Fly boxes and vises

[DRussell 0]

Been a while since I was able to ty (or is it tie? see it has been to long) due to work and school. My break between semesters just started and I was able to setup my fly tying space (just moved in to this house a year ago). I have had absolutely terrible luck with entire boxes of flies catching a case of the rusty.. I picked up a cheapish fly box about a year ago that had an o-ring style seal around the lid. These flies are still in decent shape. What boxes do you guys use to keep your flies in good shape? Anyone use any kind of rust preventer in their boxes? I fish mostly out of a kayak for bass and other sunfish with the occasional saltwater trips to the panhandle, so I prefer a larger style box, but I'm okay with the larger pocket size ones.

 

Also, I have a certain distaste for my Peak rotary vise. It has been okay, but I never liked the handle for clamping hooks or the jaws themselves (I currently have a broke pin going through it, but have been making due). I've been eyeballing the regal vises, but I have yet to go find somewhere that will let me play with their vises to see what I may like. My desk can't use a clamp style, but do any of you guys use something like the Oasis benches with a clamp style? Do you like it? Got some picks? I also want one with a slightly longer shaft than the peak, and have the vise jaws extend past the base like the regal appears to be.

 

Thanks,

DLR

[josephcsylvia 0]

Ok the vise questions have been answered recently in the last week or two so you should be able to find that.

As far as the rusty fly boxes couple of tips

Dont put wet flies back in your box let them dry first.

Throw some Silca packs in each box they are the packs you get in shoes.

 

When you get home open your boxes and let them dry if there's water in the box take all of the flies out and dry it out.

 

Seeing a pattern here? LOL

 

And finally get any rusty hooks out of the box its like cancer.

[djtrout 0]

i have a mix of water sealed and non-sealed.

 

open boxes after fishing and dry them out. use a vest fly patch of some type to dry flies on stream (though I tend to lose flies in that, sometimes I just put them back in the box; i'll dry out the box anyway at day's end).

 

I don't care about water seal, per-se. I do care about floatability ever since I lost a bunch of my best bass ties in a canoe overturn in the New River VA. I rescued everything that floated (my SA boxes) but at the time I had a bunch of flies in metal boxes that sank like rocks and water was too fast and deep to retrieve. I fish often by kayak and I try to lash down everything possible, but if I drop a flybox overboard I'd like it to float. That said tongue in cheek, I have not subjected my new favs, the Umpqua day tripper and flats, and the tacky boxes to a float test. ugh.

 

On salt water - I don't do ocean but have fished brackish water, what I did was immerse each fly box in fresh water and swirl thoroughly, then open and lay out to dry in the sun. This done within a day of use. I've lost one fly box to rust. lesson learned.

 

I have, really really like: Umpqua UPG day tripper, flats; Tacky box

I have, old but still good: Scientific Anglers boxes with compartments; misc boxes

 

As mentioned, much has been said about vises. I use the Renzetti Traveler and HMH Spartan. Love the Traveler, Spartan not so much but it's a good vise. Traveler seems easier to use, but I've used it for 10 years now and just got the Spartan (just to try on a whim) a few months ago, so I'm just not acclimated to it.

[DRussell 0]

I know I need to dry things out before putting them up. Most of the time when I get through fishing in my kayak, half of my lures are sitting on the deck in front of me because I don't put them up wet. I've taken a fly box with me in FL, never cast a fly while down there but have the box with me while fishing, and still loose flies to rust. Heck I even use a spinner bait box that suspends the spinner baits (and buzz baits) so they'll dry.

 

The silica packs are a good thought. I may have to do this. Although being a descant, they will eventually loose their ability to soak up moister so a few new ones every so often would probably help a lot. Especially down here in the humid south.

 

I think a drying agent (silica) + sealed boxes + drying flies sounds like a winner. I will have to get some packs of descant soon. I'll check out those boxes, too, thanks.

 

Found this week's vise thread, thanks. It had a link to the "what vise do you use" thread. I think I am leaning towards something like the Montana Mongoose by Griffin. I really like the looks of the locking mechanism. The way the cam lock works on the Peak makes me not like it, plus the shaft height I feel is a little small. I really got to thinking about it and I use the true rotary function a lot. I only use it occasionally for the fast wrapping of materials, but I still find it super useful while tying anything else. But I don't want to pay the money for the regal revolution.

