re: Anyone do any fly tying?

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Videos are great, but you will learn faster if you have someone to watch and help you.

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I had a buddy show me the most basic stuff like getting thread on the hook, whip finishing, ect...

The rest has been youtube vids. OP, if you want flies for trout check out Tightline Productions on vimeo. This video just came out a month or two ago and I love it : March Sampler.. I could watch that one all day but it's not a tying instruction video.

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Buy the materials you need, not a kit

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Agree here - I almost bought a kit but my fishing bud convinced me otherwise and I'm glad he did. I look at what I have now vs those kits and I would have had a bunch of crap I never used.

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I scrounge for lots of mine.

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Yep. Birds I shoot in the fall are good for feathers. There's a gamefarm near here that raises pheasants and I just drop by there for pheasant tails. Never scrounged for dubbing material though. Also some feather packs you have to buy (like if you wanted Hungarian partridge) unless you're doing some oddball hunting.

For some flies where I'm not concerned about bulkiness I just use regular thread - lot of times you can get good deals on thread at Jo-Anns and other craft stores. I bought a lot of beads and 32ga. brass wire spools from there too. For flies that require a smoother profile or I need a lot more strength in the thread then IMO using GSP (gel spun polyethylene) is the only way to go - it is more expensive though.

Make sure and find Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails nail polish. It's clear and works just as well as any head cement.

Your SO may give you funny looks when you start shopping with her at the craft store but you can def. get some good deals.