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The Fly Tier's Benchside Reference was written by Ted Leeson and
Jim Schollmeyer, and published in 1998 (wow time flies) by Frank
Amato Publications. It contains 444 pages of which 7 make up the
index.
When this book first came out ( I honestly thought it was just a
couple of years ago) it cost exactly $100.00, now I have seen
new ones for $68.00, and used ones for less than that. The book
was billed as the holy grail of fly tying and with good reason.
The book simply covers every technique known to fly tying, and
usually gives you more than one technique to accomplish a fly
tying feat. For example, if you want to have a woven body
(something I avoided in my twelve years of commercial fly
tying), Leeson and Schollmeyer show you in great detail, 'The
Banded Weave', 'The Parallel Weave', 'The Mossback Weave', 'The
Overhand Weave', 'The Pott's Weave,', 'The Half-Hitch Weave,'
'The Criss-Cross Weave,' 'The Spotted Strip Weave,' 'The Mottled
Weave,' and 'The Crochet Weave'. Not only does the book describe
how to do them, with very clear descriptions and more
importantly pictures, but it will also tell you what the purpose
of each technique is, including the materials it is used for,
and the effects of each different weave.
And so it goes detailing each technique, how to tie parachute
hackle, how to mount the posts, how to tie split hackle tails,
biot bodies, hair wings. Nine pages on spent wings, 33 on
downwings, 17 on legs. You get the idea. If there is ever a
daunting fly tying procedure that you have never attempted or
have attempted only to be frustrated so much you went straight
back to the first fly you ever tied for reassurance your
coordination hadn't left you altogether, then this book WILL
help you. And it will help you immensely.
The book is different than many fly tying books, in the way it
is organized. Not by fly or type of fly. In fact it isn't a book
of patterns or about insects or even frankly about flies. It is
a book of techniques and it is organized as such. It has 15
chapters and begins with a very brief summary of fly tying
materials. Something that the reader of this book should already
have well versed. However it does have a few handy charts and
pictures. And gives a very brief explanation types of hair and
feathers etc. . It then goes on to give you several methods of
de-barbing hooks and then sharpening them, (yes even chemically
sharpened hooks need to be honed at some time.) Then Leeson and
Schollmeyer go into thread handling, again it seems perfunctory.
But finally the fun starts. With 21 methods of mounting and
trimming materials. One thing about how-to books, I always find
interesting is the author's ability to breakdown and name
procedures you probably discovered all on your own, and never
thought twice about them. This books is no different, but it
does force you to think about fly tying, taking it off
auto-pilot here and there is always a good way to question and
improve.
The book takes us on a journey following the same map you follow
when tying a fly. From thread handling to trimming heads. Along
the way we look at bodies, tailing, wings, hackling, and legs.
The organization is nice, so when you are referencing a
particular technique, you can find it quickly in the book, by
where you are in your fly.
Which brings us to the best part of the book, in that is it will
be undoubtedly the most referenced book in your library. You
will use it no matter what types of flies you tie. Whether they
be #26 Tricos are #2/0 Saltwater patterns, or the whole gamut,
there is stuff in here for you. It rarely will make it back on
your shelf.
The only real drawbacks to the book are #1, price, although more
affordable now if you shop around, it will still set you back.
And #2 it is not for beginners, nor does it pretend to be.,
While it does give plenty of basic advice, one must have a
general working knowledge of fly tying to really get use out of
this book.
It also adds to the growing trend of spelling tyers, tiers. I
wonder if the magazine will ever switch, I have always preferred
tyer, but I seem to be in a shrinking minority. And it always
comes up as a mistake in my spell checker.
About the author:
Cameron Larsen is a retired commericial fly tier and fly fishing
guide. He now operates The Big Y Fly Company.
http://www.bigyflyco.com/flyfishinghome.html He can be reached
at info@bigyflyco.com. This article will appear in the Big Y Fly
Fishing E-Zine at
Http://www.bigyflyco.com/Bigyflyfishingezine.html
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