 

Thanks guys,

DLR

[Crackaig 0]

Vented fly boxes will let your flies dry out, but sink into the murky depths, never to be seen again, if dropped into the water.

Sealed fly boxes keep the water out, but float away on the current when dropped into the water.

It all depends on which way you want see your flies disappear. (Yes I have experience of both).

 

On a more useful note, a fly patch on your vest is best for this. Once a fly is wet put it on the patch and return it to the box once dried. A friend of mine uses the Permafloat floatant which the fly is soaked in then left to dry. The day after a day's fishing he takes all the used flies off his fly patch, steams them to restore any bent fibres, dips them into Permafloat and leaves them to dry. He is still using flies I tied for him 15 years ago. That ritual serves him well.

 

Cheers,

C.

[josephcsylvia 0]

DRussell, the silca packs take a long time to get to that point then a quick bake at a low temp and they are good as new, I live in florida the rust is from the humidity. Everything in my water tight shed needs to be oiled or it rust!. The vise is personal preference I personally love my Peak.

[DRussell 0]

We heat our descant at work to remove the moisture, but it's at a pretty high temp and it takes a little bit, probably wouldn't take as long for that small of an amount though. I know if we have an air leakage in the system, the descant takes no time to be used up. I more than likely wouldn't bother to try and regen it. I feel like it is probably a mixture of cheap hooks and the humidity between here and the FL trips that has been hard of the flies. I saw a sponge on a panel door I was putting up the other night that said something about preventing rust. May have to check in to it.

 

I don't think it is so much just the peak I don't like, but that style of jaw locking it has. I feel like the norvise, mongoose, etc... style would be better, for me anyway. I gotta make my way to a fly shop in the next weeks to check it out.

 

That is pretty crazy your friend has kept flies he fishes with that long. Being in a kayak for most of my fishing, at least it'll be easier to track down the floating box!

 

Anyone use boxes without foam? How'd it affect your flies (putting kinks in materials, making flat spots, etc)? I feel like a lot of my flies start rust right around where the hook comes out of the foam.

[Gene L 0]

If you're on good terms with your pharmacist, you can ask them to save the little round desiccant things for you. I did this at one time (not for fly tying) and in a week had a bag of them.

 

But anything that locks water out will also lock moisture in.

 

As for vices, I don't like the jaws of the Peak, either. I love the Regal, but it ain't a true rotary, at least the one I have isn't.

[flyguy613 0]

Check out the griffin mongoose

[Gene L 0]

I had a Griffin Patriot. A great vise. Non-rotary. I traded it for a rod; wish I'd kept it.

[flytire 0]

open up your fly boxes when you get home and let them dry out under the sun.

 

its free

[Bugsy 0]

...or open the boxes and let them dry on the dash or rear deck on the way home.

 

Zerust tabs, like those used in Umpqua UPG boxes, may work for you.

[rstaight 0]

When I'm finished with a fly I put it on a fly patch. It doesn't go back in the box till I get home.

 

As far as the vise. When we had a local fly shop they sold Renzetti and Dyna King. A lot of tyers I know have one of those 2 brands. Since I didn't want what everyone else had, have always been that way somewhat. I purchased a Griffin Mongoose, I love the damn thing. However I do not use it for dries, but I use it for most everything else.

[DRussell 0]

Nice to hear good things about the mongoose. I don't tie small flies (yet). I didn't think about opening my boxes and leaving them in the house somewhere the day after fishing, the A/C should help with some of the moisture, right?

 

Thanks for the zerust name. A quick search on amazon found some cheap and more than I need. I also got to looking at those Umpqua boxes. A little expensive for my taste (might be my problem). For that kind of price I want a nice wood box with a custom carved image or text on it I may order one in a few months to just give them a shot. I will say that amazon's selection on cheaper, but okay looking, fly boxes is getting better.

 

Anyone here order from FlyFishFood? He has a discount on the Montana Mongoose, but I have never ordered anything from there.

 

Thanks,

DLR

[josephcsylvia 0]

Nice to hear good things about the mongoose. I don't tie small flies (yet). I didn't think about opening my boxes and leaving them in the house somewhere the day after fishing, the A/C should help with some of the moisture, right?

 

yes the a/c will keep the humidity out of your box