Well stick with a few patterns that are easy to tie and are effective! Most of the flies I tie now, I tie from common materials - Hare Ear, Ringneck Pheasant, Soft hackles and some dubbing in the colors Grey, Black Olive yellow, I use nothing but white thread, and I have some ink markers to color as needed! Hooks well good hooks are not cheap and of course beads wire and glue round it out! Pick a dozen patterns that are effective for your waters and you will be surprised how little money you can spend! Or you can go broke tying every variation of flies that we have now a days! I like to go to sewing and craft stores - the last time I found some Utah Killer bug yarn! And when I was paying for it the lady said you are a fly fisherman? I said yep, what is the deal with this- the only people that buy this color are fly fisherman! I said Is a fly called the Utah Killer bug all it is is this tied on a hook, we use a pink or red thread and that it! The fish think its fresh water shrimp or sowbug! All I know is that its a go to thing for me on the West Branch when nothing else would work! Then I said there is a toy at the drug store that makes and interesting fly for the fall we call it the Squirminator ! The lady just shook her head and said thank you!
