Farms and roadkill. that being said, one does not tie flies to save money, thats for sure. the best flies from the best materials are pricey. Congrats on the fishing, I'd love to spend a day at a place where one can get 30 fish on crow feathers, especially a big one like that.... Sounds almost too good to be true. First, find some patterns you want to tie. you don't need hackle to tie dry flies, other materials work too. What you need is some rabbit fur, chicken feathers, deer hair, fine metal wire, and a spool of black thread. then you need hooks and something to hold the hook (vice). for tools you need a bobbin for the thread and scissors to cut materials. This is all you need. more tools for more jobs make tying easier. more materials allows for variety. Like everything else, don't buy a POS if you plan on doing this for real. buy a decent vise, because eventually you will, just like everything else. There is no easy solution unless you get lucky and inherit an already existing collection of materials.
my solution is stop eating out and buying beer for a month. if tying and fishing is something you attach entertainment value to, substitute it for other things. I love how people whine about how much flies cost but spend 10 bucks on snacks and drinks. I don't rent movies, I don't spend 50 a month on cable, I tie flies. I attach a monetary value to this hobby, and I allow myself to spend some money each month on materials. I have chosen this as something my money is worth. think about what you spend money on. now think about why? now think about would you rather have fly tying stuff and the joy that goes with it? or a pile of crap you spent money on. People ask me how I can afford to fish so much. I ask them how they can afford going insane in an office building in front of a computer all day. Priority and perspective. Nothing in life is free, and the good stuff usually costs a bit more. But 9 times out of 10 its worth it.
Good luck getting into it. Its the best hobby I know of. When you get to a point where you are cranking out stuff like this, there is no limit to the amount of fun you can have.
