Id System for flies?

[GaryH 0]

Hi There, i was wondering if any of you have an id system for flies in the boxes. I've tied some flies a couple of years ago, that i haven't used & find that when i'm out on the lake , i can't remember what it was for! (must be old age setting in! ) So i'm thinking of labeling my flies, but then comes the issue of Category/Subcategory(species/etc. Do any of you do this, or do you just get better at id'ing them over time? Thanks, Gary

[Linesides 0]

That is a really good question. My SW box only has a dozen or so patterns but you FW bug guys must go nuts.

[ted patlen 0]

in my case i'd need 78 boxes sub-divided into another thousand or so cubicles each housing untold variations of the same thing...(most are rusted)...then there are my salt water flies...

 

 

 

one thing i've learned...what ever foats your boat is fine

[flytire 0]

I use the C & F fly boxes and have one for caddis, mayflies, stoneflies ets. I use a black permanent marker to write the name on the outside of the box. Just the category, not the individual flies.

[JJD 0]

I started making up fly boxes based on location - including those flies that I was likely to use at a given spot or waterway. I've got offshore/reef, general coastal patterns, Everglades creek, Keys, etc.

[fly time 0]

I just put em all in different boxes, when I get to the waters I check the hatck, and pick a fly that matches as close as I can, it works for me, I catch fish.

 

 

Dustin

 

 

[Ephemerella 0]

I keep dry flies in 6x3 compartment styrene clear locking bead boxes (about 4.5x9 inches by 1 inch deep), from Michael's (craft store). They are about $3.00 each.

 

Each box is a category, like early catskill mayflies, late catskill mayflies, spinners, tan caddis, gray caddis, green/tan caddis, brown caddis, terrestrials, Wulffs, down wing caddis/stones, odd-balls, and so forth. Each caddis box typically has elk hair caddis, some antron LaFontaine emerging caddis, and other related patterns. Label with Dymo labeler on the side, and keep them in a fishing bag, which holds about 8-9 of them on end, plus the rest in drawers, etc. Within each box, each column (6 of them) is a pattern, and each row is a size. Each cell holds 6-12 flies of the same pattern and size. In general I have #12, #14, and #16 of a given pattern, although I have a few #18 in caddis flies. The mid-late season Mayflies e.g. BWOs, sulphurs, are #14, #16, #18 as they never are as big as #12.

 

When I started fishing I tried to make little paper labels, but they shifted around inthe boxes. I suppose I could do that again, but I generally can remember the pattern name.

 

Before I go on a fishing trip, I load up my dry fly boxes that fit in my vest.

 

Nymphs I keep in fly boxes, in rows by pattern, typically with 3-6 of each size together. Got a bunch of those.

 

Streamers get their own boxes. Not well organized yet.

-E

[sandflyx 0]

i label my storage boxes.

 

 

[GaryH 0]

Thanks for the input! I'm thinking that the KISS principle would work here..........Sorting them out by Wet/Dry, then further by nymph/emerger etc. That way i can get at the right style quicker & try & match with something similar. Still, it would be nice to know which is which so that i can know that on such & such a date, at XXX lake, they were taking YYY flies (for a journal).

[flytire 0]

heres another simple and inexpensive idea

 

http://www.southeastflyfishingforum.com/fo...ead.php?t=14745

[flyfishingtaz 0]

I just catagorize mine by location. Find the flies that catch the fish, tie em up, then put em in and lable the box for that area. I wouldnt concern myself with the right fly. Your gonna be swapping em as the fish take to em, so just do that, and you should be fine.