4 great places to find bargains on fly tying materials

#1 Dollar stores

If you open your mind to the possibilities, almost every aisle of a dollar store offers materials at rock-bottom prices. In the crafting section, I’ve bought bags of marabou, pheasant, peacock and saddle feathers. It’s rarely top quality, but it’s good enough for many streamers and wet flies. Even if only half the feathers in a package are usable, you’re still ahead. I’ve also found glass beads for nymphs, googly eyes for big poppers and cheap yarn that would be itchy in a sweater but works great for wet-fly bodies.

From the hardware aisle, I’ve bought fine wire for ribbing and cheap bungee cords—strip ’em apart and you’ve got thin rubber strands for wiggly legs. I also use dollar-store nail polish for head cement and for painting eyes on large flies.