Tying with Turkey biots could almost be classed as cheating - they are simple to tie with, easily available and give wonderful colouration, segmentation and provide an excellent rib to the fly. They are in tying terms, great value.
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'Tying with Turkey Biots'
This is a simple nymph pattern. They are very quick to tie, but the result is a realistic, well profiled fly. It's easy to tie in a range of sizes. I carry these in #14 down to #20. Varying the colour of the biot, the bead and the thorax material can give a great range variations. Olive and rusty orange are my favourites. I like a tungsten bead too to get the fly down to the fish. For a #14 hook I use a 2mm bead and for below that I favour a 1.5mm bead. A pink bead can be useful for grayling too.
For a pattern to fish nearer the surface, simply tie it without the bead.
When tying the biots, I simply add a very thin layer of head cement over the underbody prior to wrapping. This adds a little extra security when the biot somes into contact with the teeth of a fish. Don't use too much varnish or else you'll drown the biot and loose that superb rib.
For this tying sequence, the materials are:
Hook: Varivas 2120WB (Wave Barbless) #14
Bead: Tungsten 2mm
Thread: Sheer 14/0, tan
Tail: Coq de Leon fibres
Abdomen: Turkey Biot, olive
Thorax: Argentinian Hare, dyed olive
I like to tie these in a range of sizes and colours:

An example tied with a rusty orange biot and natural hare dubbing:

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