Essential Trout Flies: Step-by-step tying instructions for 31 indispensable pattern styles and their most useful variations (Step-By-Step Tying Instructions for 31 Indispensible Pattern)

Helpful for beginner to intermediate fly angler in beginning/continuing their journey. Great starting place to the novice fly tyer as well.

If you're new to fly tying and want to build your go-to box that will catch fish anywhere, anytime, this is the book that will get you there... and well beyond.That's me. The new kid. Before purchasing this book I had very few materials and knew only a few basic patterns. But did I know what sizes I should keep around? Nope! Did I know what color variations to start with? How many to tie? Nope! Did I have any clue what else belonged in that go-to box? You see where this is going...This book is smart. Tie this many flies, in these patterns, in these sizes, and these colors, with these materials. Arrange them in two boxes: wet and dry. You now have everything you need to catch trout anywhere in the world. Once you're done with that, notice what you're seeing in the water and match it using the other recommended variations and patterns. Easy as pie.This book makes sense. Every fly has a simple to use materials list, recommended sizes (with the most common sizes highlighted), and a full color picture. And, 6-8 useful variations that include all of the above. The level of organization and ease of use is stunning.This book knows you have a budget. Here's what you need to get started. Here's what you need to get fancy. Here's where quality matters and here's where it doesn't.Oh, and this book is gorgeous. If it was hard covered it would be art.This book will NOT teach you how to tie. There are full colored instructions. They're great... once you have the basics down. Notice I didn't dock any stars. YouTube is a thing and Kyle from hammer creek fly fishing is my hero... he can show (show!) you how to tie all of basic patterns in the book and Mr. Hughes can teach you how to make them shine (and how to make them lots of adorable and diverse little friends).And by the time you get through that go-to box you'll be able to whip up any of these flies in no time flat. Probably without reference.Buy this book.

This book came highly recommended to me from the online fly fishing forum that I frequent and it has lived up to the recommendations. Like most fly fishing books it opens up with a good discussion of fly tying equipment and materials. The major sections concern dryies, nymphs, wet flies and streamers. At the start of each major section is a discussion of it's uses, material and presentation.I like the way it breaks down the hundreds of flies into a few styles. The idea is that you only need to learn a few major sets of tying steps to tie the majority of flies. The book looks at a major fly from each style (for dries: traditional, hairwing duns, sparkle duns, thorax duns, spinners,wulffs, humpies, parachutes, etc.). Then there are pictuers of the major variations. For each style at the end is a note on how to fish it.This book focuses on simplicity and ease of tying. I have found it to be complete and very easy to follow in my tying.

Mainly just a re-hash of the same old trout patterns that have been around since the 19th, and early 20th century. There are hundreds of books with the same information. It does touch on some patterns that are only about 40 years old, like the Wooley Bugger, but totally ignores newer productive patterns like the Clouser Minnow, foam patterns, hot glue, rabbit strip patterns like the Zonker, and Bunny Leech, Clear Goo patterns, and others. Fly tying has evolved greatly since the days of Dame Lee Whiggins, Izaak Walton, Theodore Gordon, and others. If you just want to learn classic patterns, then this is an OK book. If you want to put fish in your creel, then keep looking. The old patterns work, no doubt, but not to the extent that the newer patterns and materials do. And these patterns are far from essential, with the exception of the Woolly Bugger, Hare's Ear, and Pheasant-Tail Nymph. Clouser Minnows and Chernbobyl Ants are must haves for any modern fly box, as well as some Puglisi-Style Baitfish patterns.Just my opinion, as a very successful fly fisherman and fly tyer.

This is a very good selection of fly patterns and instructions for fishing then. Applicable to trout, panfish, and other warm water species. By limiting the number of flies; fly tying and fishing becomes much more understandable, do able, and therefore enjoyable. Dave Hughes is easy to read and he has an excellent understanding of fish and how to catch then with flies. This book also includes as good basic set of fly tying instructions.

I am new to fly tying and I bought several "how-to" tying manuals. Those were great for getting a fly tied properly and even dealing with some of the more difficult parts of tying each fly. However, this book is different... better! David Hughes not only shows how to tie certain flies, he provides the "why" behind each fly pattern and then shows the reader how to tie other flies as variations of these basic patterns. In other words, this is a fly tying strategy guide. If you follow the guidelines in this book, you will accomplish two goals:1. develop skills tying different useful flies2. you will also strategically fill 2 or 3 fly boxes with an assortment of flies that would prove useful in most fishing situations.

Dave Hughes indispensable patterns are really 31 base tying styles that can be used to produce 95% (or more) of the flies you will ever want to tie.Each fly is given step by step instructions and followed by half a dozen variants on that style. Good value books for any beginning or intermediate fly tier.The book is well written and the tying notes (with step by step photographs) easy enough to follow.

This winter I will tie all those essential trut flies. They seems to me a good selection with much informations ( how to tie, when to use them, how to present them,....).Very good book!

clear ordination of flie patterns : once you can bind one, you can bind all the others menmbers of the family ...

Il testo è una raccolta di dressing, più o meno classici, che costituiscono una selezione base per i fiumi statunitensi.In realtà la selezione è interessante ed applicabile anche alle nostre acque, soprattutto per una pesca con mosche "da caccia".Non lo consiglierei per il neofita assoluto, non è un manuale di costruzione di base, ma può essere un ottimo spunto per chi ha già sviluppato una certa abilità.Complessivamente molto gradevole.

Un classique qui démontre comment monter des patrons simples, mais terriblement efficaces. J'adore cet auteur, le meilleur selon moi.

It is a very good book and a big help in my fly tying. Thank You