This column is proposed as a book assessment forum about existing literature concerning classic Atlantic salmon flies: i.e., a sort of buyer's guide for the novice and professional fly dresser. As a forum, this column is meant to be passed on from one contributor to another and it should be utilized in any way to suit one's interests, while deploying all efforts to remain as objective as possible (this I found to be almost impossible!). Its survival will depend solely upon your future participation as a critic.

Therefore, as the opening contributor, I have an easy task in choosing not one but two books to review which will most probably, though not exclusively, interest the novice fly dresser and Classic salmon fly lover.

These books can be considered as being very useful as entry level literature because of their availability and of their decent price. Also, they both provide numerous Classic salmon fly descriptions, quality photographs and historical information about the flies and their originators.

These books contain very little explicit dressing instructions. As such I would not recommend them as your first and foremost investment when initially starting a Classic fly library. Those who are seeking tying instructions for a smooth transition from tying hairwing salmon flies to tying the fully-dressed flies will have to look elsewhere. Yet, the two books presented here are serious complements to a budgeted library because from them one can adequately sample 19th and 20th century authors on the subject. As you will see, the authors of these two books have presented the history of Classic salmon flies quite differently.

Frodin, Mikael, Classic Salmon Flies: History and Patterns, South Hackensack, New Jersey, Stoeger Publishing Co., 1992, 200 pages.
Soft cover. ISBN 0-88317-163-5
Suggested retail price: $19.95

This book is a catalogue of 165 known Classic salmon fly patterns photographed in color and presented in alphabetical order. Each pattern is listed as per their originator's dressing (Kelson, Francis, Blacker, Pryce-Tannatt, etc.). The easy-to-consult format of the book makes it a no-nonsense tool and quick reference: one pattern per page with the fly illustrated as a close-up color photograph along with the originator's credentials and historical background.

It is possible that some purists and rare book collectors may shun this type of book because it does not quite have the same distinction, character and charm of the older books. However, for the apprentice dresser, it provides an opportunity to catch a glimpse of these Classic flies and to access information often found only in the rarer books. This is reinforced by the fact that Frodin claims several patterns included in the book have never before been illustrated.

In my opinion the high point of the book is reached when Frodin details all the "official" variations of a particular pattern whenever there is a lack of universal agreement amongst the old British masters about the original and "true" ingredients of that pattern. Some advanced Classic fly dressers will probably want to have a look at the photos of the flies (all of which were tied by Frodin) in order to appreciate his personal dressing style and to sample the merits of a Scandinavian artist. However, the quality of certain pictures (a small portion of the lot) may be disappointing to discerning readers because there seems to be insufficient lighting coming from the observer's point of view which, in some cases, dims and dulls the plumage's brilliance which in turn does not pay proper justice to the tyer's work.

Nevertheless, I think this book will be a worthwhile investment for use at the tying bench.

Bates, Joseph D. Jr., The Art of the Atlantic Salmon Fly. Boston, Mass., David R. Godine Publishers, Inc., 1987. 232 pages.
Hard cover. ISBN 0-87923-674-4.
Suggested retail price: $65.00.

The late Joseph D. Bates Jr. was indisputably a modern angling authority. Just mention his name on almost any North American salmon river and you will find people able to quote word for word from his books. These words are gospel to some fly fishers and, as such, are to be abided by. The same could only be said of one or maybe two other authors.

Unfortunately, this, his last book, does not seem to have been met with the same enthusiasm and circulation from either the angling crowd or the fly tying community, at least that is what I have witnessed locally. A possible explanation is that the book does not have the same mass appeal in the sense that its topic may be too specific and specialized for the practical and utilitarian interests of the majority of his previous following.

Yet, this book still has a place in a Classic fly dresser's library. This compilation of the salmon fly's history puts the fly patterns, the fly styles and their originators in the proper perspective of time and place in relation to each other. This allows the novice to sort out who's who and to evaluate, to a certain extent, the Masters' artistic contributions.

For some connoiseurs and collectors, this summerizing of the past may seem a trivial exercise, but for the novice, whose enthusiasm is not always equalled by the size of his or her investment portfolio, it supplies him or her with the "big picture" and a better understanding of the fly's history. In a way, you could call this book a "substitute" to the real thing.

The Art of the Atlantic Salmon Fly is presented in the traditional fashion and format of the British Masters. It contains over 75 patterns with the original ingredient listings and 23 color photo plates illustrating over 300 flies. Worthy of mention is the fact that the author suggests and lists decent substitutes for hard-to-find materials and ingredients. The book takes us through time from the early beginnings of salmon fly tying to the second half of the 20th century. He writes of the slow decline of the fully dressed flies, the rise of the hairwings and he seems to end on a note of encouragement in describing the resurgence of the fully-dressed flies.

At one point in the book, Colonel Bates debates the concepts of "art form" and "fine art" to describe Classic fly dressing. He uses the following lexicon in describing the "state of the art" in Classic dressing:

- Main schools of thought, traditionalists
- Trends, creative movements and influences
- Novices, masters, talents, genius, authorities
- Controversy, criticism
- Artists, collectors and museums.

This "vocabulary" is definitely associated with today's fine art scene!

In my opinion, Colonel Bates' tribute to the Classics in the form of this book is a consecration of Classic fly dressing as a fine art. If you prefer a moderate phrasing, this book provides a relevant testimony depicting Classic fly dressing's historical background and heritage along with the necessary data and credentials to allow Classic salmon fly dressers to contend for and claim as their own the title of Artist.

So, who will be the next "critic"? How about telling us novice and veteran fly dressers which should be the first and foremost book to acquire in order to make the transition from hairwing salmon flies to the fully dressed Classics. I would also be interested in comments or rebuttals to this column.