25 Fly boxes but who is counting.

[Highlander]

Every year I look out my tackle & "sort it out" Quick reel service check rods for ant damage etc that sort of thing. Have a river bag, a loch bag (boat) day sac (walking) Empty them clean & replace items & oh discard any dodgy nylon.
Whilst I sort out my flies I have never actually counted them all. I am normally a tidy person so like to keep my gear in good order. Thought I would concentrate on my fly boxes this winter.
Jesus 25 of them & probably missed a few at that. I even have flies I tied as a boy what 60 years ago. Any fly I have caught a good fish on I keep a special place if not in the box but in my mind to remember the golden moments. For example a 6lb wildie I caught in Balgray reservoir on a dry size 16 Cinnamon Sedge funny thing about that one was I thought I was snagged (On A dry fly go figure) & a 2lb fish I got on a Black Spider from a burn which is no more than a couple of yard wide in places. My first Salmon a fresh 9lb Endrick fish caught at the tail pool of Coolies Lynn on a size 12 double Shrimp pattern a Curry's Red I think it is. A 9lb Leven Sea Trout on a size 10 Haslam double These & a few others take pride of place in the box.
Anyway I digress.
For example I have
Wet Fy Winged (2 boxes
River Spiders ( 2 boxes)
Clyde Style
Caithness flies
Mayfly
Hackled flies (3 boxes
Salmon Shrimp
Salmon Double (3 boxes)
Salmon Low Water & singles
Dries
American Dries
Nymphs
Dapping etc. etc.
You get the gist.
Over the years I have tried sorting them out by patterns, colour, hook size but never happy maybe I just like messing about yes that is it.
Most boxes are Wheatly (clips) for flies that will lie flat & the Swedish Myran plastic compartment ones which I would heartily recommend. Oh a Couple of Hardy ones I forgot about.
PS if you ever see The USA made De Witt boxes get one they are excellent.
So it is a afternoon at the kitchen table when my good lady is out doing what she does best spending money & we will see how it goes. One can never have enough flies or boxes can we?
Of course we can but that's not what it is about  Is It. We have 100s & what do we do? we use maybe the same dozen or so every season.
Was my birthday yesterday so off out to Go Outdoors to treat myself to something. Want a folding frying pan maybe a new jacket off course I need a new jacket  :roll: Don't we all?

Tight Lines & a Merry Xmas to one & all

[Bobfly]

I have had many a clever plan to properly sort out the flees but then it never quite happens beyond a bit of a tidy up.  :roll:

[Wildfisher]

I'm the same Alan. I only use a dozen patterns but still  seem to need 20 fly boxes.  :lol:

[burnie]

I'm pretty good with flies, one box of nymphs, one of wets, two of dries, one for Salmon tubes another for winged Salmon and Sea troots, all fit in my waistcoat pockets, but not usually all at the same time. Now floats, that's a different story.

[Clan Chief]

I'm about the same! 😄