"Bob S" wrote

about fell over when I saw some of the prices for feathers


Bob,

It's unlikely you will follow this advice ... I certainly didn't and I don't
know a tier that has

BUT, it's damn good advice anyway so here goes ....

Do not buy anything until you have a real use for it, then buy the very best
quality of that particular material.

Real Use = a specific pattern that you KNOW you will actually use

Best Quality = you may need help here ... not all peacock, for instance, is
created equal ...certainly not all hackle .... if you have a fly shop you
trust ask for specific help such as " I want to tie up Adams dries in sizes
12 to 16, what hackle should I buy." The material they will hand you will
seem pricey, but trust me, NOTHING in fly tying costs more than poor
materials and nothing improves the hobby as much as good ones.

A few years from now, when you are wondering what to do with all the crap
you have purchased but don't really have a use for .... remember who tried
to help you avoid it G