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Fly box Organization and other issues

2K views 21 replies 19 participants last post by  ChrisW 
#1 ·
I am some what a newbie to fly fishing. I am curious as to how others organize there fly boxes. Do you have a box for what ever you are targeting such as saltwater salmon, saltwater SRC, River salmon, river steelhead, river/stream trout, lakes etc.? Or do you just organize them by type and have a box for saltwater, Dries, nymph, streamers, etc.? What type and what size box do you use? What type of box do you take out with you? Do you transfer from the large box to something smaller just for the day's use?

This is a great site. I have been lurking around for sometime. I don't always agree with everything that is said but I always learn something. Where to fish, flies to use, where the hot spots are, where the best fly shops are, referances for a good guide on a foriegn water, etc. (Who says that an old dog can't learn new tricks.)

I hope that this site continues in this tradition. Keep up the good work Chris :THUMBSUP
 
#3 ·
Thanks for a post that forces thinking of tying and fishing.

I like the large box transfer method - simply because I tie my own flies and can look at one of those 11x17" boxes packed full of winter steelhead flies or candle fish imitations and see what I created. Also good to label weighted versus non weighted in the little compartments - not as easy in a smaller box (i.e lid side is weighted). When I know what species I plan to taget I get an empty box(s) and stuff it full. It's damn satisfying.

Keep you salt boxes for salt flies though - one hook with salt/rust can take the whole box out, or accumulated salt from splashes, wet hands etc can attack non salt hooks fast. Never put used flies back in your box without rinsing in fresh water and drying thoroughly.

Ziploc sandwich bags are great to cary spares too - make up a box to last a day that will give you access to the flies you think you will use, but carry spares of flies you know you might loose more of(weighted etc). Easy to stuff in pockets.

Box size depends on fly size and duration of your trip. I use the 4x8 size typically since I don't trout fish yet and my flies are larger. But, if it's just a morning and I'm going light, I'll fill a 4x5 box instead.

jim
 
#4 ·
Please remember that this is just what I do. It is not what you or anyone else should do. So here goes:
1. A box of dry flies, all sizes, except no steelhead flies.
2. A box of midges, size 18 to 28, mostly Griffith's gnats and chironomids.
3. Two boxes of pretty good stuff. I got your mayflies, caddis, dragonflies, water boatmen, damselflies, ants, and all manner of crazy bugs in one box. The other is full of chironomids and other nymphs.
4. I have a beautiful Wheatly fly box that I paid about $35 for and it is my pride and joy. Only my very best flies get to ride in here.
And should I stumble on a fish or two and somebody asks what I'm using, I ask that they wait a minute. And then I find another fly like the one I have, and I put it in the Wheatly. I motion them over to me and present my fly in the Wheat. I tell them to take it, and I refuse any compensation. I always caution them that should anyone else ask for the name of the fly he's using, I don't want to hear something like,"Oh, it's ah sorta brown like." Show him the fly. And if he doesn't have one, snip yours off and give it to him.
It's sort of like C&R, you get all big about yourself.
5, One box of pretty fancy steelhead stuff, including drys. No hot colors here, except maybe a tad here and there.
6. Another box of pure hot stuff, pinks, orange, red, purple, lots of flash. I'm semi-ashamed of this box but it can be deadly.

I spend a lot of time fussing with my boxes and have been known to stare at them for hours, admiring my work and the work of others.
There are bunches of things that are fun when it comes to fishing.
And flyboxing is certaintly one of them. Have fun :THUMBSUP
 
#5 ·
This is a great post! I am new to the sport, but my advice is water tight and something that floats! I got very lucky on my first float on my pontoon boat...my metal cabelas box with little spring clip doors (given to me by my wife) fell out of my vest when I leaned over for something...next two minutes I am rowing like hell to catch up with it before it sinks! Lessons learned - zip up zippers!, buy water tight boxes, and boxes that float! A box full of wet soggy flies is no fun!

On a completely seperate note...remote entry keys for cars...put them in a zip lock and in your pant pocket - NOT IN TOP OF WADERS! Nothing like be stranded out in the boonies with a car that won't open because of a soggy clicker! Girlfriends and wives love this manuver!

:pROFESSOR
 
#6 ·
I organize my boxes by the trip, then by the type.

I have lake fishing in one set of boxes; my steelehad, salmon and SRC patterns in another, salt water patterns in yet another, and trout stream flies in even another set.

