What kind of fly box for saltwater?

[mhedlund]

I am planning a 2-3 week trip to the Gulf Coast of Florida (from Minnesota) in March. So far I have been tying clousers and deceivers in sizes 6-2/0. What do you salty guys use for your fly boxes? I think we will mostly be fishing from kayaks and wade fishing. I am thinking I should have a large box and a smaller box to carry. Maybe a couple regular plano boxes with spare flies? I have about 17 dzn saltwater hooks on my tying desk and a Minnesota winter to tie them.

Also could use so hints on what else to tie for that time of year. If it eats flies, I'm game to chase it.

Any insight would be great.
Mike

[shorthaul]

im using a Cliffs Bugger beast box but im working out of a boat all the time and i have assorted shallow multi compartment boxes---ill usually pack for the species that im likely to encounter---no bonefish stuff while tarpon fishing----gummies and clousers for albies---no toads

cliff's bugger beast:

[SkipS]

For most of my fishing I use a nubby tack fly box thats about 4x6x1.5.I can get between 2 and 3 dozen flies in them which is plenty to carry.This size box fits nicely in a shorts pocket for strolling the beach also.I have larger boxes but I use this size most of the time.

[J Castwell]

Make SURE,,, your fly box FLOATS!

[dudley]

I only carry one box
One of those large inexpensive, flat foamed, fly shop logo ones
I 'feed it' out of a bunch of the Plano style boxes that I carry in my tackle bag

You can make a suitable box by gluing craft foam into an old VCR box

Flies that are too large for a fly box, go in zip-lock bags

Be sure and write you name and phone number on your fly box just in case

[peregrines]

Mhedlund-

You've gotten great advice, and it sounds like you're going to have a great trip and maybe even a lot more fun just getting ready for it.

The C&F SW Flyboxes are great, but very pricey. They have a couple of different models, (scroll down to bottom of link), and there may be knockoffs out there for less:
http://www.bearlodgeangler.com/c_&_f_fly_boxes.htm

If you go that route, either the Tarpon (to hold both big stuff and smaller stuff ) or the Permit for redfish sized stuff plus something else to carry larger stuff (like a bugger barn or other plastic box with flat sided foam on both sides) might be the way to go.. The Bonefish one would likely be better if you were carrying a lot of relatively smaller flies and going somewhere else (sizes for Florida bones are typically bigger than other destinations)

One thing that seems to work for me is an unbreakable clear 6 compartment plastic box about 8? x 12? with adjustable dividers from a hardware store, and a box of plastic fly sleeves about 1?? x 9? to store larger flies like Deceivers
http://clouserflyfishing.stores.yahoo.net/plflysl.html

The sleeves keep the deceivers from getting all tangled up with each other, and you can really pack them in the those compartments. You can use this to restock the boxes you take with you on the water (or throw it in a bag if you go on a boat).

As far as flies go, local folks can give you a better idea of what to use, and Deceivers and
Clousers probably would cover a lot of bases. Depending on what you?re fishing for you might want to consider some of these, just to throw out some ideas:

Clousers- 2-1/0 chart, chart over white, tan over white, pink, brown (from wrong side of natural bucktail)

Deceivers 1/0 - 3/0 light ones for clear water (white, blue over white or olive over white etc), some for stained water (2/0- 3/0 black or chartreuse)

Some stuff for dredging deepwater cuts, channels and offshore oil platforms etc if you might do any of that. 3/0 Half and Halfs, or rabbit strip stuff in chart, white or black

Topwater some crease flies or simple hardfoam poppers with bucktail tails on long shanked 2/0 SW hooks. Throwing these can be a blast for ladyfish, jacks, specs etc.

Crittery looking things like Kwans, anything by Borski, or simple takeoffs on clousers with marabou and cactus chenille etc. in root beer and olives in redfish sizes

Crab patterns like a Del Brown Permit fly in size 1 in tan

Spun deerhair head ?muddler? looking flies or divers are fun to fish on the surface in the back country for snook etc. Examples might be 2/0 Snake Flies for ?v waking?, Dahlberg Divers etc.

Weedless stuff- a few smaller 2 or 1 bendbacks might be good, and tie some of your other flies with a mono weed guard. Divers should probably get a loop and Borski stuff a V type guard out of stiff 20lb mono.

Stuff for toothy critters pre rigged with a short wire leader. Maybe a red white 3/0 Seaducer for sharks, and/or a 2/0 barracuda braided ?needlefish? looking thing?

One thing you should add to your kit, if you don?t have one, is a yellow handled Luhr Jensen Hook file (about 6 bucks) to pre-sharpen and touch up hooks, along with polarized sunglasses, hat, good spf stuff, etc.

Hope some of this this helps,
peregrines

[Eight Thumbs]

Craft foam in a VCR box why didn't I think of that? Great! Especially the clear plastic boxes. Might want to drill a hole in the box and add a safety cord and a clip of some type.


The idea of "feeding" your carry-along box from other boxes is also a good one because it keeps your new flies in pristine condition instead of salty, wet and grungy. Nothing grunges up stuff like saltwater. I feed my LMB flies carry-along box from my car truck and the potential for damage is even greater in salt. 8T

[rckrego]

They make great boxes, both the bugger beast and the bugger beast junior. I think they even have a boat box.

http://www.cliffoutdoors.com/products.php

Also check out flambeau's waterproof boxes.

http://fishing.flambeauoutdoors.com/...lue_ribbon.asp

[Duffin Boy]

Make sure ya open that box at night and dry the flies out.
If the box is watertight it is prob airtight as well.
I rinsed mine out and put it under a fan for a while.

[saltydancindave]

Usually just take small fly boxes, some of which have the o-ring waterproof closures that will fit into the pockets of Columbia fishing shirts or into the old Columbia flats shoulder-chest pack when fishing. That doesn't include the big tackle bags with lots of Plano plastic lure boxes from which to select the stored flies to take for a day. The old FAOL Florida Fish-In pages should have a recommended selection of flies to choose from for gulf coast waters.