Here in calgary, the big box stores only order once a year, every febuary so they pretty much have jack come summer.

The fly shop i go to orders materials twice a year, and they call me when they get an order. They also always seem to have plenty of hackle in all grades, and colors, personlly i use furnace and grizzly for all my flies and still catch a ton of fish (I dont tie a fly just cause i want to, i want to be able to fish it, but i do admire people that tie those fancy ones). I also find that my fly shop will order anything you like at any time of year, weather its a pack of hooks or some Chenille, or a 200 dollar order they will always get it in. However they cant just order hackle, they mostly get whiting, there supplier calls them when they have it and they order what they can get.

Just my experiance in calgary.

Nick