# Fly Management System



## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Fly fishing offers a choice of many outstanding venues...and to take advantage of them, often requires many different flies. 

The traveling fly angler needs a good system to organize their flies into easily transportable elements, otherwise you can spend hours and hours and frustrations preparing to fish for different species. 

I've tried many things over the years and have evolved into this approach:

1) Alaska box ( trout, steelhead, salmon, dolly, char, grayling, etc.)
2) Flats box ( bonefish, permit, Tarpon, etc.)
3) Big water box ( roosterfish, dorado, jacks, kings, etc.)
4) small stream trout
5) ponds (gills, bass, )

Some new (to me) boxes have become available which enable this system including the new polycarbonate box from back country (can easily hold 15 dozen flies) and the Feather craft box. Each easily fits into any carry on and take it very little space in a water craft. 

I'm curious to see what others use and hoping to get some more ideas.


----------



## zack3476 (Jun 22, 2012)

I just use a waterproof Plano stowaway box, no foam. But my flies rarely leave the boat, and if they do, I just grab which tray I want. I put all my longer flies in one, and all of my small crab/spoon flies in the other. Works well for me.


----------



## Erichugh22 (Mar 31, 2014)

I have a couple cliff beast boxes, one for flats fishing, one for tarpon/offshore. I just grab whichever one I need and take off. I have a few smaller boxes for trout, bass ect.


----------



## Boboe (Feb 11, 2009)

I do pretty much the same thing you do, Meadowlark, with some variation.

I don't believe in spending $30+ for a fly box. All it has to do is hold flies in an orderly manner. The markup on purist fly boxes is stupid high.

As you said, I generally separate it based on species, but that's not always the case. 

When I'm guiding, I select the boxes I'll need for the day. 

I've got 2 ~4"x8" Plano boxes filled with salmon streamers. Each compartment is crammed full with probably a dozen flies of a certain color. You don't want to run out of the go-to fly if they're being picky. 

For rainbows on salmon beds, I've got 2 different bead boxes. Both have ~1"x1"x1" compartments for various sizes and colors of beads. I also carry a ~2"x3" clamshell box with 3 sizes of split shot, 3 sizes of hooks, toothpicks, and yarn. This completes the bead setup.

For rainbows in the spring and fall, I've got multiple of the 4x8 Plano boxes. Each one is basically a color. One is my flesh patterns. One is black and purple patterns. One is olive patterns. 

I also have one dry fly box that's a clamshell type foam box with ridged foam. In it is an assortment of **** to throw at grayling, plus a couple different mice.

Lastly I have a fry/smolt box for springtime fishing. It's got Thunder Creeks, epoxy fry, aelvins, and other similar small stuff. This is mostly a grayling box too, but occasionally you get a decent rainbow out of this box.

At home I have a bass box, a bluegill box, a bonefish box, and an offshore box. I don't need so many flies for just me, so I can keep it more simple.


----------



## Ish (Oct 30, 2008)

old copenhagen cans.

_just don't get 'em wet._


----------



## southpaw (Feb 25, 2009)

I just stick them all in my high tech, low density, tangle free, space foam sombrero. I think I got it from some local fly shop down in the Yucatan or something










Just add a chin strap for windy days gueys!

Other than that I snagged a couple of these guys on a 2 for 1 sale awhile back. They're pretty nice and Allen does that deal pretty often so just keep an eye out. If I'm on my little boat then I use a smaller box like this to keep all of my bobbers, I mean flies.


----------

