Good Starter Book

The Complete Book Of Fly Tying, by Eric Leiser, is a good book to use if you're just starting out. In fact, this was the book that I learned from, and although I've moved past the "needing instruction" phase, I still find that this book is a great reference guide.

Before I tell you why I think this is a great book, I'll shed a little light on what "fly-tying" is, in case you don't know. A "fly" is basically a fishing lure that is used in fly-fishing. They are usually made to imitate the bugs and insects that the fish (trout, salmon, bass, etc) would normally eat. Flies are, as far as I know, tied by hand using materials like feathers and fur. (There are WAY too many different things used to list them all here.) The hooks that these materials are tied on range in size from very tiny (like half a centimeter) to the extremely large that are used to catch big saltwater fish. Fly-tying is a very satisfying hobby...but that's another whole epinion in itself. So, now off to the book we go! :)

Like I said, this was the first "how to tie" book that I ever purchased, and before I got it I knew practically nothing about tying flies. When I got through reading it I had an excellent understanding of the basic concepts in fly-tying. That right there says a lot about all the knowledge in this book. Don't think, though, that you'll only use this book when you first start out, and then stick it on a shelf to gather dust. Nope, no way. This book is an excellent reference guide to the different materials used in fly-tying. Can't quite remember what the substitutes are for jungle cock eye feathers? Just consult this book. (Of course, if you want a really, really good reference guide to materials check out Leiser's book, Fly Tying Materials.)

Not only does this book talk about the tools/materials used in fly-tying, but it also goes into extensive detail about what techniques can be used to tie certain types of flies. Along with the techniques are supporting pictures. The pictures are really great and show a lot. Unfortunately none of them pics are in color, which is (almost) the only downside to this book. They still help out a great deal, though.

Yet another excellent thing about this book is the variety of patterns it shows you how to tie. This books shows you how to tie conventional dry flies, quill wing/body flies, hair wing/body flies, terrestrials, parachute flies, basic wet flies, salmon (wet) flies, nymphs, bucktails, streamers (including saltwater), and some other misc patterns. The only gripe I have about these sections is that after he shows you in detail how to tie the first fly of each type, he then just gives you what the other patterns call for. (For those of you who aren't fly-tyers, this isn't a bad thing because once you know the pattern it's just a matter of using different colored feathers,etc and WOW you've got a whole different fly!) The bad part is the fact that Leisner leaves out what color thread you should use. Yes, you can make a pretty good guess, but if you don't know what the insect you're trying to mimic looks like in real life...

The only other downside to this book that I found is that the author doesn't tell you the difference between a rooster neck and a rooster saddle. For the advanced tyer that's no problem, but for a person who's just starting out and looking to buy materials it can be pretty confusing.

I have only one more thing to say before I end this epinion...this book was originally written in 1977 and is currently in its 20th or 21st printing. That should definitely show how great this book is!

It's a keeper!