Shipping flies

[Mark Knapp 0]

I little while back Landon asked if I had a good solution for shipping flies so they don't get crushed. I've shipped them in a lot of things like Sucrets boxes but I didn't have anything of standard nature that was a dependable source. I was recently asked to tie a bunch of flies for some one and again, the problem arose.

And here's my solution.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=clear+clam+shell+blister+pacs&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=clear+clam+shell+boxes

Clear clam shell blister packs from eBay. They're cheap, obtainable in large quantities and come in a variety of sizes. I did find out it pays to shop around as some of them are a lot more expensive than others.

 

[mikechell 0]

If you're selling individual flies (and they fit), those blister packs should be good.

If you're tying a bunch for one person, then I highly recommend ... For about 4.00.

https://www.google.com/search?q=plano+tackle+box+walmart&oq=plano+tackle+box&aqs=chrome.3.69i57j0l7.12489j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

 

 

 

[Landon P 0]

Thanks Mark. I have also found little cotton filled jewelry boxes on Amazon. I have only shipped a few in them but they work nice and are fairly cheap. 

[Mark Knapp 0]

53 minutes ago, Landon P said:

Thanks Mark. I have also found little cotton filled jewelry boxes on Amazon. I have only shipped a few in them but they work nice and are fairly cheap. 

Yep, they are good too. We've used those too.

[Mark Knapp 0]

56 minutes ago, mikechell said:

If you're selling individual flies (and they fit), those blister packs should be good.

If you're tying a bunch for one person, then I highly recommend ... For about 4.00.

https://www.google.com/search?q=plano+tackle+box+walmart&oq=plano+tackle+box&aqs=chrome.3.69i57j0l7.12489j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

 

 

 

A four dollar box might cut into the profits a little. I s'pose you can charge the guy for that too. I put a dozen size 14 blue sparkle duns in one blister pack. They fit no problem. Someone offered me 5 bucks each for those so now I guess I'm a commercial tier.

[chugbug27 0]

Buck a box @ Dollar Tree or 99c store, 11 compartments. Hard clear plastic. In store you can buy one, online you pay too much handling unless you buy a case of 24.

https://www.dollartree.com/tool-bench-hardware-plastic-compartmented-storage-cases/206348

 

[Mark Knapp 0]

21 minutes ago, chugbug27 said:

Buck a box @ Dollar Tree or 99c store, 11 compartments. Hard clear plastic. In store you can buy one, online you pay too much handling unless you buy a case of 24.

https://www.dollartree.com/tool-bench-hardware-plastic-compartmented-storage-cases/206348

 

I'd have to go to Anchorage to find a Dollar Store. Yuch

[BHouk 0]

I've used plastic snuff cups with lids.  They work great for one to many depending on size of fly.  They are durable and I even use them in my fishing pack.  I bought a gross of them years ago and still have a few left.  The seller (on Amazon) was not available when I looked tonight.  Others are available at about 25 cents a piece.

[Mark Knapp 0]

4 minutes ago, BHouk said:

I've used plastic snuff cups with lids.  They work great for one to many depending on size of fly.  They are durable and I even use them in my fishing pack.  I bought a gross of them years ago and still have a few left.  The seller (on Amazon) was not available when I looked tonight.  Others are available at about 25 cents a piece.

Yeah, that's good too.

[cphubert 0]

Condiment cups with lids, Walmart $3.00 for 25 (2oz.) amazon has 2 sizes 2oz and 5.5 oz. $12.00 per 200 for the 2 oz and $12.00 per 100 for the 5.5 oz. you can get better prices in the 1,000 piece market. the 2 oz will fit into a small zip lock bag with a business card for future ordering. for flat mailing streamers I use 4 x 6 or 2 x 4 zip lock with 2mm foam "hook holder glued to the business card included in envelope. Will try to post photo If Landon wants in a week or so when I get home. they are not as durable as the blister pack but without the large investment most blister packs run $.35 to.60 each until you hit the 1000 count or higher market and they will still crush.

[TheDempsey 0]

I have used these from Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FY7OEHO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They work well and customers keep them in their tackle boxes. I fit 24 flies sizes 12 and smaller in them.

 

[SilverCreek 0]

DIY Slit-Foam Fly Box

I wrote the following article on making your own slit foam fly boxes for Wisconsin Trout, the quarterly newspaper of Wisconins TU.

Tired of paying high prices for the CF Design type of “Micro-Slit” fly boxes? 

Here’s a simple way of doing it yourself, patterned after a method posted on the South East Fly Fishing Forum.

The components are a ¼” closed cell white craft foam, thin colored sticky back lining foam, pinking shears, single edge razor blade or fly tying scissors, and an empty plastic box or tin.

