The Benchside Introduction to Fly Tying Hardcover-spiral – March 30, 2006

Very satisfied with The Benchside Introduction To Fly Tying book. Illustrations & instructions are very clear. The spiral binding lets the book lay flat on the desk a big plus. The book contains pictures of completed flies along with the page number to find the tying instructions. There are many examples of tying tools and their uses, along with explanations of the materials used in fly tying. The most unique concept of the book is the split page construction. The upper section of a page contains the fly tying instructions, and refers the tier to the lower page number for extra tying instructions when they are needed. This format allows all the instructions to be seen at one time without having to flip back and forth through the pages. All around a good book for the money. I personally would like to see a saltwater fly version of this book.

I have been sea fishing on and off for 46 years, I had a yacht for 16 years. Now I am retied at 70. I have two or three hobbies and spend a lot of time on my computer. I wanted to do something to get me out of the house and to meet people, and living in New Zealand which is one of the best places in the world for Trout fishing. I thought I would try having a go at Fly fishing. So I took up Fly-fishing three years ago. I joined the local Anglers club, and found it was very active, going away for the week end, staying in lodges to fish in lakes or rivers. Getting away mid-week is good.I have just finished a ten week Wednesday night Fly Tying course, that was very interesting. One member had this book, The Benchside Introduction to Fly Tying. which looked a must have, of good quality paper and cover, well made to last a life time, nice clear photos and well explained step-by-step instructions. I like the Split-Pages. This is it, I think it is the Bees knees for Fly fishermen that tie there own flies. I highly recommend it.

After reading reviews of the book and deciding to take the "fly tying plunge," I bought this incredible book (and saved a nice bit by buying via Amazon... thank you Amazon). As a total fly tying "noob," I can attest to the fact that this is the single best source for anyone... and I do mean anyone... interested in jumping into this great time-honored tradition. Not enough can be said about the split page design. There are also a great number of excellent patterns with tips and tricks to make tying them (and personal creations) incredibly simple. The book could only be better if the authors could shrink my finger size or increase my dexterity. Short of that, this is the book to have! My recommendation is to buy the book before you buy any equipment or materials if you're considering this activity. But from what I've seen, it's NEVER too late to buy this book.Happy Tying!!!

I bought this book for my husband, who had only been tying his own flies for 2 months. He had a book that came with his kit, but he'd already mastered all those and was ready to move on. This book, The Benchside Introduction to Fly Tying, was a huge hit with him. It not only works because it deals with many beginner techniques, but also because it has carried him along as his skills have improved. In fact, I don't know that he'll ever need another book, because this one covers all skill ranges. According to him, the pictures are great, very detailed, and he loves that he can lay the book flat (because of the spiral binding), instead of having to put something heavy on the page to hold it down while he works. He said he probably won't ever have to buy another fly! Overall, a great book and I, and he, highly recommend it.

This is a great instructional book. I am new to fly tying and the split format of upper page sections for the recipe, and the lower section for required techniques is very helpful.The only reason I do not give this five stars is because of the wire-o' binding. It is a little fragile and makes turning the pages difficult, a plastic spiral coil is always easier to work with. The larger size of the book is a plus, for these tired eyes, but a drawback also because it takes up so much room on my bench when open for use.I would highly recommend this book for newbies such as myself.

Some of the patterns have less detail than others, but overall a very good source book for tying various flies.

Great detailI am a beginner and I think that this book will be great

I purchased this book about a year ago, and I have found it to be every bit as helpful as the other posters on this site have already attested.The book is well illustrated, printed on thick paper, and both ingenious and unique in it's presentation of the patterns and the techniques needed in tying.I work overseas most of the time, so I do almost all of my shopping via Amazon... I don't write too many reviews, but a year later here I am singing the praises of this great book.It is worth every penny, and would happily pay double if I had to replace the copy I currently own.

This is a fantastic resource for anyone starting fly tying. I wish someone had directed me to it before I had begun tying. I have been tying for a few years now and bought this book recently. I am pretty much self taught having been shown the absolute basics by a friend and picked up the rest as I went along. As a result, my knowledge was incomplete on many quite basic aspects and this book has filled the many gaps. Great info on essential tools, detailed section on materials and hooks (learnt a lot here!) The book is spiral bound and the section on patterns & basic techniques is split. Each pattern is presented in the top section and essential techniques are displayed in the bottom section. The patterns are cross referenced with the specific tying techniques required so that you can flip the bottom section to the relevant page and have the top section open at the pattern you are tying. A simple idea, beautifully executed to make the learning process so much easier. Very highly recommended for the newbie and more experienced fly tyer.

This is an excellent book. The introductory pages are a mine of information; the explanation of hook sizing was a revelation. I like the split page layout which means you can view the fly recipe whilst flicking through details of how to tie the different stages. I have no hesitation in recommending this book.

An excellent book. The contents are great but the real appeal is in the design/layout. The book is split so whilst you are following instructions on one page you're able to also access/turn to other pages for reference points if need be. As an instruction book the practicle lay out is the best I've come across.

One of two books that would have covered some 30 books I have in my Fly Tying Library.

A must have for everyone that is in to fly tying. The combination of basic techniques and a lot of patterns, and the way the pages cabn be combined, makes fly tying easy (well, not all flies are easy, but this is a great help).