I have used spaghetti beads and other oblong beads for building up bodies for a while. Cutting them to slip them over the hook is a pain but doable. I like them when tying shrimp patterns and other clear body jigs and flies. A clear bead in a pink or red with larva lace crocheted over it is a nice shrimp. Will post pics when I find them while unpacking.

What does everyone use for building up bodies without using a lot of regular tying materials?