Fly Boxes

As jeff miller and others know, I tend to get wet when I fly fish. I
take chances when I shouldn't and often get my fly boxes immersed.
This means I have to dry them out, and even then, some of the flies
rust. I don'[t mind getting wet, but it kills me when my flies do.

I have used Wheatley boxes in the past, as well as C&F and those cheap
foam boxes with the lids held together with 2 magnets. Everything I
have lets water in. However, I now see advertised the SA waterproof
fly box system. It has a rubber gasket which seals water out. They
could call if the Frank Reid Model, but I don't see Frank's name
mentioned in the ad. They are the right size and have inserts for
nymphs, dries, and streamers. Also available is a lightweight foam
insert storage suitcase which seems like a handy way to organize those
flies which you are not using.

Question: Has anyone tried this system, and if so, how is it?

What fly boxes *do* you use?

Dave

Dave LaCourse wrote in
:

As jeff miller and others know, I tend to get wet when I fly fish. I
take chances when I shouldn't and often get my fly boxes immersed.
This means I have to dry them out, and even then, some of the flies
rust. I don'[t mind getting wet, but it kills me when my flies do.

I have used Wheatley boxes in the past, as well as C&F and those cheap
foam boxes with the lids held together with 2 magnets. Everything I
have lets water in. However, I now see advertised the SA waterproof
fly box system. It has a rubber gasket which seals water out. They
could call if the Frank Reid Model, but I don't see Frank's name
mentioned in the ad. They are the right size and have inserts for
nymphs, dries, and streamers. Also available is a lightweight foam
insert storage suitcase which seems like a handy way to organize those
flies which you are not using.

Question: Has anyone tried this system, and if so, how is it?

What fly boxes *do* you use?

Dave





Haven't used the SA boxes, but *some* of the C&F boxes are waterproof and
gasketed. I think they're a bit bulky, and certainly pricey, but OK. I
like the slit foam.


--
Scott
Reverse name to reply

"Scott Seidman" wrote in message
. 1.4...
Dave LaCourse wrote in
:

As jeff miller and others know, I tend to get wet when I fly fish. I
take chances when I shouldn't and often get my fly boxes immersed.
This means I have to dry them out, and even then, some of the flies
rust. I don'[t mind getting wet, but it kills me when my flies do.

I have used Wheatley boxes in the past, as well as C&F and those cheap
foam boxes with the lids held together with 2 magnets. Everything I
have lets water in. However, I now see advertised the SA waterproof
fly box system. It has a rubber gasket which seals water out. They
could call if the Frank Reid Model, but I don't see Frank's name
mentioned in the ad. They are the right size and have inserts for
nymphs, dries, and streamers. Also available is a lightweight foam
insert storage suitcase which seems like a handy way to organize those
flies which you are not using.

Question: Has anyone tried this system, and if so, how is it?

What fly boxes *do* you use?

Dave





Haven't used the SA boxes, but *some* of the C&F boxes are waterproof and
gasketed. I think they're a bit bulky, and certainly pricey, but OK. I
like the slit foam.



Just be absolutely damn sure your flies are dry before you put them in the
box! One thing I like about my boxes is that they dry out. Sometimes I open
them in the rain, or have to put away some damp flies, and I don't worry
about them rotting inside the case.

I think it would be clever to toss in one of those little dessicant packets
if you got a waterproof box.

--riverman

Dave LaCourse wrote:
As jeff miller and others know, I tend to get wet when I fly fish. I
take chances when I shouldn't and often get my fly boxes immersed.
This means I have to dry them out, and even then, some of the flies
rust. I don'[t mind getting wet, but it kills me when my flies do.

I don't seem to have a problem with flies rusting. I figure that if I
use them then they will get wet. I simply put the used flies in the ash
tray of the black pickup and they dry out there. Then I put them in
whatever cheap ass box I found that I could buy for less than a buck.
If the flies are looking pretty ratty, then I clean them up and use
hemostats to make them all purdy by holding them in the steam from a
teakettle.

It may not be too refined, but it works for this redneck.

Big Dale

"Scott Seidman" wrote



Haven't used the SA boxes, but *some* of the C&F boxes are waterproof and
gasketed. I think they're a bit bulky, and certainly pricey, but OK. I
like the slit foam.


