{{+1}}Bibio variant{{-1}}

In entomological terms a 'Bibio' is a March fly or St. Mark's fly both of which are true flies of the order Diptera. True Bibio larvae grow up in grassy areas and are herbivores and scavengers feeding on dead vegetation or living plant roots. They do not spend any part of their life cycle in the water. Whilst the Bibio fly may have been originally designed as a blow fly representation it has found its place as a great top dropper fly in lakes where there are large populations of midge. That of course begs the question do fish take them as midges, or do they take them as some other insect more like a fly, but which spends part of its life cycle in the water, that just happens to hatch as the same time as a midge, or alternatively do trout take them as one of the many carnivorous nymphs that predate on the midge? Any way when midge are around it's always worth trying a Bibio on your top dropper.

My version below varies from the original tie in that it doesn't include a body hackle. Instead the body is dubbed with seal fur dubbing which has been teased out in step 'D' with a Velcro rub.

My Bibio variant. When dressing your Bibio remember less is best.

Traditional tie using a hackle palmered along the body.

I have noticed some fly fishers using a weighted or bead head bibio. I have tried them and still prefer un-weighted versions.

Materials

Hook	Thread	Rib	Rear and front body sections	Middle body section	Hackle
Dohiku 644 #14 or similar grub hook	Black Uni 6/0	Ultra wire - silver SM or equivilent/td>	Dubbing made of 75% seals fur, 15 % Siman peacock black and 10% Hends spectra Nr 46	Red seals fur	Crow feather or alternative soft black hackle

Process

A	Wind the thread in touching turns to the bend of the hook. I like to use Hanak Grub hooks for this fly but other short open gape wet or grub hook will do. Understanding hooks Return the thread back along the body to the 95% position. Starting at the 95% position and extending to half way round the bend of the hook tie in a length of copper wire along the top of the hook shank.

B	Think about the body being 3 equal sections the sum of which cover the area from where you tied the wire in and the 95% position. Dub black seals fur on the rear third. Single strand dubbing

C	Dub red seals fur on the middle section.

D	Dub black seals fur on the front section. On small hooks it may be best to divide the body into just two sections with the rear being black and the front section being red. Wind the wire forward creating 4 or 5 equal segments. Body segments Using Velcro pull some of the seals fur fibres out. If you were not using seals fur fuzzeled out you could add a hackle palmered along the body instead. Tie the wire off behind the eye of the hook and worry off the excess wire.

E	Tie a crow feather in by the tip.

F	Cut the tip off the feather and take just one full turn of the feather. Legs on flies Tie the feather off and with a blade trim the butt end. Build up a neat thread head. Whip finish and varnish the head.