Best Beginner Fly Tying Book

[Don in Nanaimo 0]

This is what I have on order from my library: Beginner's guide to flytying by Chris Mann. Has it been mentioned here? Any good?

 

For anyone interested, here on Vancouver Island we have a library system which covers the whole island to order from. In addition we have interlibrary loans which can come from anywhere in B.C. I usually prefer to get reference books from the library and then if I find them good I will purchase the book for my own reference library. I would assume Americans have the same library systems for free too, paid through taxes? Many reference books these days can run over a hundred bucks and it's nice to be able to have a good look at them before dropping the money.

 

From a beginner's POV what I want is big colour pictures with concise explanations of the process. I'm wondering what other beginners would want.

[oldsoftail 0]

Hey gang,

 

 

New book I picked up at Barnes and Noble for around $26.00... Fly Tying for Beginners by Peter Gathercole.

 

All color pictures, step by step instructions and over 50 flies to tie.

 

Here's what the back of the book states:

 

"Being able to tie your own flies gives you an added dimension to the already absorbing hobby of fly fishing. This foolproof book is a complete guide to making 50 versatile flies for trout and salmon fishing.

 

Each featured fly includes an explination of its component parts, from threads and yarns to beads, tinsels and feathers. A full-page photograph of each fly is also presented.

 

Clear instructions allow you to master the core techniques quickly, and detailed photographs take you through every stage of the proces, from dubbing the body to fixing the hook.

 

Learn how to make sturdy dry flies, wet flies, bugs, nymphs, hairwigs, and streamers. Each entry indicates where the fly should sit in the water, and which fish it is best suited to catch."

 

The book grabbed my attention because it's spiral bound and I can easily keep the book open while I tie a fly. I love it.

 

Chris

Hey Chris, just picked that book up today, as a newbe it caught my attention right away, loved the core techniques .When your just starting out in a new journey theres things that people take for granted like making a wip finish , how to start the thread , just simle things , thats how this book starts you out . So if you are realy at the starting stage this is the one for you.

jerry

[stevebasson 0]

I started with basic fly tying from stackpole books, once I could tie the flys illustrated, I bought the bench side introduction

to fly tying, the one with the split pages. I also made my own binder of pages printed from the www.

[Vilageidiot 0]

I have found that Fly Tying Made Clear and Simple is pretty good to start out with too, and it is cheap $20

[.Steve 0]

I have found that Fly Tying Made Clear and Simple is pretty good to start out with too, and it is cheap $20

 

My local flyshop highly recommended me that book and I have to say, it's great. I also got Charlie Craven's book, "Basic Fly Tying". Both are great books for beginners, Charlie Craven explains everything he's doing in the pictures, and has a sense of humor about things too.

[flyfisher46 0]

I have found that Fly Tying Made Clear and Simple is pretty good to start out with too, and it is cheap $20

 

My local flyshop highly recommended me that book and I have to say, it's great. I also got Charlie Craven's book, "Basic Fly Tying". Both are great books for beginners, Charlie Craven explains everything he's doing in the pictures, and has a sense of humor about things too.

My local fly shop recomended Basic fly tying and the Orvis Fly tying book.

 

[foambug 0]

nobody has mentioned american fly tying -dave hughes......or the art of fly tying -the freshwater angler......this is what i broke my teeth on....on questions just means i get to go to the fly shop an ask to be shown ...and spend some cash....on cool stuff i dont need but want :headbang:

[all thumbs 0]

got the skip morris book at a local used book store for 22 bucks. looks pretty good have still only tied a couple flies but they look good.

[BassBugn 0]

I think all the books listed are great books to learn flytying. I've bought a few of them and still have a couple including Peter Gathercole's "The Handbook of Flytying", Eric Leisner's book, Skip Morris'book on Bass Flies. There is one that I did not see on anyone's post that is also very good and that is Poul Jorgensen's Book of Fly tying. He covers quite alot and it is very easy to understand. However I agree with the gentlemen about the videos or DVD's. I have a few that are excellent to learn different flies. For example Don Bastian's tying wet flies is great, Jimmy Nix on Tying Bass Flies & Saltwater Flies, Chris Helm's tying Bass flies & Hair Trout flies, Dave Whitlock's series of videos and video titled Tying Bass Flies, Bob Clouser tying his famous Clouser's minnow, Lefty's Saltwater Flies and Billy Munn's Bass Flies are all great. These videos & DVD"s are for those who are past the beginning stages and want to learn specific patterns. In my opinion the books are great however the videos and DVD's are better. I'll take it one step further.......watching these gentlemen & ladies tye they're flies will make you not only appreciate flytying more , they will teach you the little things that they may not put in the books or videos sometimes. I've found that when I had the priviledge of taking a lesson or just watching them at a show they do things "unconsciously". They don't do it on purpose, it just happens in the process of tying flies. It will happen to everyone who ties flies.

