[Ol Rich]

I was looking over my fly boxes and realized all three are ripple foam on one side and flat foam on the other. I am looking at replacing one or two of them as they are beginning to come apart.

What are your favorate fly boxes? I will appreciate any information.

Rich

 

[BeBop]

I loose them frequently, so I buy whatever is cheap and functional. I have noticed in the last few years that the soft ripple foam that most of the manufactures are using, is too soft to hold the flies firmly. I only ever owned one classy fly box, a Whealey, and I lost it on, if you can believe it, The River of Golden Dreams.

 

[SparseHairHackl]

For trout fishing, I am forever changing how I store my too many flies. I switched from boxing flies by type to boxing flies by fishing location (I don't get out much) a few years ago, but it never seems to be what I want.

For steelhead fishing, I've used the same 3 boxes for years, and it's worked out great.

1. Regular wets go in a standard Wheatley clip box. The sides of the box have large clips and both sides of the leaf has smaller clips. (I generally don't buy nice things like a Wheatley, but this one was a gift for my fly club service.)

2. Muddlers go in a fleece fly wallet.

3. Steelhead dries go in a cheap Plano box with 7 compartments (3 long compartments and 4 half-size). I had them in an inexpensive waterproof (gasketed) box, but I'm having my kids use that box now, since they are much shorter than I and hence more prone to getting fly boxes wet.

One could certainly get by with fewer boxes, but I like to tie flies, and this is certainly sufficient and organized for my purposes. Since the 3 boxes are so different, I am never confused and never pull out the wrong box.

--Bill

 

[pmflyfisher]

I'm about the same as Bill with a long time allegiance to fleece fly walletts since I am mainly a wet fly and nymph FF.

 

[pescaphile]

Wheatley clip boxes carry my wet flys very nicely. I like the DeWitt or Myran boxes for dry flies. And when I use those big ugly leaches, a big DeWitt type box (with full slots -not compartments) works well.

 

[nevada caster]

Cabela's has some large fly boxes where you get your choice of ripples on both sides, or one ripple, one flat, for ony $6 or $7 bucks. They also have the replacement foam at a reasonable cost. They are cheap enough that I have started to store some of my flies in them. I use the Simms Vertical Master vest which is designed for two large boxes.

 

[Jumbo]

boxes

I fish with two of the big green SA boxes. one for wets and weighted, winter style flies, one for skaters and summer wets and dries, and a fleece fly wallet for the big articulated marabous that i tie for dredging.

wroks like a champ and at 12 bucks a pop for the SA's you can't go wrong.

 

[Per Stadigh]

I like the rather cheap ones Fenwick sell. Soft green with a zipper around three sides, good black foam inside on replaceable panels. They come in three sizes. The larger I use for my tubes that are hold in place by long stainless upholstry pins.

I also use the white foam Monell ones. The big saltwater one is great for big wakers or dries.

In principle I have given all my Wheatleys up. There is nothing worse than falling among rocks with hard boxes in the pockets. The soft ones wear out quicker but are so much nicer to handle, and are rather cheap to replace. On top, they float when dropped and actually add warmth in cold weather.

Per

PS. Even worse, I use simple zip-lock bags to store those tubes that are good to carry along, as "just in case" flies. DS