Ask Charlie #3 - Turkey and Goose Fly Tying Biots Explained 

Good lord. I dont tie a lot with biots, but i never realized there were so many idiosyncrasies with them. Great video. Definitely learned a lot on this one.

This is why I usually stick with dubbing! Thanks, Charlie! 😅

By far the most informative tutorial on tying with biots on RU-vid, thanks Charlie! Would expect nothing less than perfection here!!!!!

Charlie thank you for explaining the biots . It's worth getting up at 02 : 30 am to watch and then try to follow you its Friday about 17 degrees t shirt weather. Charlie thank's again keep well

I'm just beginning to tie trout flies . Even after watching quite a few videos , never really knew what a biot was . YOU KILLED IT ! This was without a doubt the best , most informative video I've ever watched . Thank You ! Love your book too , just wish I had the coordination to tie with my left hand makes so much sense ..

Been fighting those things for years. Your explanation made it very simple to understand and now it’s so much easier. Thank you Charlie!!

Just one of many, many reasons why I think Charlie may be the GOAT today.

This is what I appreciate the most with being involved with this great hobby that so many have turned it into an art form. The talent is endless, but the best part is all the greatest share with everyone of us. This man and Barry Ord Clark, Mark Petitjean, James Lund. Charlie and many more. There is so much to learn and everyone is offering help.

This is an excellent demonstration that's packed with amazing talent. The profiles you developed manipulating biot's look very buggy. Very nice ideas.

Charlie, I have followed many of your incredible ties, and your tying skill is incredible, and there is so much more that I need you to teach me. This extra time in going into more detail about boots, descriptions, selection, and easier tying methods for both tails a bodies will help me so much, thank you MSG Leum

Great video!!! A mate of mine told me that if you put just a little drop of food oil into the bag with the biots they soften up and become a lot easier to work with. AND IT IS TRUE!!

Being very analytical by nature, this video really hits home and greatly enhances my understanding as I try to learn this Amazing art of fly tying. Mega Thx !

Really helpful Charlie - I never thought to look to see which wing the biot came from. Solves a huge mystery for me! 🤓

stripped peacock quills with all the different colors available today is the way to go for me..i havnt used turkey or goose biots for a smooth bodied fly in years..great video and explanation..

This is a fantastic, informative video on biots! More than I ever realized. Thanks Charlie

Right handed feather you turn it around the hook in a clockwise manner looking into the eye of the hook, a left handed feather you turn it around the hook in a counter clockwise manner to make for a smoother looking fly.

This was a great instructional video! Been trying for a long time, but never thought about the curvature of the Biot.

Thanks Charlie. The Ask Charlie series is awesome. Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge, these are some real master classes on material differences.

I’m a mediocre tier at best but for some reason I have no problem with biots . I can’t tie an Adam’s yet or do deer hair or most other patterns lol but I’m getting there . Also Charlie is hands down the precise fly tyer on the planet there’s nobody better .

Thank you Charlie for the explanation of the biots It’s very educating and it give me pleasure to work with it. Thank you.

Thanks Charlie. I hadn’t realised about the natural curve and its effect. Really helpful, ta muchly.

Pure "GOLD"!! These videos are the best!

100% of this information was educational! Thanks Charlie!

Thank you for this video. I have struggled for years tying Biot bodied flies and never realized that the right and left wing biots wrap differently. I tied a couple using the correct wing Biot and which dramatically improved the body.

Thanks Charlie. Now I know why my ‘biot tying’ was so inconsistent!

So good, Charlie. Thank you!

I never knew this so I’m glad I watched this video. Thank you

Thanks Charlie,well explained

It seems like "biot" is jargon fly tyers use because it doesn't seem to be commonly used by ornithologists. I hate to be critical because Charlie makes the best fly tying videos, but maybe he needs to re-shoot this one because it seems to add to the already confusing subject of smooth versus ribbed quill bodies. Tying left-handed he says: 10:00 With a left wing feather, tying with the “the stand up edge on the bottom … when I wrap, the stand up edge is on the back side” (a ribbed body is produced) 11:15 “If I take a biot from the right wing, …, if I wrap it with its natural curve, it’s going to come out smooth” 16:15 “tying a smooth body, I like a left quill… and that will tie in notch down.. and the stand up edge on top”

Great video very informative and well explained maybe a video on snowshoe the process from foot to fly what to look for what to avoid pros and cons and applications thank you for another great video

Really enjoy your content 👍 You are truly an artist 😉

Excellent. Thank you!

Excellent detailed descriptions - thank you! (I always thought you were a left-handed tier, so reversed things I saw on your videos). Great discussion of left wing versus right wing biots!

That was great, thanks so much.

Excellent tutorial. Learned so much. Regarding the other side of the turkey feather, opposite of the biot, what can that side be used for in fly tying?? Thanks again.

Nice work my friend

Thanks, that helps a lot

Fantastic!

Thank you for pointing out how sharp they can be. Sorry about your thumb, that’s a pretty good scar.

Morning from NW Michigan Charlie 🎉 Healthy 2024 🤙🏻☀️🎣💫

I love the detail. I notice when you start the biot wrap it is done by pulling the biot away from you. In a number of other videos I see the biot pulled towards the tier. After sitting at the vice for some time, as you suggested, I noticed this is a subtle but significant difference. It seems to change how the biot is wrapped relative to its natural curve. I noticed that when pulling the biot away from me it tucks the fold under the wrap of the biot for a cleaner look. I would love your thoughts on this subtle difference in style(s). Also. at the 15:45 mark of the video when talking about smooth bodies you reference you as a left handed tier would want a right wing quill. Then at the 16:17 mark you mention preferring a left quill. Am I missing something? It seems from my practice session a left handed tier would want a right wing quill if they want to wrap a smooth body with its natural curve. Is that correct or should I go back and practice tying biot quill's some more?

Wow, that was a great lesson. Who knew....certainly not me

Hey Charlie, When hackling very small flies, Does the size of the feathers matter much. For example: If I am tying a collar hackle on a size 22 hook or a size 24 hook, can I use the same size 22 feather on the 24? My hackle gauge shows such a small difference between a size 22 and 24. It has become more difficult to find feathers in size 24.

So, is what you are saying that as a right handed tier and I want the leading edge standing up for segmentation, I should try and choose right sided wings?

What about using the rest of the feather instead of the buyouts for bodies?

Tell us about the very "first" wrap Charlie as it's difficult to see. Are you folding the biot over as you wrap?

Does soaking turkey biots help? I had someone tell me you have to soak them or they will break.

So, as a right handed tier I want to seek out right winged feathers?

Question, will stripped biot packages have both left and right wing strips?

"18 to 22% less fish" - Ha!

The Problem Child is the bug of choice!!

Why are turkey biots sold as the whole feather, but goose biots are just the leading edge? Guess I should have watched the whole video before asking ! LOL

I sent you questions, Charlie but you ignored me😂.

OMG I have been tying for years and never knew all this about biots! Thank you Charlie for sharing your knowledge, it’s amazing. I’m going to watch this several times to capture all the information provided.