The salmon fly tier should brace oneself for the advent of Ken Sawada's new book. "The Art of the Classic Salmon Fly" is a phantasmagoria of color and feathers unparalleled in the annals of salmon book publishing. Published in Japan and measuring 14.5" x 10.5" with over five hundred photographs of both classic and original patterns, Sawada's herculean effort will require several sittings to absorb.

The book is divided into three sections. The first section entitled "Applause to the Salmon Fly", boasts Sawada's own original patterns; the second and third sections encompass classic salmon flies by Blacker, Ephemera, Francis, Kelson, Hale, Pryce-Tannatt and Hardy.

Such original patterns as the "Unmarried Angel" and "Triumph" are nothing short of brilliant. For example, in the "Unmarried Angle" Sawada employs four or five strands of Lady Amherst tail and goose in between each of the five toppings to create a deliciously ethereal wing. His sense of color and design is impeccable. "Triumph" is exquisite because it initially deceives the eye when the top portion of the hackling that appears at each herl butt division has been cleverly substituted with married goose fibers of the same color. While there are no dressings given for any of the patterns, the neophyte as well as the advanced tier will be able to learn a number of new esthetic techniques.

There are times when Sawada falters by the very sense of purpose of flattering our eyes. The large reproductions of his flies magnify the smallest of tying infractions, subjecting Sawada's flies to a scrutiny that was certainly not intended. While I must confess my bias for tapered bodies, Sawada rarely employs them and lacks proficiency when he does. In a number of instances, his first turn of tinsel at the tag shows its origin and the wing falls below the shank of the hook at its head. His silk floss body requires a good deal more work and, at times, I wondered whether he rushed his work to meet his publisher's deadline (curiously his copyright date is 1989 though the book was issued in April/May of 1990).

Most purists forget that Kelson advocated the creative use of new materials never before used. And. while one may rightfully argue that each new Jock Scott can invoke a new creative twist, it is the uncharted territory of working with new materials that opens new creative vistas. Thus I applaud Ken Sawada for including his forty-two original patterns in a book with a title that includes the word "classic".

"The Art of the Classic Salmon Fly" is a visual feast and a reference of both classic and original salmon flies, superbly photographed, that one may consult before tying a previously untried pattern and, despite it's minor shortcomings, it is a monumentally successful effort that should be included in every serious salmon fly tier's collection.