Jump to content
Fly Tying
David Legg

How do you store your hooks?

Recommended Posts

I used to keep all of my hooks in their original packaging inside of a multi-drawer organizer. That worked well until I aquired more than several hundred hooks of a variety of types and sizes.

 

I recently found smaller multi-compartment storage containers at the fabric stores and craft stores called Craft-Mates. They have individual locks for each compartment, so you can open them one at a time, instead of popping a single lid over multiple compartments, reducing the chance of intermixing all those different hooks. And they stay closed unless you push the locking button. And they are not too expensive, especially if you catch them on sale. The main thing that gave me any kind of trouble were the tiny hooks that seem able to slip though the smallest of cracks. I took the magnets from some of the hook packs I had and put those in the bottoms of the compartments for the smallest flies, and they stay put fine now. The only other problem was that I had a bizarre accident with one compartment where I broke the lid right off. I am sure that eventually they will wear out and I will have others that will break, but so far, that was the only one, and it happened when I shut in in the desk drawer with one lid open by mistake.

 

Anyone else try these?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest

I use the same boxes, but you will want to do one thing. Put a magnet in the compartments. Dry fly hooks tend to work their way out of the lids.

 

john

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I use the same boxes, but you will want to do one thing. Put a magnet in the compartments. Dry fly hooks tend to work their way out of the lids.

 

john

 

Yeah... I noticed that too, with the small ones. What kind of magnets do you use?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Walmart has 8 x 11 magnetic sheets with sticky back...or you can leave the backing paper on. This also works nice on your desk to keep hooks from dropping and bouncing away.. :thumbsup:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have used them for several years and have several carry cases for them as well. As for magnets, I use the magnet tape and press it into the bottom of the compartment that will have the small hooks in. I use these boxes for all my small items, beads, barbell eyes, chain bead eyes, doll eyes, you name it, its probably in one. they work extremely well and make travelling quite easy also.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have about 7 of these boxes full and they work great for me and I do like that locking feature....... :lol:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest

Walmart sells magnet discs, looks about the size of a roll of quarters, adhesive back. I like the idea of the magnetic tape too!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

So, y'all been at this party for awhile huh? :rolleyes: I thought I was onto something new! lol

Thanks for the suggestions on the magnets. I will take a look at the store and see which ones will work for me. That should certainly help me out!

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Harbor Freight has a plastic box set up that works well for me. It is 24 smaller boxes nested in one larger box, there is also another style that contains several double size hook boxes for larger hooks. I have several of these, each larger box is dedicated to a specific style (dry / wet / etc.) and every box is labeled. I also put a strip of sticky back magnet in each hook box.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I use one of those plastic multi-drawer cabinets you can buy at Wally World or K-Mart, or almost anywhere. It has 6 or 8 columns of maybe 10 drawers each (I don't have it in front of me).

I label general hook types across the top (Dry, Wet, Streamer, etc.) and each drawer in that column of drawers is labeled by size. I keep the hooks in the original package if there is room in the drawer. For hooks that I use a lot, and have a lot of, I keep a couple of dozen in the drawer, and put the surplus in another spot. When I get low on a hook size, I replentish the drawer from the stash.

Been using that system for years, and it works every time.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I just dump all my hooks in an old peanut butter jar. Then I fish around in it for an hour until I find a hook that looks like what I want. It's a cool trick they taught me down in Alabama.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

i use a hook box from js fly fishing. i think that hareline makes it but i am not sure. it has 20 compartments. i have glued magnets in all of them. but before the only hooks that would slip through were sz. 20 dry!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I used the Harbor Freight boxes too, but recently I switched to the plastic baseball card holders that you can buy for 3 ring binders. The TMC hook packs slip right in, and each sheet holds 6 packs. It is nice to just pull the binder out and flip through. Also works great for dubbing and chenile.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...