Royal bibio – Chatto’s original

Bibios and bibio variants are amongst my favourite ten flies. This royal bibio version is always worth a swim, particularly if there are midge or damsels around. It’s a variation of the original bibio except that the dubbed body has been replaced with the same sort of body you find on royal wulffs, hair winged royal coachman and royal trudes to name just a few.

Royal Bibio Royal bibio Chattos original

Materials

Hook	Thread	Rib	Body	Hackle
Hanak 300BL grub hook	Black	Fine silver wire	Peacock herl with a red floss band	Soft black hackle

Process

A	Wind the thread in touching turns half way down the shank of the hook. I like to use Knapek Lure hooks, Hanak Grub hooks for this fly but other short open gape wet or grub hook will do. Understanding hooks Tie ina length of fine silver wire.

B	Tie in a couple of strands of peacock herl. Tie the herl and the fine silver wire down along the top of the hook shank to the bend of the hook.

C	Form the herl into a rope with the thread. Roping peacock herl Wind the herl rope forward to the 40% position. Lock the herl off with a couple of firm wraps of thread but don’t trim the excess herl.

D	Wind the fine silver wire forward forming 3 or 4 segments along the herl abdomen of the fly. Body segments Tie the wire off with a couple of firm wraps of thread but don’t trim the excess wire..

E	Tie a length of red floss in directly in front of the abdomen and build up a band of floss covering the next 10% of the hook shank. Tie the floss off and trim the excess.

F	Pick up the herl and form it back into a rope with the thread. Wind the herl rope forward to the 95% position forming the thorax of the fly. Lock the herl off with a couple of firm wraps of thread and trim the excess herl.

G	Tie a hackle in directly in front of the thorax.

H	take just 4 or 5 turns of hackle as you wind the hackle back along the thorax and the floss band of the fly. Whilst holding the hackle tightly in place with one hand pick up the wire with the other and wind the wire forward locking the hackle into position and forming 4 or 5 segments along the floss band and thorax of the fly. Legs on flies