The bivisible is one of those time-tested patterns that can still be found in many tackle boxes today. Although no one knows exactly who first wrapped these contrasting hackles together on a hook, this particular pattern is most commonly attributed to Edward Ringwood Hewitt. In his 1926 book Telling about the trouthe wrote:
Dark colors are more visible to trout from below than light colors, which is why they catch more fish and are used more often in most conditions. However, they are often harder to spot on the water than the lighter flies. This is the reason for my favorite bow tie design, which I call “Bi-Visible”. It consists of a brown hackle tied with a palm tree, with a small strip of white hackle wrapped around the head. The white contrasting with the brown is easily visible to the angler in most lighting conditions; On the other hand, the trout see the brown hackles from below better than any other color used. This fly is by far the best I have seen for any trout species and is based on a solid physics principle.
It’s hard to disprove Hewitt’s logic since the fly has been producing fish for almost 100 years.
In this great video by Tightline productionsTim Flagler shows how easy it is to tie this bow tie, which is made from just four materials. But the real value here is in the master class on hackles that Flagler offers at the start. Hackle Choosing, Prep, and Wrapping tips will keep all your flies looking and performing better.
Bivisable
Hook: 1 x long dry fly hook (here a Dai-Riki #300), sizes 10-18.
Thread 1: Black, 6/0 or 140 denier.
Hack 1: Brown hackle.
Hack 2: White Hackle.
Head: binding thread.
Adhesive: head cement.
Tool: Hackle gauge.