Books for Salmon Fly Tying

[Diane]

Hi, folks. Thanks again for those most helpful critiques and encouragement of my first salmon flies. They're fun to tie.

I used Ronn Lucas' lessons here in the Fly Tying section and they're great. Really great. Thanks, Ronn.

I also like books. Too much, maybe. So I'm looking for up to three good books on tying Atlantic Salmon Flies. I need really good detailed color photos and step by step instructions. I'm interested in hairwing and featherwings. I'd like to be able to tie these flies without having to sell the farm for materials. Anyone have any specific books to recommend? I'm going to list a few specific ones that look good on Amazon. If you've used them and you love or hate them, let me know!

Tying the Classic Salmon Fly: A Modern Approach to Traditional Techniques Michael Radencich

Pretty & Practical Salmon Flies Dick Talleur

Salmon Flies: Their Character, Style, and Dressing Poul Jorgensen

Building Classic Salmon Flies Ron Alcott

Others? Reviews? Thanks for any wisdom.

[Diane]

Thanks, Nick. But I just want a specialization here in Salmon Flies. I've already got great resources for more general tying.

[lee s]

Diane,
We have "Spey Flies and Dee Flies" by John Shewy. It shows some of that fancy stuff.....fancy stuff we MIGHT get around to some day. It is interesting for us.
We have nothing else to compare it to though and don't know if that is what you're looking for.
....lee s.

[Leighs522]

Being a book addict, like you, I own all of them. My persoanl favorite is Talleurs, not becuase he teaches the gospel, but because he is very clear, doesn't demand the use of high-cost ingredients, and, like the FAOL tutorials, takes you through a progression of patterns that will build your skills. Just remember that, to use his words, he is not a member of the "stained-glass" school of salmon flies. His flies are pretty, but not at the level of an Alcott or Radencich.
Both the Radencich and Alcott books are very good and do step-by-step instructions. I think the pictures are better in Radencich.
Jorgenson was the bible, and he has some good patterns and instructions, but some of his advice, like mounting salmon fly wings one at a time is, in the words of one reviewer from the U.K., "codswallop".
There are also some ofther good internet resources, i.e.free. I particularly recommend [url=http://www.feathersmc.com.:d60f0]www.feathersmc.com.[/url:d60f0] John sells great materials, posts a lot of tutorials, and has liknks to the old Salmon Flyer magazine, now out-of -print, but available on the web and filled with good tips and interesting articles, but alas, no pictures.
Finally, Mike Radencich's DVD on tying classic salmon flies is excellent, better even than the book.

[LadyFisher]

Eric Austin quotes Building Classic Salmon Flies by Ron Alcott quite often.

------------------
LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL

Alcott's book is great, as is Jorgensen's. I also have and use Shewey's books on Spey and Dee flies. One of my favorites is How to Dress Salmon Flies by T.E. Pryce-Tannatt first printed in 1914 and updated in 1977.

REE

[This message has been edited by NoahsBoyz (edited 19 March 2006).]

[flytackle]

Try these...

Hair-wing Atlantic Salmon Flies By Keith Fulsher and Charles Krom. North Conway NH: FlyTyer, 1981. 181 pp.

Classic Salmon Flies History and Patterns. By Michael Frodin. NJ: Stoeger Publishing, 1992. 200 pp.

Cheers, Alec

[Diane]

Looking forward to seeing that, Nick!

Thanks, folks.

[jking]

Diane
You might be able to find a copy of Flies for Atlantic Salmon by Dick Stewart, Farrow Allen. It went out of print, but I heard that it was coming back. It doesn't have lots of step-by-step, but it is a very good pattern reference book with good photos. This is an excellent reference for tying salmon flies for fishing. Exhibition flies are a different kettle of ..... well,.... fish.

I can't think of how you could do better than the section Ronn Lucas has contributed here.

Hans' Danica.com site is also a really good reference for lots of patterns. Some really good commercial and exhibition tyers have their work posted. You can work from a good visual reference. [url=http://www.danica.com/flytier/index.html:3d14c]http://www.danica.com/flytier/index.html[/url:3d14c]

John

[Ronn Lucas]

Of all the how to books for tying full dressed flies, I think Mike Radencich's book is best. Tallure's book is marginal. Same goes for Jorgenson, Alcott too. Pryce-Tannatt's book while done for "in hand" tying, has some great insights and I think brought all the other books together for me when I learned. There are many, many more books, old and new as well.

Mike Radencich has just finished writing another book but I don't know the publication date as of yet. I am sure it will be another must have title knowing Mike.

Pattern books are different. There are reprints of many old books and some of the already mentioned ones have lots of patterns. This means classic patterns. I like the freestyle and there is precious little on that that is affordable that is. Forgotten Flies is one but it is several hundred dollars now and out of print.

Happy Trails!
Ronn