The Spey and Dee patterns that originated in Scotland are among the oldest salmon flies, dating back more than 150 years. Since the 1970s, these classic designs have enjoyed a rebirth of popularity among salmon and steelhead anglers. "To many of us," Bob Veverka writes in Spey Flies, "these are the most elegant and graceful of all flies." His reverence for his subject comes through on every page of this extraordinary book. Pattern lovers will find much to enjoy here, including more than 160 dressings, but Spey Flies provides more than a collection of recipes. Veverka furnishes a detailed history of Spey and Dee patterns and their place in the literature of salmon fishing. The chapter on materials is perhaps the most exhaustive and useful treatment of salmon-fly ingredients yet written, loaded with insights gleaned from decades of tying. This chapter alone makes Spey Flies worth owning; its descriptions of salmon-fly materials will quickly become a standard reference for all those who tie salmon or steelhead flies.

Well known as a fly tier and fly fisherman, Bob Veverka has been fishing and teaching tying for over twenty years. He has designed Spey patterns such as the Purple Heart Spey, Scarlet Eagle, and Copper Heron. He lives in Underhill, Vermont.