Jump to content
Fly Tying
Chris H

How do you organize your flies!

Recommended Posts

Hey all,

 

I just read up on a topic that asked how many flies people carry on their fishing trips, ive heard a lot in the hundreds and thousands of flys! Crazy...

 

Aside from just slapping your nymphs, drys, wets and so on in a different fly box, how do you go about labelling/keeping track of the names of the flies, hook sizes for that given fly and so on, i mean over time im sure you know by heart, but for us newbs looking to produce a lot of flies to try for next season, i just dont see how I am going to remember the names of the flies and what they are best for!

 

Just want to see what people do to keep track, maybe sharpie the fly name/description beside them in the box and line the different sizes of the same fly from left to right smallest to biggest? Lets here what you do!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Chris, as hard as I've tried, I've never been able to be all that organized with flies. I have way too many & keep tying them! (it's an addiction! :rolleyes:) I separate bass, panfish, trout & saltwater flies, topwater & subsurface, but beyond that don't try to keep them separated any further. I know folks who are meticulous about keeping their fly boxes organized, particularly some who only fish for trout, but that's not me! <_<

 

I primarily use Plano or Flambeau type boxes for "storage" which is generally not the boxes I'll carry, and use smaller fly boxes and Plano boxes to carry flies I fish with. I have a couple of "boat" boxes for bass & saltwater for when fishing from my Gheenoe or jon boat & everything else will fit in a pocket. I transfer flies as I feel I need from the storage boxes to the carry boxes. Yes, I often carry way too many flies! :lol:

 

Storage boxes:

100_4270.jpg

100_4269.jpg

100_4276.jpg

 

Boat boxes:

100_4294.jpg

100_4293.jpg

 

Carry boxes:

100_4292.jpg

100_4290.jpg

100_4449.jpg

100_4263.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I use Scientific Anglers double sided fly boxes. One side for mayfly nymphs, one side for stonefly nymphs. Next box, caddis dries on one side, mayfliy on another. Next box, terrestrials one one side, stoneflies on the other and so on, and so on, and so on.... I don't keep track of the sze number, just catch what's flying around and match it to what you have. Hope this helps!!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

subsurface by weight, dry stuff by size.

 

I start with no bead, no lead, on the far left of a row, and work my way up to tungsten beads with lead on the far right. It works really well for me.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I try to tie weighted flies with a different shade thread. This year I'm getting organised and ordered some new boxes from green caddis so I can set up for nymph, emerger, dun, etc in the main beasties around me. Each tied across a range of size. All my sedges live with generic dries and then a box for really buoyant dries with foam. A box for salt, a streamer box, a seatrout box. Tube fly, salmon singles, salmon doubles, heck can I ever really lose this many flies?

Even though it sounds alot my flies are all of a theme with subtle shade or size changes. So I don't worry about the specific name in a box full.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Uuuuhh... Tidewater... I think that its pretty safe to say that your addicted.:rolleyes:

But seriously, I tend to pack fairly light when I'm out creek hopping, usually with just one small box full of my favourites and new prototypes. I carry three of each nymphal pattern unweighted, weighted, and with tungsten, in sizes according to the water being fished. Now with dries I just tend to have two sizes and a color change if possible. Flytire, I see that you tied some of LaFontaine's marabou worms (sorry, I forgot the true name of that fly), have they worked well for you?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

i try to keep my boxes organized by sub surface, dry, size and color. i start every season kinda organized but by the end of the season with all of the additions it is just a mess. i do keep all my caddis seperate from mayfly imitations. sub surface boxes are a mix of stonefly patterns, emergers and general purpose nymphs. i dunno , it works for me lol.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

interesting replys! wow! I see the general organization via certain boxes is the top way of doing it. Those C&F boxes interest me as there seems to be some white area above the micro slit foam to possibly write stuff down.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

heres just a few.

 

 

Miscellaneousflybox.jpg

 

 

flytire,

 

Are you using the C&F designs fly boxes with removable/swappable insides? In this photo it also looks like your fly box inserts are all sitting in a large plastic container, can you elaborate on that?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The more I fish the less flies I find I need! I have a box for loch style flies that has a swing leaf so has 4 sides to fill. It is normal to use three flies on a cast, there are also some very effective still water dries. That is how I arrange them - Point flies in the bottom, middle dropper flies in the next one, and "bob" (top dropper) flies on the third side, drys in the lid. As I don't use a huge number of patterns the box is normally only about half full.

 

River flies, dries, wets and nymphs go in another box. As do salmon and sea trout flies. This year I've started a new box for streamers, for river trout.

 

With me it is very much a case of "the cobblers kids are always the worst shod". Here is a shot by a friend of mine taken when he was reorganising just two of his four or five boxes. That's an 8 seater dining table. He doesn't tie. "Why should I," he says, "I've got you."

P4250005.jpg

 

For my stock flies I have plastic containers with the name of the fly on the lid and a hole in the lid big enough to drop the fly in. At a session I'll tie that pattern and drop them in. Normally I don't tie many for stock,but next summer I'm attending a game fair and will hopefully sell lots there.

 

Cheers,

C.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thats unbelievable! Im scared I might get addicted to tying lol! Interesting methods for fly storage though. Seems like a big job to re organize a fly box as your friend appears to have found out

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

flytire,

Are you using the C&F designs fly boxes with removable/swappable insides? In this photo it also looks like your fly box inserts are all sitting in a large plastic container, can you elaborate on that?

 

yes they are the c&f fly boxes with the removable inserts and the large box with the inserts is also from c&f and called a filing system box

 

http://www.candfdesign.com/products/605508

 

i also use the dewitt fly boxes for my dry flies

 

http://www.thetroutshop.com/estore/details/21425/0/2680

 

as for marking the fly boxes to list their contents, an sticky address label can be used on the darker colored boxes or a white or silver permanent marker can be also be used to write on the box. i keep is simple and just use the terms like midges, mayfly, caddis, hoppers etc

 

people suggest putting your name and address on your fly box so when you lose it the finder will return it to you. I've been waiting for abour 5 years now for a fly box i lost to suddenly appear in my mail box. trust me, it aint gonna happen. :angry:

 

the photos i provided are just posted for ideas and by no means the only way to organize your fly boxes. i have about 10 more just like the ones i posted and they ae all organized in a similar way

 

choose whats best for you.

 

Flytire, I see that you tied some of LaFontaine's marabou worms (sorry, I forgot the true name of that fly), have they worked well for you?

 

i tied the few that you see but to date have not tried them

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I only fish warmwater and I just keep a seperate box for panfish, bass, Carp, and a big box for the salt. I do have 2 bass boxes since the flies are generally larger and I am feeling the need to expand my saltwater box in some manner. There is only a handful or so of flies that I tie several of. I do like to experiment so I tend to tie 3 of lots of different flies. Sometimes I will only tie 1. Of the flies I tie several of I keep an overflow box so that if needed I can quickly replentish my fishing box of my prefered flies. I will say that my fly cup runneth over.

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...