The Nelson Table is named after the originator of the concept, Dick Nelson, who is the namesake of the Dick Nelson Fly Tying Teaching Award and was the 1987 Buszek Award winner. The purpose of the table is to help a tying class instructor analyze a set of fly patterns in terms of:

(1) The skills each pattern

(a) requires
(b) teaches

(2) How well the patterns

(a) reinforce
(b) build on the previous skills learned, and

(3) If a full range of fly tying techniques is covered.

This tool's analysis capability is not perfect, and its usefulness partly depends on the skill with which it is built. However imperfect it is, it is still another tool in a fly instructor's toolbox that can help them develop a great selection of flies for a class. The exact flies chosen depends on many other factors: the class's location in the country, the student's skill level, the tastes and talents of the instructor, etc. This tool is presented to you for your consideration in the hope that it will help you make a better choice of patterns.