I have one word for you MCGINTY . When I was a kid every assortment had a McGinty in it (a bee pattern). Obviously they work for some people, but not for me. When my son started flyfishing (25 years after I started, I gave him a mcginty) OldFrat hit it on the head, buy the flies you need for that day and eventually you will have a year round collection. As the other posters noted, a good fly shop should have better quality flies. I judge the quality by how they hold up. Many of the big box stores sell Jackson Cardinal flies, which look just as good, I just do not feel they are as durable. We have a place Sportsmen's Warehouse that sells discounted flies because they buy the seconds that the fly mfr's cannot sell to the small specialty shops. Not for all their flies, but many of them. I am not making any value judgements on how you or anyone else purchases flies, I am just relaying some info that may help you make your decisions. Good luck, and I agree with others that your posts are well thought out and I enjoy trying to help when I think I can.