Winter flybox maintainence/clean-up

[shoebop 0]

I have been cleaning-out / straightening-up my fly boxes for the past 2-3 weeks. I am embarrassed to say how many boxes I have but I find now that I need more. As I tie more and different styles, I need a separate box for each style. For example, I can no longer have a single box for all caddis flies. I must have a box for caddis larva, one for caddis pupae, and one for adult caddis. And so it goes for all the other styles, species and stages of fly developments. Size is another matter. I can't put #20 flies with #10 flies. They just get lost and I can't find them when I need them. Plus, my boxes are so full that I can't see individual flies any more. I could easily double the number of boxes but that creates a new dilemma because I will need to separate them once more into new categories.

 

I have reached an existential dilemma, however. Do I separate by size or species? What about those pesky "attractor" flies? Where do I put them? What about those flies meant to simulate several different kinds of flies? I fish for steelhead and trout mostly but occasionally for panfish. Do I separate by species of fish? Many flies are used for several species of fish...what now?

 

When I go to the river I will make up a few boxes of flies that I suspect I will need that day... dries, soft hackles, nymphs, streamers etc.

But I need a way to organize them so that I can find them easily.

 

Also I discard or re-tie my "nasty" flies or flies that have been damaged by sitting in those slotted boxes. (hackles all matted and distorted and can't be fixed). From now on, I am just going to use the bin-style boxes to store flies. They do less damage to hackles but are hard to see the individual flies.

 

How do you guys organize your flies? I am going crazy.

[Saltybum 0]

Organize? What's that?

If I ever organized my stuff I probably wouldn't be able to find anything afterwards.

[Crackaig 0]

Not liking to carry very much when I fish I organise by species and fishing situation. I've boxes for Salmon, sea trout, brown trout (rivers) brown trout (lochs) and grayling. How do you deal with your dilemma? Well I'm seriously considering one of these...

 

For my fishing there would be plenty of space.

 

What I would suggest though is a stock box. I'm sure you can work out a better picture of what you are going to need. You don't need huge numbers of every fly for every trip. Divide them up into "probables", "possibles", "not likelies" and "no way" Cary say half a dozen probables, three possibles and one or two not likelies in each size. If you imagine each category as concentric circles, like a roundel target, you can use it for both pattern and size. Then fill boxes from your stock box on that basis.

 

Cheers,

C.

[Poopdeck 0]

I don't have this problem simply because I pretty much only tie what I need when I need it. For favorite or old standbys I just hook my flies on sheets of foam and leave them sit around in my basement till I need them. I may tie a dozen hares ear nymphs in only a couple sizes. I stick them on a foam sheet. As I use a particular nymph from my fly box I will simply replace that nymph in my box. When my nymph, say a hares ear, gets low on the sheet I'll tie a few more. I have every fly in every size that I will ever need I just assemble them as needed.

[Bruce Norikane 0]

...

Also I discard or re-tie my "nasty" flies or flies that have been damaged by sitting in those slotted boxes. (hackles all matted and distorted and can't be fixed). From now on, I am just going to use the bin-style boxes to store flies. They do less damage to hackles but are hard to see the individual flies.

 

I've had some luck steaming mashed hackles. Sometimes it will completely restore them. Not always, though.

 

I've never found a perfect fly box system, but here's what I'm doing lately.

 

I've also moved away from slotted boxes. I mostly use the flat magnetic boxes with various size compartments. I can fit several in a single pocket, so I can use more boxes without a lot of bulk. This helps with picking the right box quickly, but I have to spend some time finding the right pattern and especially the right size. Slots are much better for organization inside the box.

 

I separate nymphs and dries and further divide into small and medium. Attractors go in a thicker box with other big flies. Streamers get crammed in a small uncompartmented box.

 

During the season, I often augment my standard boxes, with small hook boxes filled with flies for that day. Helps when I'm expecting a particular hatch.

[L. B. Fly Tyer 0]

I organize by species then into size. You should organize by species always first because it does not make any sense to put a size 6 crazy Charlie with a size 6 grasshopper pattern.

[mikechell 0]

Topics come up like this every once in a while. I tie only what I need, and I don't need much. ALL of my flies go in the boat with me. I have two regular (basic flip open) tackle boxes, one large Plano compartment tray and one small, two-sided Plano compartment box. That holds all the flies I have.

[rstaight 0]

I understand the "organization" dilemma". I have boxes by species for bluegill, smallmouth and trout. Then I have dry fly boxes for mayflies, caddis flies and terrestrials. Then we have streamers, well you get the picture. And I still don't have enough!

[Bimini15 0]

This may not relate to your kind of fishing, but here it goes...

I do not target specific species so I fill up for the more likely ones.

I break it down in saltwater boxes and freshwater boxes. For each one I have stock, plano type boxes, and boxes I take fishing. Normally I take one box for fresh and two for saltwater (more likely to lose a few). Each with flies for top, mid and bottom, normally in one, sometimes two sizes. Biggest difference between boxes is sizes and colors. I really could get away with a few variations of a very limited number of patterns.

All of that is for the "real" fishing trips.

Now, since being in the forum specially, I also have this other box with the latest ties. No rhyme or reason to it, and the one I use all the time to go behind my house and test the flies. Turns out I am happy with doing a lot of testing these days...

[planettrout 0]

I break them down into the type of insect

I am going to be using...BWO/Baetis, Midges, PMD's ,Caddis, Flavs, March Browns...etc. Then Stoneflies, Scuds/Sowbugs, Attractors, Soft Hackles, Streamers/Buggers, Terrestrials etc...

 

I only take what I am going to be using on a particular session on the water:

 

 

 

PT/TB

[shoebop 0]

I break them down into the type of insect

I am going to be using...BWO/Baetis, Midges, PMD's ,Caddis, Flavs, March Browns...etc. Then Stoneflies, Scuds/Sowbugs, Attractors, Soft Hackles, Streamers/Buggers, Terrestrials etc...

 

I only take what I am going to be using on a particular session on the water:

 

 

 

PT/TB

That's what I need! I think that is what I am looking to do. Thanks for showing the photos. Off to Bass Pro Shop for boxes! First I'll check the interweb for deals though.

[Wetsock 0]

Check harbor fright they have compartment boxs for like 4$ when they are on sale. Make good storage box for setting up like PT

[mikechell 0]

 

 

This is exactly why I consider myself and fly fisherman who ties flies for my fishing ... not a "fly tier". It's very possible I will not tie that many flies in my life time.

[Striperknight 0]

I break them down into the type of insect

I am going to be using...BWO/Baetis, Midges, PMD's ,Caddis, Flavs, March Browns...etc. Then Stoneflies, Scuds/Sowbugs, Attractors, Soft Hackles, Streamers/Buggers, Terrestrials etc...

 

I only take what I am going to be using on a particular session on the water:

 

 

 

PT/TB

You are ready for anything. I'm going to move to this type of setup this winter.

[Chris_NH 0]

I used to fret over such things, but as time goes on I increasingly appreciate simplicity. I find myself tying and fishing simpler versions of flies and have reduced my fly arsenal complexity significantly.

 

I've still got thousands of flies on hand and store them in the flat plano boxes in a stand by my tying desk, but when I fish I carry only 3 small, flip-open foam slit fly boxes (1 streamer, 1 dry and 1 nymph) with enough of a selection to cover darn near anything. For instance, I found I didn't need 3 versions of a caddis emerger and settled on one, and I quit carrying so many color variations of flies when it's really not necessary.