Fly-Tying Bible advice

[christy27]

Hi folks a bit of advice please. I have not tied flys for just over 20 yrs and want to start again. I have collected lots of bits and pieces over the last 12 months and have quite a plie of stuff.
Thing is I am a bit rusty and wondered if The Fly-Tying Bible by Peter Gathercole would be an easy way back so to speak. Would you recommend that book to a now novice like me? Any other simalar books worth a thought?
I like step by step and lots of colour photos.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in anticipation-Chris.

[The New Bee]

Hi Chris,

I bought this book for someone as a gift at Christmas and used it myself too for a while. Found it really helpful as a complete beginner to tying, clear instructions and pics of how it's supposed to look at the end... I think the recipient found it really useful too.

Deb

[taggarc]

Agree the Fly tying bible is a very very good book.

Check out the feedback on Amazon - very postive (com and Uk sites).

Covers all kind of flies - river, still water, trout, salmon and grayling.

tag

[AndrewMWalker]

The fly tying bible is a good book. A better book imho is "Basic Fly Tying Techniques" by Charlie Craven. It's very comprehensive and will teach you the right way to go about things and how to proportion a fly. If I have one criticism of the book it's the patterns. They are largely river flies for American rivers. There are some flies you will use here, the way the techniques are are described is simply the best I've seen.

I had the book recommended by fellow forumite Steve Kale, it's well worth a look.

Happy tying

Cheers

Andy

[BRUCE1]

have a rummage through the SBS on here or have a look here aswell

The Step by Step Fly Tying Resource

[stevekale]

Originally Posted by AndrewMWalker

If I have one criticism of the book it's the patterns. They are largely river flies for American rivers. There are some flies you will use here, the way the techniques are are described is simply the best I've seen.

The flies are each used as an exercise and each one builds on the skills learnt in more basic patterns:

Brassie (learn how to wind wire and intro to dubbing)
Black Beauty (a basic thread buzzer for still or flowing water, just let your imagination run wild)
RS2 (learn how to dub a tapered body)
Gold ribbed hare's ear nymph (a universal classic)
Pheasant tail nymph (another classic)
Beadhead Prince Nymph (these work well on both still and fast water)
Copper John (a river classic successful anywhere in the world)
Wooly ******
Elk Hair Caddis (another classic)
Stimulator (a great high country fly; the skills learnt here can be applied across a whole range of flies)
Adams (a classic dry fly)
Rusty Spinner (apply to any spinner for still or river)
Parachute Blue Winged Olive (any dry fly or Klinkhamer Special)
X Comparadun (learn that wing technique)
Royal Wulff (a classic dry and more complex fly)
Humpy (another dry fly classic that kills throughout the world)
Goddard Caddis (learn how to spin deer hair, another classic for still or river)

There are no wet flies but if you can tie a Humpy a dabbler is easy as chips.

[fedmof1]

good book - bougtht it for myself with xmas dosh - agree about american patterns - but he h use imagination, the pics are really clear - easy to use book - it must be i'm a real novice!! so enjoy and use step by step on here liz

[christy27]

Thank you all for your help. I have ordered the bible and will order Charlie Craven next week. Thanks for the descriptions to-ver interesting. Hopefully, this time next year I will be able to join a swap club!

Thanks again-Chris.