Fly boxes

[gpd4 0]

I'm curious to know what you all carry with you when you fish - as far as fly boxes go. What brands and/or styles do you like? How many boxes do you take? How are they organized?

 

I am guilty as hell of taking WAY too much with me. My vest has an older Orvis ripple foam box for dries, a knockoff ripple foam box for larger nymphs, a half flat half ripple for streamers, 2 small center flap slit foam midge boxes, and a small jig/spoon box.

 

I made a bunch of slit foam boxes and I have 2 full of poppers, another full of dries, and one for the rare trip to the salt.

 

Then there's the two large Plano boxes, four mediums, and 3 smaller ones, too.

 

If I'm standing in a stream, I wear the vest as described. I don't get to stand in a stream as often as I think I should, so when I fish park ponds and lakes in town, I usually just carry one of the popper boxes and an assortment of other things in a 'throw-away' fly shop container.

 

On the bright side, I don't need a trailer to bring it all with me when I do get to hit the water.

[NJFlyMAn 0]

Before when I wore a fly fishing vest, I had over 12+ boxes on me when I fished at any given time. Most boxes I used were C&F design fly boxes. And two small plastic midge boxes with about 12 compartments.

 

Now that I purchased a Fishpond blue river chest pack , I use the fly table, which helps me carry less fly boxes. So now I just carry the patterns that I'm going to fish. and not all them extra patterns that I never find myself fishing during the year.

 

Also, I now reuse my empty dai-riki hook boxes as fly boxes, and stick them in my jacket pocket because they are very small.

[Steeldrifter 0]

I usually carry three when wading, but a bag full of flies/boxes when we are in the drift boat.

 

The main ones I carry when wading are a Orvis special edition Aluminum box they made about 10 years ago which has the opening quote from "A River Runs Through It" etched into the lid. That one is my dry fly box. Then a large Orvis light weight Moral style box full of streamers. Then a small cheap plastic one with nymphs in it.

 

 

Steve

[Chase Creek 0]

Used to carry enough boxes to house 4 sizes of every pattern known to man. I fish small streams for Brookies, so I now only carry 3 boxes, the cheapo ripple foam type. One for dries, one for streamers, and one for nymphs and soft hackles. Don't use a vest anymore, just a nylon shirt with 4 large pockets, and a fanny pack for the camera and lunch / water bottle / rain jacket. Much simpler.

[bluegill576 0]

I use two sizes for warmwater. I have a slit double sided box that has panfish flies and then I have a small plastic box that I put my bass bugs in.

[gpd4 0]

I'm tempted to get a little (cheap) chest pack for the warm water bugs I carry in my car...Cabela's has them for 20-30 bucks in the bargain cave.

 

 

As for the rest of it...Anyone use the William Joseph magnetic packs? Am I falling for the gimmick, or is it quality gear?

[rockworm 0]

I used to carry hundreds of flies in half-a-dozen or more flyboxes. Either in my vest pockets or in home-made hip holsters for wet wading. I brought so many flies mostly because I hadn't yet learned what the trout were eating and I wanted to be prepared for anything.

 

Nowadays I don't get a chance to flyfish often. But I usually get out on a small river in mid-August when we vacation in Michigan. If I'm wet-wading I usually just carry a single fly box in my shirt pocket. And maybe a small plastic box to hold the really tiny flies that catch most of the fish. On occassion I will venture out at night with just a couple of deer-hair mice or large streamers.

 

[Jeremy Parker 0]

I fly fish out of my yak a lot!

I've designed my own wood fly boxes that fit into the open area of my ocean Kayak. If I tip over they float so no lost equipment!

If I'm wading I have the large plastic plano and a couple of wood boxes in a side sachel

Blessings,

Jeremy

[Crackleback 0]

I got a couple of the Umpqua pro guide boxes for Christmas and they are great. I've got one with for euro nymphing with anchors on one side and droppers on the other side. I glued some magnets in the lid of this one to hold midges and micronymhps. The other one is for wet flies and has soft hackles on one side and winged wets and micro muddlers on the other side. These two boxes are what I carry most of the time.

I carry my dries in a C&F box. This box doesn't get much use. I usually take a few flies out of it and put them in my nymph or wet box if I think dries are a possibility. The only time I every carry the box is when I'm planning on doing dry/dropper or know there'll be a good hatch.

For streamers I use a Cliff's Bugger Barn.

I keep all of my bluegill flies in a little compartment box. It doesn't hold much but fits nicely in my pocket.

I use plano boxes for my bass flies although half the time I'll just use my trout streamers and put a few poppers and divers in the box with them.

 

-Mike

[djmyers 0]

What is the best box for bass flies? Mainly deer hair poppers and others like it.

[bluegill576 0]

What is the best box for bass flies? Mainly deer hair poppers and others like it.

What I use is plastic boxes, but if you want to use a "fly" box then you can get some larger riffled foam boxes.

[smokinprice 0]

There are several things I use depending on what I am going for. Regarding warmwater, I use a William Joseph chest pack. I love the chest packet. IMHO get one. Reference mine, one of the pockets has a foam insert on the inside to hold flies. Here is where I tend to put my poppers and deer hair bugs in smaller sizes. I also use the other pocket to store any other flies in boxes I may need. Bluegill576 stated it but I also use the Plano small boxes for my bigger flies and streamers. I usually take on of these along with me.

 

Regarding trout fishing, I still use a vest. Inside my vest I have boxes of nymphs, terrestrials, and dries. All my dries are labled so I know what the hell they are as I forget some times. I tend to favor the fly boxes with the spring loaded lids that flip out. This is just my thing as I think they are cool.

[firedad 0]

I have bought a couple of Scientific Angler waterproof boxes, an aluminum Orvis box, a couple plastic nubby tack boxes from Cabela's and a double sided box my dad picked up at the Caddis Fly Shop in Eugene, Or. My question is how do you keep your hooks from rusting or the colors from running into other flies? I am new to fly fishing/tying and some of my lighter flies have been staining/dyed from the bright colored flies. After only few times wet wading with them some of the hooks have already rusted. After I've finished fishing I open the boxes and set them in the sun on the dash of the car and bring them inside, keeping them open in the window sill. What do I do?

[salty fly 0]

I love the system x from Scientifis anglers. slit style, water tight, floats. great box.

My buddy form irideus fly boxes has good econo boxes look him up on ebay or at Irideus.com.

I take one box thats all i need, I dont need to take more than i need. I take one box for each envron or fish I am targeting.salt,lake,river ect.

Keep on chuckin'

Bryan'Salty fly'

[smokinprice 0]

I have bought a couple of Scientific Angler waterproof boxes, an aluminum Orvis box, a couple plastic nubby tack boxes from Cabela's and a double sided box my dad picked up at the Caddis Fly Shop in Eugene, Or. My question is how do you keep your hooks from rusting or the colors from running into other flies? I am new to fly fishing/tying and some of my lighter flies have been staining/dyed from the bright colored flies. After only few times wet wading with them some of the hooks have already rusted. After I've finished fishing I open the boxes and set them in the sun on the dash of the car and bring them inside, keeping them open in the window sill. What do I do?

 

The big thing is to let them dry out. After every outing, I come home and leave the lid to my boxes open and let the flies dry out. Sounds like you may be putting them away wet thus causing the rusting.