about it. :) I love biot bodies for my dry spinners, and > >they > > > > > work well for nymph bodies, also, though I always add legs on these > > > > > for nymphs. > > > > > Anyhow, that should be a start for ideas. OH! before using ANY > > > > > road-kill / molted feathers from the park, etc... wash them in > >normal > > > > > dish soap. Usually this removes most possible "bugs"(though there > >are > > > > > numerous better ways to get rid of stuff, like freezing / > >microwaving, > > > > > etc), but at a very least, it cleans them up. Besides that, when > > > > > rinsed of the soap and air- dried, the feathers often look better > >than > > > > > they did when you started with them. > > > > > Just my 2 cents worth of advice... Good luck and tight lines, > > > > > Pete Gramp > > > > > > > > > > > >
