Elegant and graceful, Spey flies originated on the River Spey in northeastern Scotland and are well over 150 years old. Author Bob Veverka gives the history and background on classic Spey, Dee, Don, Eagle, and Steelhead Spey patterns, including step-by-step tying instructions.

This is the definitive book on fly-tying, with thousands of fly patterns included for the enthusiast. Expert angler, fly tier, and author Terry Hellekson addresses everything from the history of fly-fishing around the world to the history of fly tying and fly-tying materials. Hellekson shares interviews with fly-tying greats of years past, along with the fascinating history and background of some of the popular individual flies, making this a great read. His colorful recollections of people and events will intrigue and delight even the most serious fly tier. He also shares years of wisdom and knowledge on fly-tying colors; fly patterns; fly-tying tools, hooks, and materials; and fly-fishing and fly-tying methods. Hellekson' depicts hundreds of intricate patterns for dry flies, wet flies, and nymphs. Mayfly, stonefly, and caddisfly species are widely represented with simulations of the phases of their respective life cycles. Detailed patterns for terrestrials, damselflies and dragonflies, leeches and worms, midges, crustaceans, streamers, shad flies, steelhead flies, Atlantic salmon flies, Spey flies, Pacific salmon flies, and salmon and steelhead dry flies round out the book. This encyclopedia is organized into two distinct parts: the first section describes the origins of fly-fishing; the concepts of vision and perception of color; and the tools and materials from which artificial flies are created. It addresses dry flies, wet flies, nymphs, stoneflies, mayflies, and caddisflies. The second section of the book thoroughly attends to the simulation of other insect orders, such as terrestrials and crustaceans, and then delves into the specifics of streamers, shad flies, steelhead flies, and more. Even a fly-fishing novice will be enthralled with illustrations that clarify the patterns in a reader-friendly style. Line illustrations throughout, plus more than 2,950 detailed fly patterns-including 695 flies shown in full color-make this a comprehensive fly-tying encyclopedia beyond compare. Terry Hellekson was born into the world of fly-fishing and spent his early life in Happy Camp, California, where his father had a fly-fishing guide service on the Klamath and Trinity rivers during the 1940s and 1950s. Hellekson not only fly-fished and tied flies as a youth, but he developed many new fly patterns and eventually became immersed in all phases of the fly-fishing and fly-tying businesses. He founded Fly Fishing Specialties, a wholesale and retail business. He continually exchanges information with leading experts in fly-fishing and fly tying. Hellekson has traveled the world discovering sources for fly-tying materials and other products that he sold on the international market. He has also fished many of the great lakes and rivers of the world, traveling to such far off places as Kashmir to test the waters of the Himalayas. Hellekson is one of the founders of the Northern Utah Fly Fishers and the Granite Bay Fly Casters in northern California. Through fly-tying classes and fly-fishing clinics, he has taught countless numbers of fly fishers the fine points of the sporting art. Besides the many articles he has written on fly-fishing and fly tying, he has authored two books, Popular Fly Patterns (1976) and Fish Flies (1995), with this revised edition the culmination of a lifetime of work. He has also made generous contributions to the works of other authors. He now lives and fishes with his wife, Patricia, in Montana, where they have the famous Kootenai River at their doorstep.

The Definitive Book on Spey Flies Within fly tying, and within steelhead and salmon angling, Spey flies occupy a substantial niche. These flies are exceptionally popular in America, not only on the “steelhead coast,” but nationwide among fly tying enthusiasts, and they enjoy a substantial popularity worldwide; their popularity has gained renewed enthusiasm with the latest generation of young tiers and anglers (the private Facebook page “The Spey Tyer” has 3,600 members). The author is the world’s leading authority on the history and tying of Spey flies simply because they caught his fancy in the 1980s and over the years he has conducted more research on the topic by far than anyone else. His vision for this new incarnation of his original Spey Flies (Amato Publications, 2002) includes a tremendous upgrade from the original—an entirely new book, in fact—because he has uncovered so many historical facts, intrigues, people, and flies that have never been compiled in a single volume, or even presented in any form to the interested audience. The original Spey Flies was graphically rich; the new book is far more so.

Inside Fly Tying is filled with a master fly tier's tips for solving common problems and simplifying tying methods. Includes new patterns and materials and innovative ways of tying classic flies.Tips include: Finding quality hackle and tying hackle-quill bodies--Dyeing and stripping peacock quills for bodies--Dubbing and winging a Wulff-style dry fly--Tying wood duck wings, single-feather parachutes, and foam-post parachutes--Using hen and rooster capes and mallard flank feathers for streamers--New alternative materials for Spey flies, Muddlers, Bombers, and stonefly nymphs--Tying a spinner with an egg sac--A hackling method for the Hewitt Skater--The advantages of tying with Coq de Leon and Brahma feathers