I am looking at buying some entry level books to get started tying. Something that contains details on simple fly patters (if thats possible) Any help would be greatly appreciated
Thank the best book to start is Basic Fly Tying. Jon Rounds, editor. Wayne Luallen, fly tier and consultant. Step by step tying and thread handling. Price ? under $20
Skip Morris also has several books that are quite good and not overly expensive.
Dave
Hi NJ,
I’m sure that you’re going to get many different suggestions because there are so many good books out there on the market. I personally like the big Orvis Fly Tying Guide. It has great, step-by-step pictures for each fly. It moves from easy flies to more difficult flies in a logical fashion and it covers all the major fly patterns. This will really be the only book you require for the next few months.
Also, don’t overlook the great stuff here on FOAL. Al Campbells tying section is a web classic, as are the step-by-step instructions for the Fly of the Week. Hope this helps. 8T 
The book that got me going was “The Fly-Tying Bible” by Peter Gathercole. 100 patterns with great pictures scaled by difficulty so that you will still use it once you get better.
And most important of all? It is a hard cover but bound with wire rings so it lays flat on your desk. This tells ya he’s smarter than most
Mastering the Art of Fly Tying … Dick Talleur
The very first book I bought was fly tying at wally world for $9.95. It got me started and has kept me going forever. I also buy books from amazon. com and get the used ones a lot of times under $10.00.
NJ DOC,
Please take the time to go to the main page of FAOL, on the left in the menu “click” on “Fly Tying” and on the page that comes up, “click” on “Beginning Tying” and following each step from the beginning to the end. Then “click” on “Intermediate Tying” and follow each step and then “click” on “Advanced Tying” and follow each step. Once you have mastered these 3 classes, you can purchase any books you want if you still feel a need to. In my opinion, you cannot get better tying instructions than the ones I just pointed out to you and it is available to you at no charge on FAOL. Al Campbell was a great writer, teacher and human being and I miss him like others on this site. Give his lessons a try first and see if they are not what you are looking for at this stage of your fly tying.
I don’t think you can go wrong with The Benchside Introduction To Fly Tying by Ted Leeson and Jim Schollmeyer:
Thanks for all the input everyone. Warren, I am definately going to go and check out everything on the pages you suggested.
I would also agree with The Benchside Introduction to Fly Tying by Leeson and Scholllmeyer.
Lots of patterns and techniques.
I’ll check them out at the library till I have the pattern down,the price is just right and if you can’t get a pattern down in 3 weeks, better buy it!!!
Please free free to shoot me for this comment but…
There are lots a great fly-tying books out there and I own a few of them but if I was starting out today rather then way back when I did; the Internet would keep me from buying just about any book.
I’m not discounting the value of books but the computer and a printer just about solves any pattern or technique questions I have these days and this is coming from a guy who has over 400 fly fishing books in his collection.
Free information and the ability to instantly get multiple versions of the same fly or technique has made the Net the first and usually last place I look for fly tying info. I love being able to see three or four different way to do something and incorporating the best aspects of each into my creation. I do the same thing with cooking recipes. I haven’t bought a cookbook in years.
Have fun wherever you end up!