How do you organise your flies

[Black-Don]

Last year I resolved to limit the amount of stuff I carry with me when fishing or even when travelling in the car which meant I have to leave about six seperate flyboxes infavour of one small one.

I can't bring myself to sell or scrap the flies I seldom use and intend to just use them until I am down to a stock of the patterns I will use on the river or loch. This still creates a problem in that I need to somehow organise these seldom used flies together with maybe half a dozen flies I've tied of the patterns I feel are essential to my fishing.

How should I go about organising the stock flies so that I have a central and easily accessed portable stock of all the wets and maybe at a push another similar storage solution for the dries that I can keep at home but at the same time chuck in the car if I want to ?

I've ordered some self adhesive foam and slitted foam and was thinking of making up a large double leaf  ply box in order to resolve this problem. Size would maybe be 12 x 15" or maybe 10 x 15" similar to but bigger than this



Which is 12 x 8" and £9.99 + p&p

Cost isn't so much the issue as size because I could probably buy one cheaper than I can make one but can't get a box as large as I'd like.

What do you use ?

[dazdidge]

I have a whychwood vuefinder with two compartmets containing slit foam, I think it can hold around 200 flies flies from memory and it is the only one I take out with me. It is small enough that it fits in the breast pocket of my fly vest but large enough not to crush the bushier flees. I do also sometimes carry a tiny wheatley box with the little spring clips that hold the really teeny flees, it is only about 2x3 inches and maybe 1/4" thick at most. I used to carry half a dozen of the wooden boxes which led to confusion and wasted time while trying to choose something, now I carry no more than these two little boxes with a selection of my favourite flies in different sizes. More than enough for me for a few days away.

daz

[Traditionalist]

If you use foam, then just get one or two sandwich boxes and line them with it;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sistema-Sandwich-Lime-Aqua-Pink/dp/B003HIVAP6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336135181&sr=8-1

most supermarkets and the like will have a selection of these cheap, also "pound shops".

I use a few Curver sandwich boxes.

For small fly boxes get hinged soap boxes and line them as desired.  For better lining than flat foam use draught excluder strip;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tesa-Draught-Excluder-Profile-White/dp/B000QB303W/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1336135392&sr=1-1-catcorr

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tesa-Draught-Excluder-Profile-White/dp/B0024NKDFS/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1336135392&sr=1-2-catcorr

TL
MC

[haresear]

How should I go about organising the stock flies so that I have a central and easily accessed portable stock of all the wets and maybe at a push another similar storage solution for the dries that I can keep at home but at the same time chuck in the car if I want to ?

for trout/grayling I carry two boxes always (one for dries - one for nymphs and a few wets) and a third if I feel I might need to use lures.

For the reserve stock, I just keep them in resealable poly bags, labelled with the type/pattern.
e.g. "beadheads" "parachutes" "f fly" etc. The poly bags go in a nylon bag and I restock the boxes I carry from the reserve stock.

Alex

[Black-Don]

Alphabetically for me

I wouldnae mind having a look at your alphabet of flies M8. I'll alphabet your alphabet doesn't have 26 goto but deadly patterns in it though   : 

[Wildfisher]

No matter how I try to organise my flies they end up a shambles after  two trips.  :lol:

[bluezulu]

'organise' is not a word that can really be applied to my approach to fly storage and transportation.

apart from anything else,  i can never convince myself that at some point  i might not 'need' something, and not being  able to  foresee what that is when at the car the safest option is to take everything. ridiculous of course.

maybe ought to try and do something about that this year.

[scotty9]

I don't have a reserve stock or anything like that, I just tie more when I've lost them all or getting dangerously low :lol:

I could probably throw out a crazy amount of flies I've collected that never get used, I've even got an entire box of traditional wets for goodness sake :lol: I think just about everyone apart from Alan has the problem you say bluezulu - it's so hard to throw away something you wonder if you might need it at some point in the future.

[Wildfisher]

it's so hard to throw away something you wonder if you might need it at some point in the future.

I admit this is one of my failings, but not just because I might need them, I like having them and enjoy browsing the boxes of all those patterns I'll never use.  :lol: 

I would  not be entirely dismissive of traditional wets by the way, although I seldom use them they do come in handy  now and then.

One very good example of that was at a (very) high loch last year. After going down the now predicable route of DHS's,  DHE's, Sedge/Hedge-Hogs,  things with legs  etc etc  for hours and getting sod all,  Joe started nailing them on a Peter Ross, me on a Butcher. If you had gone up there only with a box of nouvelle cuisine offerings you would have had a thin time of it.

[Black-Don]

No matter how I try to organise my flies they end up a shambles after  two trips.  :lol:

That's the point Fred, 1 box/stock box for tied patterns, ( maybe six of each to last the whole season ) and seldom used flies plus one pocket sized  box to take on the river or loch. Never carrying more than one fly box at a time.

I have a large c&f fly box. WTF is thaat all about. No doubt a remnant of my stockie days  :roll:

This way I will be able to see all my flies and put them in the "active" box when there is a space.

I admit this is one of my failings, but not just because I might need them, I like having them and enjoy browsing the boxes of all those patterns I'll never use.  :lol: 

:lol:

I could probably throw out a crazy amount of flies I've collected that never get used, I've even got an entire box of traditional wets for goodness sake :lol: I think just about everyone apart from Alan has the problem you say bluezulu - it's so hard to throw away something you wonder if you might need it at some point in the future.

When you get older Scott, time becomes of the essence