Just got a digital version of The Complete Book of Fly Tying. Looks good so far. The drawings are better than the photos, but hey, they were taken in 1977!
fly patterns of Alaska is a great book for people tying for Alaska like I am. lots of great patterns, also woolly wisdom, the best book of woolly buggers ever!
+1 for Woolly Wisdom
Dick Brown's Bonefish Fly Patterns , and even though it's for Bonefish, there are a lot of great crawfish patterns in there that are great for freshwater fishing!
Julia Bell/flyfshrgrl Dallas Fly Fishers President, 2021-present
Hi! I have been tying for a little over a year now, and I am learning more and more every day. There is two (2) books that I got recently that have helped me a lot. The firts one is "Hooks for the Fly" by William E. Schmidt. This is a very usefull book to identifiy the hook the recepies call for. If you do not have the same hook you can look at the tables and find the one that is compatible, and if you have hooks from local shops, that are not on the compatibility tables there is a section after each of the hooks manufacturers, that shows how the hook looks like, therefore you can select one out of your stock that look as close to it as possible. Very usefull and practical book. the second one I founded in Half Price Books and is called "The Art of Fly Tying"" by Claude Chartrand. Excellent photography and graphics. The graphics are for the different technics of applying materials to the hook, very good descriptions step by step on all kind of different materials. Hope you guys can find them, both are terrific.
If you want to see the most extensive collection of fly fishing and fishing related books for sale in North Texas, used, be sure to stop in at Recycled Books on the square in Denton, Texas. Recycled Books accounts for about 4 of ten books on my shelf, but be sure you check around - if you are thinking of buying online. Recycled's books are simply priced at half of the original selling price and that can be way high on some titles, but you would be supporting the local economy after all!
How about, Mastering the art of fly tying by B. Randolph Erskine, Cathy Becks fly fishing hand book Black bass and the fly rod by Charles F. Waterman
It is the constant - or in constant - change, the infinite variety in fly fishing that binds us fast. It is impossible to grow weary of a sport that is never the same on any two days of the year. T. Gordon
I just received a used copy of Darrel Martin's "FLY TYING METHODS"(copyright-1987) which many have said is the greatest methods book on fly tying ever. Haven't read it but I got it for about $20 at abebooks.com-p-
While this is not a book it is a great resource for tying. Davie McPhail flytying videos on you tube. He is a Scot and is one of the best teachers I have ever found. I started tying 35 years ago as way to keep my sanity while operating a pecan farm between Midland and Rankin, TX. I used the Orvis fly tying guide and magazines to learn the basics. I gave my son a fly tying kit for Christmas and was hoping to help him get started over break from college. Emergency eye surgery before the holiday made that impossible but with Davie McPhails videos on his iPad he has done more in three weeks than I accomplished in 2 years. It's working! He fished this past weekend on the Fryingpan and caught fish on flies of his own creation. It may take watching a few videos to catch on to his Scottish brogue but he has a patient and soothing tone and explains it all. Charlie
Texas Saltwater Classics: Fly Patterns for the Texas Coast by Greg Berlocher is the orginal saltwater pattern book featuring flies developed for the Texas coast. It was published in 2001 and many fly tyers consider it the go-to-text, with recipes and step-by-step instructions from many well known Texas anglers and fly fishing guides. Most of the patterns work as well in fresh water as the do in the salt.
