If a 'Beginner Fly Tyer' can get the initial Fly Tyer magazines, published from 1978 through 1985(?), there is a wealth of information. I would say that those magazines are MUST READs.

Also, while I agree with the original poster's statement that, "Invariably, a major problem a beginner fly tier has is fly proportion", there are different opinions on what constitutes the correct proportions for certain types of flies. In fact, there are different opinions about proportions for the same style and pattern.

Allan