Flytyers of the World, Volume One
Reviewed by Terry Lawton
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This large format book (A4 size pages) is certainly a visual feast with some 230 colour photographs. It is the first in a planned series of five volumes which will showcase the talents of 100 fly tiers from around the world.
The book contains biographies, tying techniques and recollections of each fly tier, either written by the tiers themselves, or by someone who knows the individual well. As a result writing styles are very varied but the benefit is that the character of each fly tier shines through much better than if each contribution had been homogenised and made to fit a particular style. The publishers were trying to provide a work of reference and not a literary masterpiece. Unfortunately there are a few too many greengrocers’ apostrophes for it to be the latter.
The fly tiers featured represent the Netherlands, USA, Italy, Australia, Austria, Sweden, South Africa, Norway, Macedonia and, of course, England. Many will be well-known to visitors to the major fly tying shows including the British Fly Fair International, others are less well known, at least to this reviewer. The majority of flies featured are for trout with but a few salmon, saltwater and grayling patterns.
What is the thread – if any – that links the tiers together? What selection criteria were used? There doesn’t seem to be anything obvious. How many of the fly patterns featured would I want to tie? A few including 
Dave Brandt’s Minipi Green Drake, Mick Hall’s Aussie March Brown, Phil White’s interesting Mayflies in various stages (Gigi Pironi has some equally interesting hatching and emerging Mayflies), Harrison Steeves’ Plumpy which looks like a Humpy but tied with a disc of foam for the body and Keith Wallington’s CDC Emerger. Although I am full of admiration for the skill and creativity of the super-realistic fly tiers, I have no great desire to try to imitate them. Quite simply, I don’t believe that I have go the necessary skill. I would have appreciated a bit more information on how to tie some of the patterns, particularly those were the method is not immediately obvious.
It is good and very interesting to read the biographical information and the tiers’ thoughts on fly design. I was also interested to read how many tiers were inspired by Bernard Venables and Mr Crabtree. The two of them have a lot to answer for! Although the book is about fly tiers and their flies, it is also an extremely useful guide to the best trout streams in a range of countries around the world.
Volumes two to five are due to be published over the next 18 months to two years. The series will be quite an undertaking and a lot of work has, without doubt, gone into this first volume. Certainly from a design point of view, Steve Thornton and publisher John Bertrand have set themselves a very high standard to match with future volumes although there are times when the design is a hindrance to the reader’s understanding and enjoyment of the book. It is a book that you can pick-up and read a particular tier’s contribution in isolation. That is something that has always attracted me to books of short stories.
Flytyers of the World,Volume One, compiled and designed by Steve Thornton, is published in a limited edition of 1000 copies at £59.95. 208 pages, 303mm x 216mm.
Available from www.vempublishing.com