Building Classic Salmon Flies

Book excerpt: Ron Alcott is unquestionably one of the best classic fly tiers in the world, and in this book he shares everything he knows. Written for both expert and beginning tiers, this book is full of easy-to-follow tips and techniques for building these beautiful works of art. Alcott shares: their history; materials and substitutes for those components that are now illegal; silk, feather, and fur colors; metallic tinsels; types of wings; proportions; building classic featherwings; metric conversion chart; and more. In 81 step-by-step photos, Alcott builds five representative classic flies, and provides dressings for 32 more. Sixteen color plates illustrate many of the most renowned classic flies, as well as feathers, silk color, and antique tools, This book is a must for all tiers interested in classic-fly building.