Now, some boxes cross over: the box of buggers and leaches move between lake, stream and steelhead. The box of small dries moves between lake and stream. The box of steelhead dries moves between lake (for BC travelling sedge hatches) and steelhead.

I really like the little $2 divided plastic boxes for my buggers, saltwater streamers, dries and shrimp/scud patterns. I like the big Fox Boxes for my steelhead wet flies. I also have a threader box for my small dries (gnats and such) as I am blind and it gets worse on evening hatches.

And I have one more set of boxes that are 11x17 in size for fishing on boats in Mexico and places south.

The other secret I use is to paint the heads of my weighted flies with nail polish to make it obvious.

Rob
---------
Genetic pollution damages wild
stocks, bonk those Hatchery Zombies!
 
#7 ·
What do I know---I'm just an old man

If I had any thing that was neat I'd be beside myself. I carry 5 fly boxes with me and none of them are neat. In fact the back of my car looks like a cyclone went thru. Also my tying bench looks the same. I tried to be neat one time but that wasn't any fun. I couldn't find anything. I keep drys in two,wets and nymphs in one(don't have many of these),woolybuggers and other assorted one in two others. I also carry those little film containers with flies in them. I think that I carry too many flies. I don't think that I will ever use them all but you never know.

Jim
 
#8 ·
One medium box for Trout: Dries,streamers,chronies,etc.
One bigger box for Steelhead: Dries,streamers,nymphs,etc.
S.A. Blue Plastic Fly boxes w/ hard foam inside are a real good deal.
Drill holes if you want venting.
Plain and simple. No need for fancy 50.00 fly boxes,etc.



"Follow Me and I will make you fishers of Men"
Matthew 4:19
 
#10 ·
For salmon/steelhead trips...I usually end up tying the night before and end up throwing a pile of marabou's in a ziplock baggie. I have baggies in my car, on my desk, in every nook n cranny...what the hey, i catch fish :THUMBSUP

I do have one of those way too expensive sci anglers "clip in" modular do dad fishin boxes...i'm thinkin about sellin the car and buyiing a few more inserts :CLOWN

They are very cool for smaller flies, they are waterproof and work awesome for the small flies.
 
#14 ·
I have three Flambeau boxes full of every differant kind of fly. I just take them all, everywhere I go. I tried to organize them one time but I decided I will not know where anything is if i do, so I still just put new flies anywhere there is room. If I were to start over though I would orginize them by what they are for. Like trout flies in one box and salmon flies in another etc. My post probably didn't help at all but o well. Good luck. :THUMBSUP

Michael

"I like fly fishing"
 
#15 ·
Thanks for all of the info.

I don't see any particular pattern to the organization of fly boxes. I also jus have a several boxes for trout flies but have them somewhat grouped as nymphs/chronies, dries, Wolly Buggers and also river/stream nymphs. I have one box of salt water flies and another large box for river salmon. I have not started to fish for steelies yet but imagine that I will have a seperate box for them.

Once again thanks for all of the info. :THUMBSUP
 
#16 ·
I try to box my flies as per the type of fishing I plan on doing... this keeps me from having to lug more than two boxes at any time. I will sometimes have one flexible box that I will load up with the flies I plan on using just for that day. I do like to separate the big from the small- I have had trouble pulling out large streamers and have them catch various other flies on the way out... only to land in the stream below.
 
#18 ·
I use video clam shell boxes and glue in 1/4" foam. First I paint a colored band around the box so I can identify them easily. This works well in a boat or float tube. Blue for dries, green for wets and gray for chronomids. For rivers I carry two small plastic fly boxes, one under each arm pit and inside my waders. They ride on top of the wading belt and are snapped onto parachute cords that loop around the wader suspenders. This works great for deep wading. Good luck and keep asking. :BIGSMILE
 
#19 ·
Oh yes, I remember my Wheatly. It had been a gift from a college sweetheart. Nicest little thing I ever owned. Like you, I only let my favorite flies in there. then someone broke into the car to steal my stereo, and took my fishing bag to carry it. Away wnet the Wheatly, the rest of my boxes, and a few reels. Now I imagine it makes a nice stash for some street-kid's bud.
 
