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Being the first of the year it was time to do some of the annual things that
seem to help make my fishing season better. So I spent part of the first two
months of the year going through all of that stuff.
The first was to take all my fly boxes out of my vest and rearrange the
flies back where they belong. I know I should put them away where they
belong, but if the fish are biting that does not always happen. I then
arrange the flies in each box and see what I need to put in the boxes and
take that out of my stock.
Then it is time to get to tying those flies that are short in my stock and
the flies that I want to try.
This is the time when I look at my hook stock and decide that it is time to
clean that mess up. I have some of those rectangular plastic baskets from
the "Dollar Store" that I keep the boxes of hooks in. I try to keep hooks
size 6 or larger in one plastic box. Then hooks from 8 to 12 are in another
box and the hooks from 14 to 22 are in a third box. I then have the hooks
split up as to being dry fly or wet fly hooks of some sort in different
boxes. That means there are six of the plastic boxes with hook containers in
them.
There is also the bowl with all of the flies that are damaged too badly to
salvage and those patterns that just did not work for me. But the hook boxes
have to be arranged before I do anything else. Time to see what hooks I have
and what I might need to order, just because I want to have them.
As I went through the containers and pulled out the boxes hooks that did not
belong there, I found several boxes with half-a-dozen hooks or less in them.
Why do I leave that few hooks in a box when I put it back in the container?
Maybe with a biology background I am hoping that they will mate and grow
more. I know that they are inorganic, but hope springs eternal.
I kept those boxes out and organized each container so the hooks got larger
in size from one end to the other. That way all of the size 10 hooks are
together, and then the size 12 next to them, and so on. I did find a few
boxes of hooks that were duplicates to those that were almost empty and I
moved the hooks to the fuller box.
But the thing was that I still had 10 boxes that had just a few hooks in
each of them. Biology had not worked as there were no little ones in there
with them and their numbers had not increased. But why do I still leave them
in the box like that?
I emptied my bowl of reject flies and dumped out all of the hook boxes into
it. I then cut the materials off all the flies that were rejects and tossed
those hooks into the bowl. I don't try to separate the hooks and put them
into any of the hook boxes.
When I want to tie a pattern, I just reach into the bowl and grab a hook
that looks the right size. I take it out and tie the pattern and then look
for another hook that would work. I did manage to empty the hook bowl today
as I was tying. Now I will need to look in the other containers when I go to
tie the next time.
But the fly boxes in the vest are organized, the boxes in the bag are pretty
well restocked, and the hook containers are organized.
The 1 wt has the first coat of wrap finish on it. The second will go on in a
few days. I will then glue the tip on and be ready to put the reel on it.
The reel is already rigged and wanting to hit the water.
I think that I am ready to hit the water. The large question is; Will I be
looking at hook boxes next year with just a few hooks in them or will I be
smart enough to dump those hooks in the bowl and not have so many empty
boxes in the hook containers? History tells that I will, but hope springs
eternal.
If you can explain this malady please let me know. I also received 10 boxes
each of size 10 and 12 Aberdeen hooks that were on sale in a store that a
friend went to. They work well for many of the panfish patterns I tie. Now
to get another container to put them in.
Hope you can get out on the water. ~ Rick
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