For rank amateurs like me, Wapsi Fly Tying Handbook, $9.99 at BPS has been helpful so far.

The Orvis Fly Tying Guide is an excellent tutorial and encyclopedia for fly tiers in one volume. I recommend it in hardcover because it is a great reference tool you will use over and over and want to last a lifetime/hand down to the next generation.

+1 You can pick up one of htese at Half Price Books on South Hulen I did they have about 10 more copys.

If you want to see what a fishing journal should look like, get your hands on a copy of "Muriel Fosters Fishing Diary". She uses very few words, but expresses herself in pictures. Watercolors done before photos were readily available... It is stunning, and tells the tale of her trips in a way that words cannot...

Hey Harold; I think I puffed on your avatar!!!-p-

My newest and maybe my favorite!!!

Fishy's Flies & Fishy's favorites by Jay "Fishy" Fullum

Available through amazon.com

Jerry: I have seen those at half price books from time to time. Warning...I seldom go there wthoout finding at least oee book to buy as anyone can see by the shelves of books in my office. It is amazing how fast you can fill ANOTHER of those 3 OR 4 Foot shelves. It is a good thing I have never kept a running total on the cost of the books I buy.

Have fun with this stuff.

Big Dale

Ellis's Bassin' with a Fly Rod is a classic- I found it at the Half Price books on NW Hwy in Dallas for $5. Also found some great casting books by Mel Krieger and Lefty Kreh- Half Price doesn't know the value of some of what people bring in to them.

Anybody know of any books that talk about alternative fly rod tactics other than Ellis's book and Tom Nixon's books? I particularly mean using small spinners, pork rind, tiny rebel/arbogast lures, and soft plastics on the fly rod.

Parker Rhea

Would this be useful for gar fly fishing here in Texas?

Parker Rhea

Sorry, on my last post I was referring to whether "Pike on the Fly" would be useful for gar fly fishing in TX

The Fly Tiers' Benchside Reference; Leeson and Schollmeyer - Best $100 buck I have ever spent.

Parker:

I have Pike on the Fly and don't think it would offer much help on gar fly fishing. Over half of the book is focused on pike life cycles and behavior, while the second half turns to fly patterns. Some of those patterns could be modified for use with gar, but you can find them elsewhere.

Thanks

consider this one
Tube Flies Two: Evolution Mark Mandell; Bob Kenly (Author)

"Tying Better Flies" by Art Scheck is a good, practical book about tying techniques. It's focus is on making flies more durable, and covers a variety of fly types (bend-backs, Buggers, soft-hackles, dries, Clousers....). It has some of the better ideas I've seen for making flies weedless without making them fishless. The chapter about "Hooks, Threads, Cements & Finishes" is very useful when your trying to decide which to use for a particular application. I see this book for about $15 from time-to-time at Half-Price or Orvis.

"Essential Trout Flies" by Dave Hughes is available at some Half-Price books stores for $8. There was one left at the 75 and Campbell Road location when I was there on 9/21. I consider this a supplemental book. Hughes gives the basic instructions for tying a style (ex: parachute dries, fur nymphs) then provides patterns for six variations using that style.

I see there's space on my book shelf, so I'm going to lay down and contemplate all the reasons I don't need another fly tying book.

By the way, great book suggestions and links. Thanks everyone.