I was just wondering how most of you fellows go about storing and organising your hook collection?
I’ve just moved into a new property and my lovely girlfriend has allowed me to utilise one of the room as a fly tying/rod building room 
The only condition is I have to keep it clean and tidy :o
Any advice on organising my sprawling hook collection?
Cheers
Daniel
Although “fly tying room” and “clean and tidy” don’t go together :shock: some organization of hooks is called for, and relatively easy. I use a 4x8 plastic pencil box (elementary schools use them to try to contain the kiddo’s pencils/crayons/clips … opaque plastic, hinged lid).
Elastic band the same sizes together, and starting with the largest to the left side/end, start laying them in on their sides, till you fill that box, then move on to the next, (OH, OK … SO I’VE GOT FOUR OF THEM!!!) till all the hooks are in order. Easy to find, use what you need then PUT IT AWAY in the place it came out of!
After trying different things I have settled on the [url=http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0001289310756a.shtml:db4b1]Umpqua Hook Boxes[/url:db4b1].
They have curved bottoms for easy hook retrieval and 21 compartments with a card that fits in the top to write what hooks you have in each compartment, (although I opted to put a small label on the edge of each compartment instead). I also added a large piece of sheet foam from a craft store, cut to size to the inside of the lid to prevent the migration of small hooks.
I like them! They’re relatively inexpensive, available in many fly shops and hold a LOT of hooks.
Some of these sure would work for hook storage boxes
I don’t like to take them out of the original containers so I use a box designed for nuts and bolts that hangs on the wall and put streamer hooks in one section drys in another and nymphs in another works for me anyways.
I bought a box made by Stanley at the Home Depot. It’s roughly 16"x12"x2". Box is black with a built-in handle and a clear plastic hinged lid. Inside are about 25 yellow removeable bins and the lid is designed so that contents can’t shift from one bin to another.
I think it was made for screws and nails, etc, but it works perfectly for organizing hooks by size, storing bead packets and extra thread spools. Highly recommended for those who use portable tying stations.
I suggest leaving them in there original boxes. I had a friend that put his in a box like the ones suggested and his little boy dumped them and he never did figure out what was what. You are better off leaving them in the box they come in and finding a small drawer unit to hold the boxes that is what I have and I have a lot of hooks. You can find these units at Wall-Mart and other stores like that and they are not expensive at all. Ron
In the craft section at our local Walmart, I found a bead holder box that has 24 small boxes about 1" x2" that fit perfectly in the top of the tackle box I place my fly tying stuff in. I can fit over 200 hooks in each little box and seperate them by taping the labels from the package to the side of the box.
I do recommend the label though.
I ran into the same problem, though as someone already said "fly Tying and “neat and tidy” do not go together.
To solve my hook storage problem, whether at the home bench or traveling, I chose the “Pro” Style hook boxes. Twenty compartments (10 per side), curved bottom so hook retrieval is pretty easy, each compartment easily hold 100 size 6 salmon or steelhead hooks.
I admit that I have 7 of those boxes to hold everything from Salmon and Steelhead hooks to size 28 dry fly hooks. I think they are avaible from most fly fishing places and run about $7-$10 each. I have dropped more than one box and none of the hooks (even the size 28’s) didn’t migrate from one compartment to another.
REE
Daniel: Several responses have indicated they bought storage boxes at Wal-Mart. Thats where I got mine. Out of curiosity has Wal-Mart invaded your part of the world?
Tim Anderson
I agree with the …don’t take them out of the original box approach…why spend the time “repackaging” and labeling…
Since you have a dedicated room you shouldn’t have a space problem.
I recommend doing it like the stores do…they must know something…use peg board and the hooks of your choice…mount the board on an appropriate wall…or a spot I doubt most people think of…behind a door be it an entry door or a closet door or a cabinet door…works for me and everything is visible and handy…arrange by categories of your choice.
Thanks for all the replies guys, there’s certainly lots of ideas there for me to consider.
Hi Tim, in answer to your question about Walmart, no it hasn’t spread over here yet. Is that a good thing or not?? We do have what I would imagine are similar stores, although I doubt they’re anywhere near the size or carry such a range as your Walmart.
What really gets me is the price of fishing tackle over there with you compared to the price we have to pay for it.
For example - I believe a Sage XP 9’ #5 4 piece would cost you $595 (before any sales obviously)
Here - ?520!! currently that’s $989 :?: :?:
Anyone want to offer my girlfriend and me a job over there?? Anywhere
Daniel: Lots of people over here don’t like Wal-Mart. They say that WM drives the other stores out of business because of lower prices, but when you ask them if they shop at WM they usually say yes. I guess to answer you question whether WM is good or not is that it depends on what how you personally think things should be.
Tim
The thing I liked about the the bead holders I found here at WalMart they were only $4.98. That was 24 little boxes and one big plastice box that they all came in. I can purchase one here and send it you if you like. I will try to find a picture of it. Here is a link to the storage boxes that I am talking about.
It sounds very ho-hum, but I usually just leave the hooks in the package that they came in until I’m ready to use them.
I use the little flip top containers. They are perfect for smaller hooks. The primary advantages are space savings, organization, and spill disaster avoidance.
I stick a color coded round removable label on the side for quick size reference and cutoff the details from the original container and put it inside.
Jim
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I have found bead boxes in craft stores that have 14 compartments, all the lids open individually and they have a locking mechanisim to help stop untimly discharge. I believe they were about $5 each, much cheaper than anything sold in Fly Shops. If you must take the hooks out of the original containers I recommend something like that.
I bought this from Wal-Mart a couple of years ago for about 10 bucks. Top Picture shows 30 drawers for hooks and 9 for whatever. Bottom picture shows how mustad hooks fit into the drawers.
Tim Anderson
I wish all hook makers would use one kind of packaging.