how do you organize your fly box ???….
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I’ve caught myself carrying 6 fly boxes and have decided that that’s too many and I need to organize better!
Good topic; comes up often. I have found this link very useful http://flyfisherman.com/ftb/johnbarr/index.html. John Barr discusses his organization and the pictures of each box can be enlarged. I go back to this article often to get new ideas for my own fishing.
I believe that an important aspect to this question is whether or not you tie your own flies. This is often overlooked but probably plays a role in how you arrange your stuff. For the non-tier you are probably spending about $2 per fly on average and also picking up flies as you need em, typically a few at a time. In this case I think it is logical to organize by a wet/nymph box and a dry box. In order to fill a medium/large box you would be spending hundreds of dollars and therefore I see most people in this category focusing on the essentials and going for a few in each size color.
On the other hand, if you tie your own flies then life can get exciting and/or complicated. You are no longer limited so to speak and soon you will have all kinds of flies and most of them you will probably never use. Thus, it is typical to have all kinds of fly boxes and new organization schemes. I have come to realize that about 60% of my flies are what I consider essential, meaning I’ve fished them and have confidence in the pattern. I could probably throw away the other 40% and never notice they were gone until that one day out of the year when a particular situation came along. I have had success with species specific boxes with each species having all stages of development, nymph and/or larva, emergers, cripples, dry, dun/spinners (ie one box with BWO side one and caddis side two since these cover most of the bugs I fish). The problem is what to do with all my other nymphs and streamers and terrestrials.
It seems like I reorganize my fly boxes, which boxes are used, and which flies go in each box about once a year. It is fun to mess with the flies and make sure they are in the right place from time to time.
I’ve thought of putting together specific river or destination boxes…but then I’d have the same patterns a couple of boxes…and be right back where I started with having a bunch of boxes with a bunch of the same flies…and no organiziation.
I am a big fan of the C&F boxes…
…but for warmwater or salt I like the Bugger Beasts from Cliff Outdoor Products.
Good thread! I ,too, LOVE Barr’s way and his boxes!
I am a nymph fisherman… so here is my most organized nymph box.
Cameron, You are a truly “midger”… How scary is that seeing you forget all the flies and suddenly they appear gradually in the box! ;D
LET’S SEE ALL YOUR’S BOXES! (If we can ;))
BWO ttb (top to bottom) nymph, emergers, cripples, dry fly, some generic dry patterns
Caddis ttb larva, sparkle pupa, general pupa, cripple/emergers, dry fly, wet flies
Midge box
Terrestrial box
Streamer box
One of my saltwater boxes
Artsy fartsy
Fly tying desk with boxes
I go with the following boxes:
A streamer box (one of those bug luggage boxes), it carries wolly buggers, thunder creeks and esls
A steelhead Pattern Box a metal clip with center leaf box and steelhead flies mostly downwing, with some prawn patterns and articulated leaches, and glo bugs to round things out (someone stole it from me this year 🙁 )
An Egg Box – Beads on one side, glo bugs and flesh on the other
A nymph and Dry box – PTs, COpper Johns, Prince Nymphs and Hares ears on one side, stimulators on the other
A clouser box – enough saidI grab the one I need when I go out on a particular stream… Plus I always have some weird flies in my dryer patch to fill whatever need may arise…
no pictures as my boxes are embarrasingly empty
Cameron that midge box on the left is extremely impressive too me! Now I know what I am going to put down in the Christmas list thread! ;D
Joel
Box?
Ha ha ha ha ha…. ;D
That’s awesome!! Zach!How much you want! Just for a peek ::)
Neal! Nice Candy bag!!
I have 9 of the large C&F boxes and 2 of the smaller C&F boxes. Those things are awesome. I have one for all my carp flies, one for steelhead nymphs for Michigan and Indiana, one for Erie steelhead, one for smallie streamers, one for steelie streamers, a bonefish box, a permit box, a tarpon box, and one for poppers/terrestrials. I use the smaller ones for dries, midges, and smaller nymphs. For all my big reef and off-shore flies I have a fly brief case.
I have a Richardson chest box with 3 compartments and arrange the flies into midges, dries, nymphs and streamers. Also just in case I will carry a C&F box with more flies. Frank
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