Joseph D. Bates (1903–1988)

Mr. Bates has created a massive work about streamers and how to fish them. He is very informative and comprehensive for the time period in which it was written. Although the patterns described may be tied with newer materials that will work as well or sometimes even better, credit must be given for the historical significance of this book. Not only does the author strive to give you the correct dressing for a streamer, he also to the best of his ability has researched and recorded who show more designed the streamer. This is information that is so easily lost, with the amount of dressings now available to the fly tier, this type of information is sometimes forgotten. Besides being a book about streamers it is also a historical record that needed too be done, thank you Mr. Bates! show less

This IS the history of the Atlantic Salmon Fly, an incredible masterwork of research and dedication. You can tell that other than a woman somewhere this book and its subject is "The love of His Life". I've never seen the like and wish to thank the author for this gift.