Let me add that you will or already have inadvertently discovered that top quality dry fly necks aren't the only thing you need to be selective about...
…cheap is NOT always better!!
Many beginning or intermediate tiers think that just because a material is inexpensive or plentiful, it is all the same. That is FAR from the truth. A lot of pre-packaged stuff is about 50% useable. Even the quality of cheap stiff like marabou, peacock herl, wing feathers or “strung” feathers can vary widely and lousy quality stuff is always harder to work with so you waste more.
Many years ago, I got frustrated at the quality of dyed paired wing feathers I was finding in fly shops to use on classic wet flies. I hooked up with Don Bastian, a legendary classic wet fly tier who also sells materials. I ordered from him and he picked out the feathers for me…
It was a night & day difference in quality WITHOUT a significant increase in cost.
I also had a similar arrangement with the late great Chris Helm who was a master working with deer hair and other natural hairs. I’d call Chris, mention the flies I was tying, the problems I was having and I had Chris pick out the packaged hair. As a result, I got great quality stuff that is SO much easier to work with than the junk I was buying in the fly shop.
Moreover, thank heaven for Bugger Packs and other wet fly and soft hackle products from Whiting Farms. Sure, it costs more than a lot of the generic cookie cutter packaged crapola in the fly shops, but it is worth every penny IMHO because I get MORE flies per-package.
Bottom line, it isn’t easy to find a fly tying supplier who is staffed by someone with the fly tying knowledge, experience and credibility to choose materials for you or someone who packages their own stuff, but at minimum…
…if you buy some packaged stuff that frustrates you, don’t always blame yourself or inexperience for the problems. And while you are at it, try other “brands” of materials and look for another source.
