Tying Bob Quigley's Signature Flies
Author: Bob Quigley
Review ©2006 by Tom Chandler
A nice combination of excellent production values and one of fly fishing's most innovative fly tiers...
If you've never heard of the Quigley Cripple, then it's time to clear out the earwax. The Quigley Cripple has become a go-to fly for many of us (half dry, half nymph, all killer), and if I had to approach a hatch on technical water with only one fly, the Quigley Cripple would be it.
Bob Quigley is an innovative West Coast fly tier who has pioneered some of the most-copied flies to ever see the surface film. In fact, look closely at many other "cripple" patterns - some of which have been even been named after their originators - and you'll see Quigley's pattern staring back at you. (It's a pet peeve, but one that probably doesn't need to be rehashed here.)
This DVD covers nine different patterns (though if you vary the colors and sizes, you can cover almost any hatch). Right on your screen, Quigley ties a Green Drake Cripple, an Olive Quill PMD, Sparkle Dun BWO, Loopwing Blood Midge, HexX Cripple, Extended Body Callibaetis, Little Yellow Stone Fly, Spider Crane and PMD Crippled Nymph.
One critique; the names of the patterns aren't very descriptive. For example, his Sparkle Dun BWO is a more sophisticated pattern than the Sparkle Dun that most of us know, and his other pattern names don't always clearly suggest the flies themselves. As you might expect, his original "cripple" flies and his newer "hackle stacker" concepts are both heavily represented among these patterns.
The photography is focused and nicely lit; you see the flies being tied with enough clarity to repeat the techniques yourself (another pet peeve), and Quigley's explanations are clear and lucid.
A word of warning: this DVD is not for beginners. Quigley assumes that you already know the basics, but still neatly explains the steps. Even an intermediate could tie these patterns without the need to play the thing back a few dozen times (do you hear another pet peeve in there?). A bonus for those of us who tie slows at a glacial pace is that Quigley's flies are designed to be tied en masse; no "two fly an hour" patterns clutter this DVD, but then again, Quigley still ties commercially, so it's hardly a surprise.
Bob Quigley evolved many of these patterns while living on California's Fall River - a tough, buggy spring creek and an ideal laboratory. (Honey, in the interest of science, can we move to Fall River?) Included on the DVD is some heart-rending footage of big Fall River fish picking off flies during heavy hatches, and at the start of each segment, they show excellent footage of the finished fly drifting in the surface film of an aquarium. A nice touch.
Since god has gifted me with two opposable thumbs, I'm pointing them both up for this DVD. A great effort from one of the most innovative fly tiers.
Tying Bob Quigley's Signature Flies
Bob Quigley
DVD and VHS, 90 minutes ($44.95 and $29.95)
Pegaus Video
http://pegasusvideo.net/ordervideo.htm