Bivisible
The Bivisible is a classic attractor dry fly popularized by Edward Ringwood Hewitt during the 1920s. Hewitt favored dark flies because they created a strong silhouette for trout, but added a light-colored hackle at the front so anglers could more easily track the fly in glare, shadows, and fading light. The pattern does not imitate one specific insect, although it can suggest mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies, and terrestrials depending on its size and color. It is especially useful as a searching fly in riffles, pocket water, and other broken currents where its heavily hackled construction floats well. Bivisibles are commonly tied in sizes 10 through 18, with brown, black, grizzly, and olive versions among the most popular. The main tying challenge is palmering the hackle evenly while keeping the body buoyant without making the fly excessively bulky.
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Recipe
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Hook · 1X-long dry fly hook, sizes 10-18
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Thread · Black 6/0
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Hackle · White hackle
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Hackle · Brown hackle
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Tail · Brown hackle fibers (optional)
Tying Instructions
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1
Place the hook in the vice and lay a thread base. In this fly, it is important to keep an even thread base at all times.
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2
If you're choosing to tie in a tail, cut a few fibers from a brown hackle feather and secure them at the bend of the hook.
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3
Prepare a brown hackle feather and tie it in at the base. Be sure to keep the bare stem at a length where you can keep an even thread base.
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4
Palmer the brown hackle feather forward to around 3/4 the length of the hook shank. You should only leave enough room for two or three turns of the white hackle. Tie off and snip any excess feather.
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5
Prepare and tie in a white hackle feather immediately in front of the palmered brown hackle, again keeping an even thread base over the bare stem.
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6
Palmer the white hackle forward leaving just enough space for a small thread head. Tie off and snip any excess feather.
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7
Wrap a small head with the thread, whip finish, and apply head cement.