#20 ·
Like you are learning here, everyone has a different way of disorganization among their flies and boxes :LOVEIT

I spent about 10 bucks per box and bought some of those completely foam made boxes. These boxes are indestructible as I have driven over them with my truck and the box/flies were fine. They float too! What I did was buy two different boxes that were different colors and sizes. The smaller of the two is for all my trout flies, and the bigger one contains all steelhead, woolys, muddlers, and other big bugs. They are all organized and I am extremely happy with this setup. It took me much time and hasssling to find where I was comfortable. I am sure you will find this out also. I really believe in those foam boxes though :THUMBSUP . Good luck and have fun.

~Patrick
 
#21 ·
First let me say that I have over 20 full fly boxes divided between trout, steelhead, and saltwater, eleven or twelve for trout fishing alone, so "organizing" them practically requires a flow chart.

Steelhead is easiest, because I do the least of that, and fly selection is typically not very complicated. I have two of those typical SA-type plastic, foam-lined boxes, the long ones. One box holds smaller low- and medium-water flies, darks on one side, brights on the other. The other holds the big boys, marabous, speys, and rabbit strips. Pretty simple.

The saltwater stuff gets a little more complicated. I've got eight boxes, six what I call "boat boxes" and two "beach boxes." The boat boxes are the clearish plastic, shallow, tray-style tackle boxes with removable dividers. I usually let two to four flies rattle around in each individual bin. Three of the boxes are pretty big, about 11"x17", and the other three are about half that size. I carry them in a tackle bag designed to fit them stacked, with pockets for reels, tools, and sundries. One of the big boxes holds chinook, lingcod, and other "big" flies like articulated deceivers, giant clousers, and jumbo flying squids (my own pattern). The second holds bright clousers and other weighted attractors in sizes for cohos and pinks, and the third holds epoxied and other unweighted baitfish imitations, surf-candies, sea-habits, deceivers, etc. The three smaller boxes are divided between rockfish flies (mostly weighted half-a-rabbits), mini-baitfish patterns, and small attractor patterns for staging fish. The beach boxes (which usually go into the boat too) are the same type of boxes, but small enough to fit in my chest pack. One holds euphasids and other krill paterns, small attractors, and chum flies. The other usually carries a limited assortment (drawn from the boat boxes) of bright and imitative clousers, and weighted and unweighted baitfish flies, all in a couple sizes, depending on what I think I may encounter that day.

OK, trout; now it gets real complicated.

I try to divide them into lake boxes and stream boxes, with some overlap. I have a standard size plastic foam-lined boxes for mixed stream nymphs, and another for buggers, leaches, zonkers and other streamers (this box does lake and stream duty). Dry flies and emergers I carry in six small boxes, organized by bugs for lake or stream: caddis (2); pmd/baetis; March browns/drakes; callibaetis; midges. I use these really cool little boxes made of clearish white plastic and divided into six small compartments, each with its own hinged lid. They cost about $4; I think Kauffman's carries them. I also have a largish Perrine aluminum box with individual lidded compartments on one side and clips on the other, sort of a low-rent wheatley. It carries big dry attractors and bead-head soft hackles in the compartments, and all my chironomids in the clips (this breaks my lake/stream segregation, but chironomids are the only flies that the clips don't ruin). I have two of the small plastic boxes for lake flies, one for damsels, adults on one side, nymphs on the other, and the other carries, waterboatmen, scuds, and other lake nymphs. Finally, I'll usually also have along a couple old prescription pill-bottles, film canisters, sucrets boxes, or some such full of whatever.

I know it all sounds pretty sprawling and not particularly efficient or "organized", but I almost always fish out of a boat, so I have the luxury to spread out a bit.
 
#22 ·
I currently have 5 boxes, some have the hard nubbies on one side and foam on the other- I like these for larger flies because they don't wear out. The two that get the most use have some combo of caddis, stoneflys, nymphs, pupas, wets and chironomids but I try to keep all of each type in one side of a single box. This is not always easy. I have another box for streamers and steelhead/SRC patterns, another small one for all my small mayflies, and finally a large one for saltwater patterns. Oh yeah, and my fleece patch has been staying loaded and ready to go lately. I was losing a lot of flies from my built-in "fleece" patch on my vest- it was too low and my arms knocked the flies loose. So I borrowed the one that came with my float tube- real fleece on this one. This I clip high on my vest or on my hat and I very rarely lose a fly. Now if I can keep 'em out of that streamside brush.....

BH
 
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