 

I know this post may be getting a little too long. However, if I may, I would like to add one more thing. I've been tying for a long time & I'm still learning. Poul Jorgensen says it the best when he quoted his mentor Bill Blades,"Fly Tying is a school from which you never graduate." So beginners pick a book, video or DVD that gets you started that "you" feel comfortable with and practice, practice, practice. Take lessons if you can. When you become somewhat proficient learn to tie the patterns that "you" like. Not all the patterns out there (there are tooooo many) just the ones that you like and use for your specific bodies of water.

 

Sorry for the length, these are the things I've learned over the years.

 

Most of all, Have Fun!!!!

 

Steve

 

[Arkansas Mike 0]

Although I can see Jayhawk Jeff's point about the cost, I'd have to go with Benchside Reference. I have both Kaufmann books and Skip Morris' Fly Tying made Clear and Simple, which all taught me a lot, but I've learned far more from Benchside Reference and find myself turning to it almost everyday. I'd recommend any books by Kaufmann or Morris, but if you have the $60-$70 to spare, go with Leeson and Schollmeyer's book. It doesn't have a list of full patterns or many photos of finished flies, but it discusses just about every fly tying method (in regards to trout flies) you'll come across. If you're on a budget, I'd probably go with Kaufmann's two books.

[oldfella 0]

Hi all.

Since I've been Flyfishing & Flytying for 50 + years,I have ammassed over 100 +books,all except one mentioned,with many many others by different authors.

However some others which are worth a look at:The Handbook of Flytying by Peter Gathercole.Western Trout Fly Tying Manual Vol 1 & 2 by Jack Dennis.The Fly Tyers Manual & The Fly Tyers Companion by Mike Dawes.An Introduction To Fly Tying by Peter Cockwill.Fly-Tying Illustrated wet and dry patterns by Freddie Rice.The last Fur & Feather by Peter Luever,a book by an Australian author,who has done an excellent job of illustrating the book,printed in Singapore,with Australian,English & Kiwi patterns,which should catch fish in the USA. Any one who happens to look at this book will agree it's a beaut book for any Library.

The bottom Line is, I find the best way is to watch the Videos,CD's, DVD's, U-Tube,whilst tying, :cheers: as the Old saying goes "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words".

Cheers.

Brian

 

[rstout 0]

I learned to tie flies from Jack Dennis's "Western Trout Fly Tying Manual 1". I borrowed it when I was 14 years old in 1980 (dates me a little) from a professional tyer who lived in town. I went away for the summer and the book was ruined by a spilled bottle of soda. I dreaded coming home because I would have to tell the owner of the book that it was ruined. When I got home, I found out the man I borrowed the book from had moved away. I was extremely relieved as a 14 year old. Irresponsible but relieved. Sometime around 2001, I stopped by a fly shop in a nearby town and who do you suppose owned it? Yep, the man who loaned me the book. He didn't recognize me but I recognized him. Needless to say, the guilt was awful. I love books and felt that I must make this right. Being older and wiser, I got online and found Jack Dennis's web site. I sent him an email and then called him and told him the whole sad story. Jack was gracious enough to offer to sign an original print of the book and mail it to me.

 

What I did not expect was a full written page addressed to the original owner of the book by Jack. The afternoon I received the book, I drove 100 miles to apologize and let the gentleman know that it was I that ruined his original book and that I had it for over 20 years. I apologized profusely and to make up for it, I handed him the signed copy. He was extremely pleased. He said he had always wondered what happened to the book. We are friends to this day.

 

I still have the original ruined book with soda stains, I was given an older original copy when a friend passed away, and I received a new copy from a friend as a gift. I still read the intros and look through it looking for inspiration.

[PJCareyIII 0]

I enjoyed reading this thread and that story posted by rstout.

 

Also I have to agree about Mastering the Art of Fly Tying, by Erskine. It's not a bad book at all but it certainly doesn't do the beginner justice with it's dearth of materials needed and highly advanced patterns in the second half or third of the book. I bought this book first to learn how to tie, read through it before ever sitting down at the bench, and put it back on the shelf in favor of Skip Morris's Fly Tying Made Clear and Simple. That gave me a decent education in the basics and the patterns throughout are forgiving in the choice of materials (for instance 'brown synthetic fur' is listed instead of 'brown Poly III dubbing'). This I feel was important to letting me get into the hobby without breaking my budget or feeling overwhelmed with choices. Now that I've been doing for a year or so, I can figure out what to substitute if I don't have it, but as a raw beginner that knowledge wasn't there.

[kyflytyer 0]

One of the best books that I have seen is The Art of Fly Tying by John Van Vliet. I found it to be very helpful when I first started tying and still frequently refer to it. It is part of The Hunting & Fishing Library and does a wonderful job of expaining tools, materials, and techniques. Everything is well illustrated with full color photographs. I actually got mine at the sporting goods department at Wal-Mart but I don't think they carry them any more. The only source for it that I know of is:

 

http://www.mudhole.com/Shop-Our-Catalog/Bo...rt-of-Fly-Tying

 

It isn't that expensive and well worth the money in my opinion. Hope this helps.

[EdMauss 0]

I picked up the two books by Randall Kaufmann "Tying Nymphs" and his accompanying book "Tying Dry Flies. The Nymph book was signed and supposingly in very good condition. I am excited to read them and learn a thing or two from them.