Trout Fly Pattern Book

[Arkansas Mike 0]

I've been looking to buy a new pattern book (I tie mostly trout flies), and was wondering which was the "best". I'm leaning towards Fly Patterns by Randall Kaufmann. Also Dick Talleur's Trout Flies for the 21st Century, or Fly Pattern Encyclopedia: Federation of Fly Fishers by Al & Gretchen Beatty. Kaufmann's book is a tomb (478 pages), and runs a little over $100, but if it is worth it... I'd like the best one available. Opinions?

 

Thanks,

Mike

[Scud 0]

I have TROUT FLIES. It's a great book. Explains alot. Not only patterns but what each stage is.

 

Jeremy

[halcyon 0]

Fly Pattern Encyclopedia: Federation of Fly Fishers by Al & Gretchen Beatty is an excellent pattern book but covers cold water, warm water, and saltwater patterns so only a portion is about trout flies. Dick Talleur's Trout Flies for the 21st Century is a collection of old patterns that are still excellent trout catchers. It is all about trout but the patterns are mostly old northeastern trout patterns. I have not read Fly Patterns by Randall Kaufmann yet so can not help there. But I have reviewed dozens of flyfising and fly tying books for the FFF and they are readily available on my site at http://www.beaucatcher.com/books.html. You may wish to check out some of the tying books and get my take on them.

[flytire 0]

i dont think any book out there can really be called the "best"

 

take a look at

 

trout flies by david hughes

 

fish flies by terry hellekson

 

trout flies by gary lafontaine

 

forgotten flies by schmookler & sills

 

to name a few

[smalltownfisherman 0]

Fly Pattern Encyclopedia: Federation of Fly Fishers by Al & Gretchen Beatty is an excellent pattern book but covers cold water, warm water, and saltwater patterns.

I'll second that.

 

It has too many patterns to tie in a lifetime. All of them new patterns or variations on originals.

 

It is a great book that has helped me in my tying skills and helped boost my creativity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My $0.02, gage

 

 

[Jaydub 0]

I have Kaufmann's new book. If you just want the maximum number of recipes with pictures, it's the one. It includes some of those flies that I've heard about and may be in production but I couldn't find an actual recipe for. No one book has everything though.

 

"Trout Flies" is very good but not strictly a pattern book. "Fly Pattern Encyclopedia: Federation of Fly Fishers" is a good one. I also like " Patent Patterns" by Jim Schollmeyer. For older stuff there's "Perrault's Standard Dictionary of Fishing Flies" if you can find it.

[Arkansas Mike 0]

i dont think any book out there can really be called the "best"

 

 

True.

[dafunk5446 0]

While it is not an all around book, you cant forget the classic wets

 

Ray Bergman's Trout (if you dont already own this book....you should)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Futzer 0]

Hi Mike, let me add on to the fine list already started, and I am just telling some of my favorites too, a little off task.

 

The complete book of Western hatches, by Rick Hafele and Dave Hughes, I go to this often

 

Troutnut.com, great info

 

Praise for good flies, John Gierach

 

A. K.'s Fly box, A.K. Best

 

Production fly tying, A.K. Best

 

The Fly Tier's Bench reference, Ted Leeson, Jim Schollemyer

 

Along with the Beatty's Pattern Encyclopedia. And the fly database on flytyingforum.com, it is coming up fast.

 

Also Umpqua.com fly index.

 

Cheers, Futzer.

[tidewaterfly 0]

I don't do much trout fishing, but 2 pattern books that I have that I've used quite a bit when I have needed trout flies, are "Trout Flies of the East" & "Trout Flies of the West" both by Leeson & Schollmeyer. Both books are compilations of shop patterns from around the the U.S. & Canada. Good variety of patterns.

[Batman 0]

the best book that i have is oliver edwards flytying masterclass, i always enjoy going through it, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,B,,,,,,,,,,

[Arkansas Mike 0]

Thanks everybody.

 

What I really need, is a computer in my tying shop...

 

[smallieFanatic 0]

May I suggest a Mac book?

[CoachBob 0]

Jack Dennis' books.

Classics and excellent.

[whatfly 0]

What I really need, is a computer in my tying shop...

A good idea, but while there is a lot of useful information on the web, it is not a real replacement for the printed word. Schollmeyer & Lesson's Trout Flies of the West has already been mentioned and is an excellent text. I would also strongly recommend Stewart & Allen's Flies for Trout.

 

I've leafed through Kaufmann's new book and it seemed like a repeat of the Flypatterns of Umpqua Feather Merchants -- lots of small variants of same fly. Probably the single largest collection of modern patterns, however, so if that is what you are looking for, get it. For the money though, you could probably pick up 3-5 more useful individual texts. YMMV.