Popper Box

How do you fly fishermen carry your foam smallmouth and bluegill poppers in your vest? Is there a special box you can buy?

I mostly foam tube but I have boxes for warm water and for trout flies. I have had boxes with foam to hold the flies and divided boxes where they are just kept in a section of the box. Both work well. Other than the fact they tend to take up more space there is no reason not to have them in a box with trout fiies. Because we accumulate a good many prescriptions bottles, I frequently use them to transport bugs from my bench to a float tube box or to friend.

I use a #2 washtub! And a square one at that!!

Seriously, they can be a PITA, as most "fly" boxes are so shallow that they 'crush' the collars if left stored in a closed box for very long (Yeah, I know about steaming them, or running very hot water over them to restore the collar, but who has access to such on the water?). I use the deeper, moveable partioned boxes that the bait casters use for their lures. I can adjust the size of the compartments to fit the bugs.

These boxes are available at a lot of fabric and craft shops; thus, you do not have to go to a tackle shop to find them. I bought a couple of 'fishing gear bags' at Bass Pro a few years back that came with 5 such plastic boxes in them, have two large zippered pouches (one on each end) for reels and extra spools, a meshed pocket for tippet materials, etc., on the outside of each end pouch, and a large zippered pocket on the back side for snacks, or whatever. They have solved a lot of my earlier problems. (No financial interest!)

How about one of these? I used to have one during my former spin bass fishing days.

http://www.basspro.com/Berkley-Strap.../product/1560/\]


Or this only 8 1/4" long.

http://www.basspro.com/Plano-Double-...product/74077/

I carry my bluegill popers in a small C&F knock off box. Since the poppers are small and I tend not carry a great deal of them, this seems to work fine.

I did carry my smallmouth poppers in a large foam lined fly box and still do from time to time, but have switched over to a box with 6 compartments. Most of my smallmouth poppers are hard bodied so I am not all that concerned about them getting crushed. I carry my largemouth bass poppers in the same style box. Most of those are made out of deer hair and are larger so the this style of box works for me.

Dave

I use something like the 6-1/2" x 3-5/8" x 1-1/8" plastic box from bass pro [http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shop...roduct/13316/]. With moveable compartment separators this can accomodate about any size popper.

The "Extreme 360" bag on the Bass Pro site (above link) is what I have, and referred to earlier.

Frank

I've owned one of the strap-on tackle boxes you give the site for since the 80s. It's a cool idea but you wear it like a fanny pack on your front side. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it had a lot of positives, like providing a work shelf (when it's folded down) while you're standing by/in the water. I stopped using it because I don't need something that big to bring a few flies to the water. But it is pretty cool.

I use one of the Cliff Beast boxes for my smallie flies(poppers, mice and the like fit fine) on the water. I have a file system at home of Plano 3700 boxes to keep everything organized and I can just restock when need be.

I have seen people make their own version of my box though. Pencil cases (from Hobby Lobby?) or pistol cases with a little foam glued in will work great.

I use those cheap little Plano plastic boxes from Walmart. They fit in my vest pockets, and hold a lot of poppers, and foam bugs. I also use them to mail off flies for fly swaps. They run around $2.00 each.

The box I use is a box by feather-craft called the meat locker at 10x6.5x3.25 and has slit foam that holds flies to a size 8/0!
It also has a slot suffice on the outside to dry or hold flies while on a boat.I keep mine in a camp fanny pack that has a.web belt and snap buckle strap.

That's a great idea!
Thanks

One other option is to go to Michael's and buy a Recollections brand box which is shaped exactly like a bugger barn with sliding latches. The box is $6. Glue in a couple of properly shaped pieces of 3mm sheet foam and you have a box capable of holding 18 gurglers tied on a #2 hook (I know because i just filled one for an upcoming presentation. Attachment 10999

I found some boxes at Wal-Mart in the kids section used for cryaons and pencils for about 1.00 ea. Then went to the dollar store and got some thick foam from the craft area, used to make door signs that hang on the door knob for about a buck. I got home and glued them in with contact cement and they work great for my striper and bass flies. Total cost about 7.00

Bass, I got the exact same box, but used some cheaper foam. Works pretty good!

Doesn't anyone use Altoids boxes anymore?

Altoids boxes are great, but a little small for those 4/0 hooks on the bigger flies. :)

Altoid boxes are great! I keep hooks, sinkers, small screws and fasteners, and jig-heads in them. With a little foam, they make outstanding boxes for nymphs and midges. I keep my mp3 player in one. Just for fun, I have even, made a small transistor radio out of one, with kit parts from Radio Shack. You can glue a magnet to the back, and they make a great hide-away box for car keys, money...whatever. Also, when you glue a magnet to the back, it keeps tiny screws and fasteners from rolling around and bouncing while you are working. I use them with a magnet to hold my air rifle pellets (easily fits into a pocket), slingshot ammo, and muzzzle-loader roundballs (up to .50 cal), while I'm in the field. There are thousands of uses for them.

To be honest...I buy Altoids (instead of Icebreakers) just for the boxes. I also buy certain brands of margarine, just for the tubs, and things that come in glass jars over plastic, just for the glass jars. I re-use everything I can. It's part of the value of the entire product.

I know I am weird, but I am OK with it.......

I carry one of these for my poppers: http://www.farmandfleet.com/products...g#.UG8MxK61ySo and it resides in my bag or at times on the boat. For my vest I carry a couple of the larger, green Bonnand boxes for big streamers, boogers and poppers. When I arrive at the fishing hole, I select the ones I'll be using that day and take from the bigger box to fill the vest box. For most of my streamers I use the Shimano Worm ziplocks in a small notebook sized bag approach. :cool: