Thank Goodness for floating flyboxes!

[Janus]

Had no idea I dropped one yesterday until it floated by me.. had to chase it like a maniac down the river finally caught up with it 300yrds from where it dropped. Would have lost a lot of favorite flies if it didn't float.

[Cold]

Alternatively, depending on how deep the water was, it might have struck bottom and stayed put 15 feet downstream. Either way, glad you got your flies back. Though I usually only use about 10 patterns, I'd be sick if I lost a box full of flies.

[jeffnles1]

One reason why I write my name and phone number on my fly boxes. If (OK, when ) I drop them and if I were unable to catch it, hopefully some other fly fisherman would find it somewhere down stream, understand what it was he / she had and give me a call. I do the same with all of the rod tubes I use to trapnspor my rods to / from various locations. If I somehow forget to pack one back away, leave it on a bench in an airport, or have it slide of the roof of my car, with my contact info, at least there is a chance some honest person would find it and call me.

Glad you got your box back.

[John_N]

I'll make an additional recommendation. Some time back, I managed to wade just deep enough to dunk the bottom pockets of my vest and discovered when I got home that all of the fly boxes in said pockets had been soaked inside. I took all the flies out and spread them around on paper towels in the family room (which thrilled the Mrs. of course!), at which point I realized the rather staggering number I had in each box. I've long used the slit foam types in order to fit more in any given box but regardless of which type you use, I suspect we all would be a little taken aback if we actually counted the number of flies in our boxes. Multiply that times $2 lets say and the replacement cost for a box that gets fumbled out of your hands and washes downstream (cost of flies PLUS the box) can easily wind up being a couple hundred dollars or more. From that point forward, I began using inexpensive zingers on the inside of my vest pockets to attach to the eyelets that my boxes have on them. I've had at least a few cases where they've saved me from an accidental fumble or from leaving a vest pocket wide open and the box(es) susceptible to being knocked out.

[CaseyP]

old leader butts make dandy hold-ons for fly boxes that have a hole in the outside corner. i use a safety pin to secure the other end of the string to my vest. did this before the SECOND trip to the stream with my special Mother's Day Gift box!

[Janus]

thanks for the tips! I learned my lesson and will use some of the suggestions to prevent it from happening again.

[Eric-WD]

I opened up a midge box last year just as a good gust of wind came up, suddenly it looked like a hatch around me. the noise was deafening..... no not my swearing but the sound of trout down stream laughing. fishermen for miles down stream were commenting that they had never seen anything like it. for days they couldn't catch anything because anytime anyone cast any type of fly on the water the laughing started up again.


Eric

[TyroneFly]

To loose one is like loosing your wallet. Over the years I have switched over to floating fly boxes. I like the tether idea and will add security feature.

[bowfin47]

I don't really think its about floating or sinking. I don't care... The more important quality is a string or line that attaches the box to your vest. Yeah, I have boxes with and without strings, but I'll always remember my buddy's first trip to the San Quan, when, as he changed to his second midge, he fumbled and lost his box with over 300 newly tied "killer" flies. It floated like a cork for about 30 yards, before sinking in the fast current. As a result, my favorite "river" boxes are attached to my vest.

Just my 2 cents.