Doug , nice to know youth are interested, The vacume cleaner,dryer and get on your bike and check out fresh rode kills.
Email me your Addy and I’ll send ya a package.
phil Roderick
Hey just to let people know my name is MIKE, Doug is the writer of the quote!!
The most inventive flies I have ever made where when I was your age. I didn’t have too much stuff either. I looked at the bugs and I looked at the suff I had or could afford. The combination of creativity and minimal materials can really bring out the best in ya.
And the fish don’t care.
Except for grizzly hackle. There is no substitute for grizzly hackle. Get a relatively good griz neck. My first one lasted me 12 years.
There is a fine line between fly fishing and standing in a river waving a stick, and YOU SIR have crossed that line!
I don’t use roadkill but alot of people do.
You should do some research about doing that first,ie; safe handling…disease etc.
curing hides…etc. Someone from FAOL should be able to help you.
Thanks!
Kahuna
I agree with Daniel J!!
Think outside the box…don’t worry about coloring in the lines when you tie!!
Kahuna
Happened to see a hellgramite pattern the other day…black electrician’s tape folded sticky side to sticky side was used as a full length wing case…could be used in otherways too.
Could you tell us where to find the pattern??
Thanks!!
Kahuna,
Darn…it was just a day or two but I can’t seem to find the reference…thought I saw it in my old files but no…must have seen it on a web site I was scrolling through…I’ll keep an eye out.
It was just an extra long pretty generic looking nymph pattern with the tape over the entire length and ribbed over it…the tape segmented nicely.
Send me an email and I will ship you some stuff. Also, see if there is a local FFF or TU club that has tying seminars at their meetings. Most of those guys would be very helpful to a young tyer.
you can tie flies with these:
/sewing thread for bodies (should be some in the house somewhere)
/buy one spool of fly tying thread for the fly head - black, brown, olive, or red.
/pet fur or found feather for tail and wing of fly.
Welcome to this beautiful world of flyfishing.
“Give me ambiguity or give me something else”
I didn’t see it anywhere and I am sure this is not the original discovery, but try everything associated inside and outside stuffed animals. Also see if there are any old feather pillows lying around.
Good luck
Steve (Rookie)
During this fun trip that you are embarking on, enjoy the search and the ride. 
Be aware, too, that SOME materials, not made specifically for tying, may not be color-fast and may bleed some. Nothing fatal, but it can be a nusiance.
…lee s.
My suggestion would be to try some “no hackle” creations.
I have had luck with buying those yarn skeins in multiple colors. There is one that has red, blue, green, yellow, and orange’ish. There is another one that has sort of cammo colors: black, olive, tan brown. Then I bought a grey skein.
Synthetic yarn is fun stuff. Pull it apart, comb it out with a piece of velcro. Use it as body material for flies (those really really ancient flies used lots of yarn and wool for body material).
THEN… get some of that flat packing foam sheeting stuff. It’s kinda like bubbly paper that they wrap things in. It can be found in packages, the trash, at the UPS store or the packing section of “a store”. It makes good wings and it kinda floats.
There is a fine line between fly fishing and standing in a river waving a stick, and YOU SIR have crossed that line!
I never thought of vacuum lint for materials. How about dryer lint? Everytime I wash and dry the throw rugs, there is always a ton of lint in the filter…
Diane
Couldn’t agree more about the dryer lint. Makes a great dubbing material. Pet hair is a great idea too. It kind of gives things a personal touch. Also check with your science teacher at school. Often times they have old pieces of fur that were used in old lesson plans that are just sitting around and of no use any more. I am a custodian at a middle school and that is how I got a bunch of white rabbit fur. It was in the trash. Hope this helps.
Reading the school post reminds me of the last performance one of my kids was in. They had various props, including feather boas. There were all colors of loose feathers under the risers from the morning practice…and since I got there early to get a good seat for the video, I spent about 15 minutes picking up black, blue, pink, orange, green, red, yellow, purple, and white feathers.
One of the parents mentioned how nice I was cleaning up for the play. I smiled back, said it was for my flies at home.
Eyes got big, “You raise flies?? For reptiles—?”
I could barely answer because I was laughing and explained I tie them. It was clear I was not talking to a fisherman by the next expression. I’m sure there were stories in that house that night about a crazy woman breeding flies and then tying them together for some insane ritual.