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Best Beginner Fly Tying Book

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if your looking to kill some time, you could go to chapters..... or amazon and write some great reviews on these books your suggesting! I am sure that will also be helpful.

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"Essential Trout Flies" by Dave Hughes has good instructions for a few flies and lots of examples of other patterns.

 

"Benchside Introduction to Fly Tying" was very useful when I was starting out. I really like the split pages and the number of patterns in the book.

 

I almost hate to say it but I have gotten more info out of watching tying videos on YouTube than any books could provide. Videos from Tim Cammisa, tight lines video, Davie McPhail and Hans Weilenmann have been indispensable in my tying.

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I bought Randal Kaufman's nymphs and dry fly books off eBay for a fantastic deal. They are written well for a beginner and have some good patterns. I'm currently looking for a streamer book.

 

As someone else said, the YouTube videos are very helpful, but they are usually limited to how to tie the fly. I like the books I have as they get into a little bit of the history and tactics for the fly.

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I like the Charlie Craven book, "Basic Fly Tying" and Dave Hughes' Essential Trout Flies. I've also enjoyed Barr's flies by John Barr. Other things that have helped me along are www.intheriffle.com , YouTube: Dave McPhail and Theo Anest.

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The Benchside Introduction To Fly Tying by Ted Leeson and Jim Schollmeyer.

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Have to agree with this. Spiral bound book that demonstrates tying the fly on top and on the bottom, the actual techniques. Covers all basics.

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From a beginner's perspective, I can say that Leeson and Schollmeyer's "The Fly Tier's Benchside Reference: To Techniques and Dressing Styles" has changed the game for me. Yes, I watch videos too - they say a picture is worth a thousand words, and a video...all the more. However, when I was tying completely by internet videos, I found that I could do a schetchy job on that specific pattern but the theory was escaping me. My goal was to have mine 'look' like the one in the video, but I didn't necessarliy know 'why' I was doing it. I should have been focused on getting each technique correct to a functional level - does it sit right in the water, track properly, etc. The Benchside reference has really broken the techniques down for me and given me a solid fundamental base to build on. Further, in the beginning - and still now to some extent - I was having trouble identifying the different materials used in patterns, thier differences and uses. The book's 'materials intro' in the beginning did a great job clearing that up for me - which is paramount. Finally, I can now look at patterns and visualize how they're put together, technique by technque, rather than scouring the internet and finding sometimes accurate, sometimes shady examples.

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I'd have to say Charlie Craven's book for beginners is well written both in tone and content delivery. Having written a text book for drums, when educators build on techniques like Charlie, it's a slam dunk for me. Pardon the music/sports reference.

 

Like his website, Charlie's book is a great resource - http://books.google.ca/books/about/Charlie_Craven_s_Basic_Fly_Tying.html?id=Lle3PQAACAAJ

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Just received Jay Nichols' "Tying Dry Flies" in the mail today.

 

It was the first book I read when I started tying flies and my library had it. I signed it out for three months. Great instructions, info and tactics. Hard cover and spiral bound to boot.

 

I found it on EBay last week for $6.99 shipped. Win.

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I second the vote for Skip Morris' book. I have several books on fly tying and I think I like Skip's book the best.

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I'm new and have used a variety of sources. I start with Skip Morris's book, which I like because each fly build on the skills learned in the prior flies, so I use it as an "outline for what to learn on." I also like it because he has the "problems and solutions" section for each step of the fly. Once I have a fly down using his method, I will look other places for variations on the pattern, including Orvis's Guide to Essential American Flies, In The Riffle, Tight Lines videos, etc to try and put together various techniques to find the fly that works best for me.

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I started in 1998 and the best reference book I found was " Production Fly Tying" by AK Best. Very good

detail on everything from the chair you set in to the finished product.

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The first book a bought when I started tying was "The Art of Fly Tying". It covers tools, materials and techniques. It also has several patterns, everything from nymphs to dries to salt. Still use it for a reference.

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I second the pick for Skip Morris Fly Tying Made Clear and Simple for a couple of reasons.

 

First, it is a well illustrated, easy to understand text for a beginner. Second, there is an accompanying DVD available

where a beginner can see each of the flies being tied by Skip. And third, if a beginner were to purchase the materials

suggested for the patterns in this book, they would have a nice collection to start out filling a trout fisherman's fly box.

 

In the past, the Premium Materials Kit sold by Hunter's in New Hampshire was comprised of the materials to tie 10

of each of the first 10 flies illustrated in this book. It was an excellent way to introduce someone who was serious in

taking up the pastime of fly tying.

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