I am looking for suggestions for a present of around 40 flies that will give a newcomer a wide choice (pro rata) as they are not sure exactly what they want to go for.

Or would a gift voucher be better ?

I'd go for the gift voucher.

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How poor a thing, sometimes I find,
Will captivate a greedy mind - Isaac Walton.

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*****©(

I'd get the flies online, it'll work out cheaper. you can get selections for all eventualities, but imo half of these flies would never be used.

I'd go for:

Dries
March Brown, Greenwell Glory, whickam's fancy, sherry spinner, mayfly, daddy, sedge

Nymphs
GRHE, Montana, damsel, stalking bug, PTN

Lure
Tadpole, dancers, cat's whisker, nobbler, marabou damsels.

That should start you off ok.

Gift voucher

You could get quite a few of the Essential Bundles from The Essential Fly
at the moment as they have a 20% Off sale on

Essential Fly Bundles

__________________
Allan
Only dead fish go with the flow.

"Dries
March Brown, Greenwell Glory, whickam's fancy, sherry spinner, mayfly, daddy, sedge"

It is a source of great joy to me that a 200-odd year old pattern such as the March Brown can catch fish in any corner of Europe - I took a fine rainbow on one here yesterday (an even bigger one which liked the French Partridge Mayfly so much it took it with it - just seconds before I got it into the net).

Wickhams Fancy - took (and lost) some smaller ones yesterday on it. I first bought that fly because we were reading Pride and Prejudice in school.
My greatest sucesses in Greece were with a Cahill Light, the maiden name of a good friend of mine but Greenwells Glory, always struck me as to prissy, I have some but never use them.

I look at the fly boxes of local buddies with their pink fur and luminescent tails and think "peasants"

try flies24-7.com great offers,suit a rookie. Good choice and at the right price and the flies are superb with a very fast delivery service