The Feather Bender's Flytying Techniques

A comprehensive, lavishly illustrated guide to tying popular trout flies.

This book is aimed at all fly tyers, from those with modest experience to those with more advanced skills. The author’s intention is to focus on certain important elementary techniques, and then share some of his favorite contemporary twists on old, tried-and-true techniques. Many of the flies in this book are based in his own techniques and patterns, ones that he has developed in more than thirty-five years of tying.
 
The book is arranged in sections to give readers the opportunity to easily locate the pattern or technique they are looking for. Patterns are not grouped alphabetically, but by technique. For example, the section on dry flies has categories demonstrating a particular dry fly style or technique such as mastering the use of deer hair, parachute, CDC, and so on.
 
If you are fairly new to fly tying, the opening chapters on materials and special techniques and tricks will familiarize you with some basics and help you get started. Seasoned tyers will similarly find information here to help them raise their tying skills to a new level.
 
Each pattern is listed with a recipe, recommended hook style, size, and materials. They are listed in the order that that author uses them, and illustrated by the book’s step-by-step images. This will help you plan each pattern and assemble materials your beforehand.
 
Included are lushly illustrated photos for such well-known trout flies as:
 

• Pheasant tail nymph
• Klinkhamer
• Humpy
• Deer Hair Irresistible
• CDC Mayfly Spinner
• And much more.

 
A special feature of this one-of-a-kind books is that its the first tying book to have a video link for all the patterns featured. Watch the author tying online, then turn to the matching chapter in the book to follow the step-by-step instructions so that you can tie your own fly in your own time. Author Barry Ord Clarke will respond online to your questions.

Barry Ord Clarke is an English-born fly tyer, photographer, and writer who has won multiple awards for his exquisite fly tying. In 2016 he won the prestigious Claudio D’Angelo Award for Best International Fly Tyer, which he won at SIM Fly Festival. He has written a number of books on fly tying, including The International Guide to Fly-Tying Materials and Flies for Pike. He lives in Norway.
 

Flyfishing and Flytying magazine Oct 2019

A big handsome book, quality printing and paper, loads of colour photographs. The book is nicely laid out, a preamble through ‘How to use this book’, tips and tricks, materials etc. Then into the flies, each pattern illustrated with stage by stage pictures of the fly being tied. And each fly comes with a Youtube code to that same fly being tied as a video. I can’t recall another project like this crossing my desk. His flies are carefully planned and executed with taste. Having both stills and video works surprisingly well, I tend to watch the video and tie to the stills. The tying is both straightforward and at times quite technically challenging… modern tying explained and demonstrated in an exceptionally approachable way. A third and distinct aspect of this project… I have access to the author through his Youtube channel, so if I really need to know something, I can ask him. This is the sort of access to the author is exceptional. Highly recommended.

Flydresser magazine, October 2019 issue

This book has been long awaited. Barry is a talented photographer and each of the flies is clearly illustrated in a step by step format. However, the most innovative aspect of this volume is that they all have a. QR code and by simply scanning this with your phone, you have the video of the fly being tied by Barry. This is the first book that links print and digital media in this way. For anyone who follows thefeatherbender.com Barry’s regular blog and flytying videos on YouTube, this book is an essential addition. For those who don’t know Barry’s work, this would be a great introduction to someone who I consider to be amongst the world’s best modern fly tyers.

Orvis September 2019

With a mission to explain, Barry’s book doesn’t focus on flies to tie for the sake of tying, but rather those we use day in, day out – the Klinkhamer, Pheasant Tail Nymph, and Midge, to name three of his 28. Naturally he has his own take on each, but in addition to the beautiful photographs, Barry has enlisted modern technology. Use your mobile phone to scan the QR code on the relevant page and up will pop a video showing Barry tying the very pattern.

Today’s Flyfisher Winter 2019

World class fly tyer Barry Ord Clarke has put together a superb and unique fly tying book which brings the traditional hard back book into the 21st century by linking to modern day technology. This is a ground-breaking book where you can follow the tying sequences for the patterns shown in the book by using the QR code or YouTube link to follow online! This publication is pure quality – a well thought-out tying book with 28 excellent patterns. And if that isn’t enough there is an online link to Barry if you run into any problems when tying the flies! What more can you ask for!