Fly Box Recommendations

Luke Warmwater wrote:

I need more space for flies and would like to hear what anyone thinks
would be the better choice choice in a fly box.

I've looked at the following boxes, but can't decide which one is
right. Flies are nymph and dries for trout, 14 - 18 mostly with a few
larger flies for Stones 8 - 10.

Scientific Anglers X System

CF Design 1506, 1506F, and 3588

TIA for your help.

It's been interesting to see what ROFFians choose. I recently got
the C&F "system" with the 1506 inserts, and I like it. I'm guessing the
foam won't last too long, but so far it's my favorite fly-holding
system. (It would probably self-destruct even quicker if I didn't use
barbless hooks.) Prior to getting it, I was using Bug Luggage boxes,
and I still like them OK, but the C&F box holds ~1-1/2 times again as
many flies as the comparably-sized Bug Luggage box. (But don't kid
yourself -- you won't be using all the slots in the C&F box; I basically
use every other one to keep from crushing hackles.)

I've also used the Okuma aluminum 16 compartment box, and various
plastic boxes and lozenge tins with bristle-tack or other inserts added.

Of course it's a tradeoff between traveling light and getting caught
without the flies you "need", and so far, I don't have enough confidence
to risk getting caught short-handed. The C&F system is the best
compromise I've found so far.

For my upcoming NC trip I'll take one small Bug Luggage box of
wets/nymphs/emergers, a large Bug Luggage box of dries, and fill the C&F
box from those and carry it onstream.


Chuck Vance (who has been known to wear a belt *and* suspenders)