For the cheap at heart

[Poopdeck 0]

I'm cheap. I don't like spending money. I also don't like carrying an entire fly shop when I'm wading, preferring instead a couple simple boxes to put in my shirt pockets and a lanyard connected to my wader straps while I chuckle under my breath at those wearing a 20 drawer chest box. I am calmed by carrying only what I convince myself I need without ever a worry about what I don't have.   Problem is small compact fly boxes that are worth a crap, are not bulky and do not cost what I consider a small fortune is one of those fly fishing unicorns. I always relied on altoid tins and the like but they are far from perfect. Low and behold my bride of 33 years walks in the door with a pack of gum in a case that immediately catches my eye. Hurry up and chew that gum and give me the case I shout. After a couple weeks of testing I declare them perfect for my needs. Light, compact, durable and fits perfectly in the pockets of a shirt. $2.89 with 35 pieces of gum! YEEEEEWOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEE!  In appreaciation for this find I just gifted my wife two more packs of gum. She is a lucky women. 

 

[Steeldrifter 0]

This has Mike written all over it 😁

Great size to stick in a shirt pocket thats for sure!

[cphubert 0]

chew the gum and use it to hold your flies in place in the box! 

actually a good idea (the case not chewing the gum)

[fshng2 0]

👍 

[The Mad Duck 0]

12 minutes ago, Steeldrifter said:

This has Mike written all over it 😁

Great size to stick in a shirt pocket thats for sure!

HA HA. Deja Vu. That same thought flashed through my mind.

[The Mad Duck 0]

8 hours ago, Poopdeck said:

I'm cheap. I don't like spending money. I also don't like carrying an entire fly shop when I'm wading, preferring instead a couple simple boxes to put in my shirt pockets and a lanyard connected to my wader straps while I chuckle under my breath at those wearing a 20 drawer chest box. I am calmed by carrying only what I convince myself I need without ever a worry about what I don't have.   Problem is small compact fly boxes that are worth a crap, are not bulky and do not cost what I consider a small fortune is one of those fly fishing unicorns. I always relied on altoid tins and the like but they are far from perfect. Low and behold my bride of 33 years walks in the door with a pack of gum in a case that immediately catches my eye. Hurry up and chew that gum and give me the case I shout. After a couple weeks of testing I declare them perfect for my needs. Light, compact, durable and fits perfectly in the pockets of a shirt. $2.89 with 35 pieces of gum! YEEEEEWOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEE!  In appreaciation for this find I just gifted my wife two more packs of gum. She is a lucky women. 

 

Welcome to the membership of, the old, cheap, curmudgeon club

[Poopdeck 0]

Glad to be here. Curmudgeons unite! By the way in my excitement i forget to give the dimensions. 4.25" by 3.25" by .75". Perfect size. 

Mike probably has a face full of gum already. 

[Landon P 0]

I had this idea not to long ago but it kept crushing my drys. Might not be bad for nymphs though! 

[mikechell 0]

I like the box ... I can't stand chewing gum.  Do you have to slide the foam, with all the flies on it, out of the box to get at them?  

I need to find someone who likes to chew Wrigley's gum and have them give me the packs.

[Mark Knapp 0]

Pretty cool.

[Poopdeck 0]

8 hours ago, Landon P said:

I had this idea not to long ago but it kept crushing my drys. Might not be bad for nymphs though! 

If you look you will see there is a clouser minnow, black nose daces, a hackled popper, a wooly bugger, caddis flies, royal wulff, bivisibles, squimanators, and nymphs in the box, none of which are being even remotely crushed. Most of my real fly boxes don't exceed 3/4" and 3/4" depth is plenty thick to handle most dry flies without crushing. I guess if you cram it in a pack with other boxes it would crush some but I put them in a pocket.

 

8 hours ago, mikechell said:

I like the box ... I can't stand chewing gum.  Do you have to slide the foam, with all the flies on it, out of the box to get at them?  

I need to find someone who likes to chew Wrigley's gum and have them give me the packs.

Yes the foam has to be slid out. This was my only initial concern. Most flies can be gotten without removing it all the way but sliding it out all the way turned out to be a non-issue. At least not enough to offset the the benifits of light, compact and CHEAP. I'm not a gum chewer either which probably why I haven't run into this before. My wife isn't really a gum chewer either but does partake on occasion. The stars aligned on this one. 

[Bill_729 0]

I think considering the relative price of fly boxes, everyone who pays property taxes and buys groceries ought to have whichever fly box they want--even if it comes from a gum case. In my experience, such niceties grow on you with time like old friends.  Now the bag I tote my fly fishing paraphenelia (including flies) is a tool bag I got last year from Harbor Freight (it would be $7.20 after your 20% discount coupon).  Here:

https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-tool-bag-with-21-pockets-61467.html

I think it  has about 8 inside pockets and 6 on the outside (I'm not using), and I've grown fond of it since it helps me get out of the house fast.  It is more than adequate for fly-gear, and I could recommend this to transport your fly boxes, along with your reels, etc.  I think even a "particularly cheap person" would be very pleased with this purchase. Just please don't tell me you would rather use a shoe boxes--because shoe boxes don't hold anywhere near as much, aren't as nicely organized, and the tool bag is better!  :  )

[robow7 0]

We, my grandfather and father, used to make use of those old Sucrets tin boxes of which I think I still have one.

[DFoster 0]

12 hours ago, Poopdeck said:

Glad to be here. Curmudgeons unite! By the way in my excitement i forget to give the dimensions. 4.25" by 3.25" by .75". Perfect size. 

Mike probably has a face full of gum already. 

Our local dollar store carries pill organizers that would make wonderful dry fly boxes.  $1 and they will fit in your pocket.  I have one that I use everyday (for medication) it's a couple of years old and still works fine.

 

[Poopdeck 0]

I do have a sling pack for trips where I will be gone for the day but that's more for carrying water and a snack. I have traditional fly boxes as well but use them more for general storage. When I go out I pick through them and transfer what  I'm reasonably sure I will fish into a smaller lighter more convenient case to carry and leave the rest at home. I just don't want to be burdened with stuff hanging or wrapped around me when on foot.

I generally don't prescribe to the match the hatch hooey and stick with general patterns that generally will imitate most things.  I don't believe even the best tied dry flies look anything like what they are suppose to look like. In a sense every fly we fish is merely a general representation of generally the real thing. 

Traveling light is a mindset. I have no unreasonable fears of not catching a fish of a lifetime because I don't have a fly in my pack. Overthinking fishing, like trying to pick a fly out of 500, is a buzzkill for me. The lord takes care of the simple minded.