The Orvis Guide to Beginning Fly Tying [Paperback]

Eric Leiser (Author), Matt Vinciguerra (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2000 | Series: Orvis

A thorough and systematic approach to learning the are of fly tying.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

In The Orvis Guide to Beginning Fly Tying, Eric Leiser shows how to take such basic materials as hooks, threads, fur, and feathers and make them into effective flies that catch fish. He demonstrates the crucial tying techniques needed to dub bodies, tie in tails and hackle, and create upright wings on dry flies. Step by step, he takes the novice tyer through the skills necessary to tie such classics as the Woolly Bugger, the Hare's Ear, the Leadwig Coachman, the Black-Nose Dace, and the Hendrickson dry-fly. At the end of each chapter, he offers variations on these basic patterns to make a variety of other useful flies. The Orvis Guide to Beginning Fly Tying makes a great gift for all aspiring fly tyers. (10 X 7, 80 pages, b&w photos)

About the Author

Eric Leiser is the author of such fly-tying classics as Fly-Tying Materials, The Book of Fly Patterns, The Complete Book of Fly Tying, and The Dettes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press; 1st edition (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585740969
• ISBN-13: 978-1585740963
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 10 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,558,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Unfortunately Falls Short, December 12, 2007

By 

A. Marker (Boise, ID USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Orvis Guide to Beginning Fly Tying (Paperback)

Normally when I see the Orvis name, I expect pretty good execution. And, in truth, the text of this starter book for beginners isn't bad. However, the publishers forgot that their primary audience, someone new to fly tying, needs additional information to get started.

While the writing is clear it is presented in paragraph style and isn't separated into clearly delineated steps. This makes a difference when you're frequently looking back and forth from the fly you're tying to the book and have to find your place again. The second problem I found is that the photographs are in black and white. Those just starting this hobby need all the visual cues they can get and omitting color was a huge oversight: Hackles, thread, beads, and various other materials used in fly tying are color dependent in many cases.

Finally, these types of books are best using some kind of a spiral binding so that they stay open to the current page without having to use a couple of soda cans to hold it open. This book didn't use that more convenient type of binding.

Those looking for a book to get started in fly tying would be better off, in my opinion, picking up a copy of Fly Tying Made Clear and Simple by Skip Morris, or Fly Tying for Beginners by Peter Gathercole.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Beginners, August 1, 2011

By 

Lynn (New Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Orvis Guide to Beginning Fly Tying (Paperback)

I was a rank beginner who needed to learn some ropes so I could fish with the big boys. I found this book enormously helpful. The photos and demonstrations helped a great deal as I am visually oriented. This was so much fun that I have now advanced considerably, and certainly recommend this to all who want to learn what I consider an art form.