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 Steelhead Fly Tying Guide. By H. Kent Helvie. Frank Amato Publications Inc. $24.95.
“So the writing of a book like this becomes a labor which transcends more than monetary gain. This book is a reflection of much time and love for the art of fly tying,” he writes. Well, it shows. Steelhead Fly Tying achieves everything that a good guide book should. With clear, concise instructions from Mr. Helvie, and excellent color pictures by Mark Kirchner, it takes you by the hand an leads you into the challenging world of tying beautiful patterns. Before getting to the instructions which are the heart of the book, Mr. Helvie writes about the history of steelhead flies in the West, discusses the styles of various tiers and discusses both traditional and modern materials. All of this is welcome and adds greatly to the value of the book. But its real worth comes in the instruction section, which starts with Mr. Helvie walking you through the creation of a simple hairwing steelhead pattern, the Black Prince. Mr. Kirchner’s photographs are invaluable in providing guidance. In some books you go cross eyed trying to figure out the steps required. But Helvie and Kirchner crystallize the process. The book is not for people who are just learning to tie, which is made clear by the lack of details on maneuvers that the author presumes you know. For example, the final step on the first pattern is simply: “Wind a fairly small head, whip finish it off and cement.” Getting to the stage where you can whip finish a small head takes some time. But if you can do that already, get a copy of Steelhead Fly Tying Guide, and start cracking off the beautiful patterns described by Mr. Helvie. Your fly box will be glad you did. And so will your friends. Steelhead Water. By Bob Arnold. Frank Amato Publications. $24.95.
Mr. Arnold is described on the dust jacket as “a determined fly fisher who has maintained a camp on the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River for more than thirty years.” Mr. Arnold brings both the river and the culture of fly fishing to life as he searches for steelhead with doggedness and great skill. Steelhead Water has lots of good fish in it, good streamside companions (and some bad ones) and a lot of solid information about flyfishing. The author comes across as someone you’d find yourself fortunate to meet streamside, and who you could learn a lot from, just by watching him at work. His love of steelhead fishing shines throughout. As in this brief passage about pushing for one more fish, as darkness falls: “Having but ten minutes left in which to hook a fish is exciting to me. I like the challenge of compressed time and the narrow window of opportunity provided by the rush of night. My concentration is twice what it ordinarily is. . .And if I am lucky and I hook a steelhead I will play it as though my life depended on it, even if it is to be released. September is drawing near and the fishing for the wild fish will end when a freshet moves them up Deer Creek. Each fish may be my last of the season. If so I want to remember it in detail for the long nights - and perhaps the years - ahead.” Reading Steelhead Water isn’t as good as wading deep, trying to catch your own fish, but it’s a pretty good substitute on a cold winter’s night.
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In his acknowledgements, author Ken Helvie notes that he spent so much time working on this exceptional book that it relegated him to what seemed like less than a minimum wage job. But he stuck with it, because of the support of his wife, Renee, his friends, and his publisher.
When you take fine writing, mix it with deep knowledge of steelhead fishing and add a wry sense of humour, you’ve got the making of a great book. Bob Arnold produces just that in Steelhead Water, which is both entertaining and informative.
