The high cost and getting higher of fly tying materials, hooks, etc

[flytier07]

Here in the united kingdom it,s really getting expensive to buy fly tying supplies as the costs keep spiralling out of control. If one is a pensioner like me or not loaded (like the majority of people here I would think) then one has to shop around to find a good bargain and flea- bay(ebay) which once was good value is now even more expensive unless one can afford to buy in bulk. Are there any forumites who know where one might buy materials that don,t cost the earth? In my early days I used Herter,s of Waseca a lot, but they,re now on ebay and I refuse to use flea-bay. Thank You

[rizeye]

look at 2 of the sponsors on this site: Hook & Hackle and Conranch Hackle

http://store.hookhack.com/
http://www.conranch.com/

[ScottP]

I'm sure a good part of the hit you take in ordering materials on this side of the pond comes in shipping and there's probably not much that can be done about that. I fish mostly dries in fresh water and for a lot of my flies, caddis and hoppers/terrestrials in particular, I look to alternate, inexpensive sources to provide/assist floatation like cdc and foam in addition to or in lieu of hackle. Doesn't work in all cases, especially for a lot of the mayflies (couldn't tie a decent Sparkle Dun if you held a gun to my head) I tie, but it does help cut down on cost and fish don't seem to care. I was fortunate to get a lot of my hackle from the bargain bins at shops and shows so my supply will probably outlive me; still think the best bargains are the Whiting 100 packs (or similar products). I've had a lot of good luck finding stuff on EBay; sorry you haven't had the same.

Regards,
Scott