Fly tying as practiced today owes much to Charles Cotton, who in 1676 authored “Part II” of Isaac Walton’s classic The Compleat Angler. Cotton was not the first author to list artificial flies and describe how they are tied, but prior accounts were sketchy at best. Cotton gave detailed instructions on materials, tying methods, insects being imitated, and the best months for each fly’s use. Cotton’s flies are remarkably modern in appearance, being small, sparsely dressed, and neat in appearance. His meticulous approach began a rich literature of fly tying instruction that persists to the present day.