Which book should i get?

[clodev]

I'm looking for a book(s) that will give me as many a variety of flies to tie with a good cross section of there life cycles and presentations. I would prefer that it has fly tieing substance rather then the fishing mech part but cover as many different fish types/insect types as possible. I hate to spend all this money to find out its not what i was looking for so if a combination of two books would help let me know.

Heres what I've come up with for books.

Fly Tiers Bench, (Ted Leeson)

Trout Flies; Tiers referance (Dave Hughes)

Complete book of western hatches; an anglers entom& fly pattern guide (Rick Hafele)

An anglers guide to aquatic insects & their imitations for all north america (Rick Hafele)

Selective Trout (Doug swisher)

May flies; an anglers study of trout water ephemeroth.

add recomandations please

[mcsteff]

clodev
I assume you have been [url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/beginners/:fb081]here[/url:fb081] and have completed Al Campbell's lessons for Beginning Fly Tying. Then I would recommend you take his Intermediate Fly Tying Course. Both are very cost-effective(read 'free')giving you useful flies and methods of tying. I would then consider getting Dave Hughes "Essential Trout Flies" to continue to broaden your arsenal of ties. His "Trout Flies" is wonderful as is "The Benchside Reference" but both are a tad costly but well worth it if you have progressed this far. Since you live in Muskegon, I would also recommend "Trout Flies for the Michigan Emergence Schedule" published by Northwoods, P.O. Box 6211 in Plymouth, Michigan 48170. I picked mine up at Baldwin Bait and Tackle. Let me know if I can be of any more assistance.
Cordially,
mcsteff
BTW I have the Hughes, Swisher and Leeson's books- who can stop at just one.

[steubo]

clodev,

As mcsteff mentioned the fly tying section on FAOL is invaluable, and free. I also like westfly.com (entomology section). I have both Trout Flies and Fly Tiers Benchside Reference, and the later is much more about tying techniques than pattern recipes. I am glad to have both. I also like Randall Kaufmann's Tying Dry Flies and Tying Nymphs.

[Eight Thumbs]

Do what I did----buy them all! But if you only want two books I would suggest the big Orvis Fly Tying Guide by Tom Rosenbauer (not the little eight-fly version that comes with kits) to teach you how to tie and the Hughes book to teach you what to tie if your interest is trout flies. Don't forget Al Campbell's free information here. 8T

[Steve Molcsan]

Do what I did----buy them all! But if you only want two books I would suggest the big Orvis Fly Tying Guide by Tom Rosenbauer (not the little eight-fly version that comes with kits) to teach you how to tie and the Hughes book to teach you what to tie if your interest is trout flies. Don't forget Al Campbell's free information here. 8T

I have to agree with 8T

FAOL Al Campbell is the only way to start. A true legend he is...

Steve

[Bobinmich]

Everyone I have started I buy a copy of Selective Trout - Swisher and Richards. But then - there wasn't a FAOL that I knew about in those days - I think there were computers - but I don't remember. It was pre-Gore so there probably wasn't an internet. There are so many good books and so little time. But ST is as complete a place to start as any. I just am not real big on no hackles. Can't keep them floating worth a darn. Also you can read a book for free on my website. It isn't nearly as good as ST - but it's free.
bobinmich
www.HATofMichigan.org

[tea stick]

Art Flick's "streamside guide." Not really a "how to book" but a great read.

[J Castwell]

Come over to the Michigan "Fish-In."

[bdesavage]

Beware...
I started with Skip Morris book "Fly Tying Made Clear and Simple", have had Dave Hughes "Trout Flies" out of the library so often I can get it with out even looking for it!
I have way too many Fly Tying books, BUT not enough. Go with All the Al Campbell articles first!
I'm just down the road in Kazoo if I can be any help just Holler!
Bill