I've used these too ... and agree, bulky ( but they hold a lot of flies,
especially if you add a center panel ), too pricy ( but several hundred
rusted flies ain't cheap ) and they work fine. I too like the slits, I use
100% barbless hooks and the slits is the only storage system I've found that
works with them

I DID have one box that started leaking. I think I had damaged the gasket,
but you couldn't see anything wrong. Even though I bought the box in
California, Blue Ribbon Flies in W.Yellowstone called and got me a new
gasket and gave it to me .. for zilch .... damn good people at BRF ( normal
disclaimers, I'm not connected in any way except being a pleased customer )

When you close any of the gasketed boxes ... squeese it a bit, helps with
the waterproof

"riverman" wrote


Just be absolutely damn sure your flies are dry before you put them in the
box! One thing I like about my boxes is that they dry out. Sometimes I
open them in the rain, or have to put away some damp flies, and I don't
worry about them rotting inside the case.



I often combine strategies discussed

I have a 35mm film container punched full of holes tied to my vest ... used
flies go in there to dry, never directly back into the box

I often open my boxes and put them on my dash for the ride back to the
trailer ... rainy days, fell in days, etc

I used to do the steaming to rejuvenate but just toss them now ... I have
plenty of time to tie up more and generally have some new ideas I want to
try, anyway Also, I'm a crappy tier, but I am getting better. I find
myself using my nasty, sloppy, older flies ( good enough to 'catch fish' )
out of the box and then just tossing them. I gladly replace them knowing
that new ones will be a little better tied and prettier ... fish don't give
a ****, but then they don't care about the elegant finish on an expensive
rod, either G

On 4 Apr 2006 08:29:20 -0700, "Big Dale" wrote:


Dave LaCourse wrote:
As jeff miller and others know, I tend to get wet when I fly fish. I
take chances when I shouldn't and often get my fly boxes immersed.
This means I have to dry them out, and even then, some of the flies
rust. I don'[t mind getting wet, but it kills me when my flies do.

I don't seem to have a problem with flies rusting. I figure that if I
use them then they will get wet. I simply put the used flies in the ash
tray of the black pickup and they dry out there. Then I put them in
whatever cheap ass box I found that I could buy for less than a buck.
If the flies are looking pretty ratty, then I clean them up and use
hemostats to make them all purdy by holding them in the steam from a
teakettle.

It may not be too refined, but it works for this redneck.

Big Dale

It works for me too, BD. However, if I take a dunking (I will) and
all the flies in all the boxes I have in my vest get wet, I have to
take the time to dry them out.

The flies that I use obviously get wet, and I dry them on a fly patch
attached to my vest, and put them in the appropriate box at the end of
the day (or the following morning). Don't have any trouble with that,
only when I take a dunking and get *all* of them wet. Then it becomes
a pain in the arse.

Dave

"Wet"...ha!...if full body immersion, touch the bottom with your
forehead, float beneath the surface for 10 seconds constitutes "wet",
well yeah, i'd agree you do "tend to get wet". I have one. I like it.
seems to work. But, I generally do not field test in the same manner
as I have witnessed you do.

jeff

Dave LaCourse wrote:
As jeff miller and others know, I tend to get wet when I fly fish. I
take chances when I shouldn't and often get my fly boxes immersed.
This means I have to dry them out, and even then, some of the flies
rust. I don'[t mind getting wet, but it kills me when my flies do.

I have used Wheatley boxes in the past, as well as C&F and those cheap
foam boxes with the lids held together with 2 magnets. Everything I
have lets water in. However, I now see advertised the SA waterproof
fly box system. It has a rubber gasket which seals water out. They
could call if the Frank Reid Model, but I don't see Frank's name
mentioned in the ad. They are the right size and have inserts for
nymphs, dries, and streamers. Also available is a lightweight foam
insert storage suitcase which seems like a handy way to organize those
flies which you are not using.

Question: Has anyone tried this system, and if so, how is it?

What fly boxes *do* you use?

Dave

Guess which box Frank Reid uses? Can you say "SA?" I know you can.
I like them as they hold a fly real well, you can see through them, and
they are two sided with the center leaf. Makes it easy to carry two
boxes. One box has dries and nymphs, the other has caddis and wets.
Bonus, I've dunked the hell outta these things and still kept my flies
dry. I now also write my name, address and phone on them with a
permanent marker. Then again, since I've moved again, I guess I gotta
buy all new boxes. Glad they're opening a new Cabelas in Omaha
(actually LaVista).
Frank Reid

Dave LaCourse typed:
snip

What fly boxes *do* you use?

I've been collecting the Orvis Lighweight boxes in various sizes:
http://tinyurl.com/9y6ae They don't hold the flies any better (or worse)
than other like-boxes, but I like them because they weigh next to nothing in
my vest, and they're fairly cheap, like me.
--
TL,
Tim
-------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj