question about flyboxs...

[spoof85]

are there special boxes for specific fly types?
remember guys... im new to this lol...

i have 2 boxes, both have 100 slots,(50 on each waterproof side) the slots are 1/2 inch, with 1/4 inch triangles at the bottoms, the box itself is basically a bubble.... i assume what i have is a nymph or emerger box... i can put dry flies in, but if they are not in the middle few spaces they get distorted almost completely out of recognition... kinda defeats the purpose... and ive been finding myself limiting what flies i tie, no one likes putting a bran new mangled fly on!

i guess i need to be educated on fly boxes, i know there are slanted foam,(not sure the purpose of that) ones like mine, individual compartment boxes... as u all know the list goes on.
can anyone help explain this unexplained nightmare? ive got flies i wanna carry!

spoof

ps. i know there are special boxes for streamers also..

[butternut-tyer]

hey spoof...I have been fly tying and fly fishing for over 30 years now. At one time I even collected fly boxes and I think I have seen and used them all, at least all of the older tyes that were on the market lets say 10 years ago and back. I am a big fan of the Richard Weatley of England compartment window boxes, they are super cool and start around $90 and up. Okuma makes one just like it and they are very nice and of great quality too, they start at $30, and I carry one on occasion. But, with all of that said, I carry all of my dries in a Scientific Anglers foam stepped fly box, the steps are for letting your dry fly hackles to hang down in to, thus keeping them from getting all smashed. There ya go, my 2 cents worth, with a couple more cents thrown in for confusion lol.

[NewTyer 1]

I don't think it matters what you put where but, what I do is this. I have a separate box for each catagory fly. Dries in one, Nymphs in another, Streamers in another which makes it easy. I can then pick and choose which flies I want to fish that day. You can set your boxes up however you want. The preference is yours. You could put dries on one side and nymphs on the otherside. However you decide. Those triangles are for when you put your flies in the slot. not only does it show you where your slit is but when you put your hook in you put the bend of the hook in the triangle and push and your hook should push right in the split. Good luck and tight lines.

[planettrout]

I am also one of those "old school' people who has an affinity for Richard Wheatley boxes:



For dries...



For Nymphs...

I also like the Myran 16 compartment boxes...



...and will sometimes mix both dries and nymphs in those slots depending on what I take to the water on a given occasion...


PT/TB

[JohnScott]

Dai-Riki hook boxes make just dandy fly boxes. And several of them fit nicely in one of the small zippered pockets of a Fishpond chestpack.



I think these boxes were made specifically for people who don't like to tie flies, to discourage them from going overboard, and so they only carry the fewest number of flies they know will work on a given piece of water under given circumstances.

John

P.S. I'm sure a lot of folks would consider these boxes and their contents BORING. But they've provided a lot of good fishing on a beautiful river several times a week for the past couple months. If you're bored with that, you need to spend all of your time at the tying vise.

[narcodog]

For dry's I like compartment boxes as they don't crush the hackle. For the rest I use slotted boxes.

[ScottP]

I like Cliff Super Day's Worth although I've been pretty bad about keeping it organized. I also like these:





Lots of places sell them (got these on EBay for about $12); the waterproof gasket seems to work well, they hold a lot of flies and don't crush the hackle on most dries. I've got one for caddis, mayflies, tailwater; not quite big enough for hoppers/big attractor dries.

Regards,
Scott

[NewTyer 1]

Very impressive indeed. That is a whole lot of time at the vise over the winter. Nice job. Mine are fairly organized but not quite to your standard.

I am also one of those "old school' people who has an affinity for Richard Wheatley boxes:



For dries...



For Nymphs...

I also like the Myran 16 compartment boxes...



...and will sometimes mix both dries and nymphs in those slots depending on what I take to the water on a given occasion...


PT/TB

[CoachBob]

Here's a different take on the subject.

1. Only bring as many flies as you are likely to use. Unless you are after troutzilla, you will not need 20 of every pattern. If you are in cold water (trout) you may need ten patterns with 3-5 of each. But...contacting the nearest fly shop can help you cull down to just what you need. If you are in warm water, you may need only a couple of patterns and only a few of each.
2. Don't use a compartmentalized box that doesn't have covers for each compartment. We have all dropped a box at one time or the other and having 100 flies jump out of the box and into the water will make you say things that cause the stream to boil.
3. You can jury rig cheap boxes that work just fine. A travel soap dish with foam glued into the bottom, or an Altoids tin, or any cheap small plastic box can be adapted to carry flies. If you are in the three prescriptions a month club, you can use your prescription drug bottles. The bottles are usually amber but have a white top you can write on with a Sharpie to identify the contents.
4. Don't put big flies in a small box. Stimulators and poppers need a lot more air space than nymphs, and a crushed dry is not a good fly.
5. Have a fly patch (foam, wool, etc.) on your shirt or vest. Fill this with the most likely suspects to use on the water. You have probably seen pictures of fly fishermen from the 40s and 50s with a hat full of flies. That wasn't just for the picture. You can still get wool hatbands that will hold a lot of flies, or pin patches onto your hat. You may not make the cover of GQ, but it's a great place to keep flies. Once you have done any of the fly patch approaches, you will be amazed how extra fly boxes seem redundant.
6. If you use compartmentalized boxes, make the best of the compartment's space and pre-rig flies on tippet. There is nothing wrong with a loop to loop connection for attaching tippet to leader, or droppers to dries. Simply prep a few flies, coil the tippet and put the whole thing in a compartment. When troutzilla takes you fly, you can put on a new one in seconds.

[anglerdave]

For dry's I like compartment boxes as they don't crush the hackle. For the rest I use slotted boxes.

Same here.