 

 

Cut the foam into straight strips of about 5/8 “ wide using the pinking shears. The width is measured from the straight edge to the tip of the ridge. Shape the strip to fit into the fly box. You can bevel the corners to fit the rounded sides of the box.

Cut slits using the razor blade/scissors from the valleys of the ridge to about the midline of the foam strip. This will leave about ½ of the strip (5/16”) for gluing.

If you want to make double-edged foam strips, make them 1” wide measured from edge tip to edge tip. Cut slits on both sides leaving a center strip for gluing.

Arrange the foam strips in the box allowing enough space for the flies. In the Altoid box version, the strips in the box are for dries and the strip on the lid is for small nymphs.

 

 

Clear boxes make a more professional looking fly box. You can color code the box by lining it with sticky backed colored thin foam and gluing the foam strips to the liner. Turn the box over and press hard onto the front of the liner foam. Cut on the impression line and trim to size. Glue the strips to the front side of the foam liner. Remove the backing from the sticky foam liner and attach the assembled liner to the box. Both the body and lid of the box can be customized to best suit your needs. 

The liner color can be varied to indicate either the types of flies inside; green for dries, brown for nymphs, black for streamers, etc. Or the colors can indicate a box for hatches; mayfly, caddis, stonefly, midge, attractor patterns, etc.

The foam liners and strips are glued to the box using a thin coating of  a flexible clear urethane adhesive like Aquaseal.  After use, store the remaining tube of adhesive in a freezer compartment. It will keep for years.

Most of you will not have pinking shears. A paper hole punch from Walmart can be used to edge the foam to form fly slots.  Or you can just make straight slits at uniform distances without the slots.

I bought the 8x12” ¼” thick foam, the 8x12”sticky back thin foam, and the clear box at Michaels Craft Store. The completed fly box uses less than $4.00 in materials.

See the filled boxes below. I use them to donate flies to TU banquets and Healing Waters Fly Fishing.

 

 

[Mark Knapp 0]

2 hours ago, SilverCreek said:

DIY Slit-Foam Fly Box

I wrote the following article on making your own slit foam fly boxes for Wisconsin Trout, the quarterly newspaper of Wisconins TU.

Tired of paying high prices for the CF Design type of “Micro-Slit” fly boxes? 

Here’s a simple way of doing it yourself, patterned after a method posted on the South East Fly Fishing Forum.

The components are a ¼” closed cell white craft foam, thin colored sticky back lining foam, pinking shears, single edge razor blade or fly tying scissors, and an empty plastic box or tin.

 

Cut the foam into straight strips of about 5/8 “ wide using the pinking shears. The width is measured from the straight edge to the tip of the ridge. Shape the strip to fit into the fly box. You can bevel the corners to fit the rounded sides of the box.

Cut slits using the razor blade/scissors from the valleys of the ridge to about the midline of the foam strip. This will leave about ½ of the strip (5/16”) for gluing.

If you want to make double-edged foam strips, make them 1” wide measured from edge tip to edge tip. Cut slits on both sides leaving a center strip for gluing.

Arrange the foam strips in the box allowing enough space for the flies. In the Altoid box version, the strips in the box are for dries and the strip on the lid is for small nymphs.

 

Clear boxes make a more professional looking fly box. You can color code the box by lining it with sticky backed colored thin foam and gluing the foam strips to the liner. Turn the box over and press hard onto the front of the liner foam. Cut on the impression line and trim to size. Glue the strips to the front side of the foam liner. Remove the backing from the sticky foam liner and attach the assembled liner to the box. Both the body and lid of the box can be customized to best suit your needs. 

The liner color can be varied to indicate either the types of flies inside; green for dries, brown for nymphs, black for streamers, etc. Or the colors can indicate a box for hatches; mayfly, caddis, stonefly, midge, attractor patterns, etc.

The foam liners and strips are glued to the box using a thin coating of  a flexible clear urethane adhesive like Aquaseal.  After use, store the remaining tube of adhesive in a freezer compartment. It will keep for years.

Most of you will not have pinking shears. A paper hole punch from Walmart can be used to edge the foam to form fly slots.  Or you can just make straight slits at uniform distances without the slots.

I bought the 8x12” ¼” thick foam, the 8x12”sticky back thin foam, and the clear box at Michaels Craft Store. The completed fly box uses less than $4.00 in materials.

See the filled boxes below. I use them to donate flies to TU banquets and Healing Waters Fly Fishing.

 

 

Nice.

[mikechell 0]

I didn't realize you're tying such small flies.  I'm thinking of the big salt water stuff you do, and those little blister packs wouldn't do.  

 

[Mark Knapp 0]

34 minutes ago, mikechell said:

I didn't realize you're tying such small flies.  I'm thinking of the big salt water stuff you do, and those little blister packs wouldn't do.  

 

Yeah, they tricked me into tying little ones. 😁