During the course of his research into Roger Woolley’s life and work for Angling with the Fly, John Watson was introduced to relatives of Roger Woolley, who had in their possession original documents and fly cases. They were kind enough to allow John to examine these in the course of preparing his work. On seeing the collection of flies it was evident they were not familiar patterns and, as far as could be ascertained, had never been recorded. With the consent of the owners, John Watson set about the task of recording these patterns, together with details of Roger Woolley’s literary and angling life.

Using a hook gauge from the frontispiece of Woolley’s book Modern Trout Fly Dressing to assess the size of the hooks, a two inch diameter 5x magnification lens, forceps to handle the flies and a dissecting needle to probe the structure and materials used in each dressing, he set about the arduous task of making an analysis of the flies and recording an accurate description of the collection. Patterns range from tiny midges to a huge salmon fly, and a selection of older mayfly patterns; dates are unknown but many of the dressings and attachments appear to have been made earlier in Woolley’s career rather than later. There is speculation that they may have been personal favourites, good sellers or successful patterns retained for certain clients. Whatever the reason, they provide an illuminating insight into the work of one of the twentieth century’s most highly respected professional fly-dressers, known for both its quality and innovation.

John Watson’s research has resulted in an informative and detailed book. He has rescued from the threat of obscurity information which will be of immense interest, and practical use, to all fly-fishers and fly-tiers looking to develop their own skills in the pursuit of their chosen sport. Included in the book will be full colour plates of fly dressings tied for the edition, and photographed in fine detail by Terry Griffiths, plus specially commissioned watercolour illustrations.