Fly box set up

[Baccala]

How does everyone organize their fly boxes?
I was set up by the type of fly. Dry flies, Nymphs, streamers and I had a small box I called trout candy that has eggs and worms. The more I fish the more I have expanded. I now live in New Hampshire where caddis is a huge hatch, I have set up a box with just caddis patterns dry and wet. I have set up a box for terrestrials and two boxes just for small streams.
What does everyone else do? Maybe your boxes are organized by the water or stream you are fishing.

I do find myself carrying too much stuff, but I hate to be without. There have been days on the tiniest mountain stream that the day was saved by that long unused fly in the corner of my box.

I am just wondering while I have all flies spread out and replacing some broken boxes. I would like some fresh eyes on this.


How do others set up?

[Drossi]

Like you I have WAY too many flies and boxes but when you don't have it is when you need it!

I'm old school and still use a vest....I have my dries in their own boxes by pattern and size, except the caddis dries, they have their own box. Wet flies have their own boxes, with some nymphs mixed in. Buggers get their own box as do streamers. Smallmouth flies have their own box. I also keep a chest pack dedicated to small stream fishing but can easily adjust it for fishing bluegill ponds or bass.

[cappy]

95% of my fishing is with Tenkara rods, so I've gone super minimalist about five years ago. Learned I need very little of anything for a day on any stream/river.

I use a small utility pack by Yakoda. I attached paracord so I can sling it around my shoulder, nippers, forceps, couple spools of tippet, floatant and a very small wood fly box with three segregated sections from Japan. I've been using folding nets the past few years, love them as I typically don't need one, been using a fish release tool, no need to touch them as all Trout are released anyway.

As to your question about flies. I carry a few soft hackles, brownish nymphs/emergers, general purpose (light/dark) dries/spinners, egg patterns and a couple small streamers, all together ~18 flies. I'll occasionally switch them up based on the season, for instance March Brown, Green Drake season in the Catskills. Winter in NJ I'll mainly carry really small midge patterns and a couple Stimulators to use as an indicator.

[Baccala]

Drossi,
I have many more flies as backup. If I carried them all I'd need a truck. For day-to-day, I am set up pretty much like you are. I am thinking of setting up boxes for the water I may be fishing. Switching what's in my sling bag as I change rivers.
On any given day I may fish a bigger river for stocked brookie and rainbows in the morning. Then finish the day on a tiny mountain stream for little wild brookies.
I'm just looking for ideas while I do my preseason sort. I still have 2 feet of snow on the river banks, so I have some time.

Like you I have WAY too many flies and boxes but when you don't have it is when you need it!

I'm old school and still use a vest....I have my dries in their own boxes by pattern and size, except the caddis dries, they have their own box. Wet flies have their own boxes, with some nymphs mixed in. Buggers get their own box as do streamers. Smallmouth flies have their own box. I also keep a chest pack dedicated to small stream fishing but can easily adjust it for fishing bluegill ponds or bass.

[lightenup]

I used to organize my fly boxes. I carry three small ones on the river....but, I was fishing too much to do that. So now, I stare aimlessly into them on the side of the river, wondering if I lost the fly I am looking for or just placed it somewhere else...It's very distracting. I will be looking for a fly and see another one, and go, "oh, that looks good let me try it" and completely forget about the one I was looking for.
Maybe it's time to organize them again:
I used to have a nymph box, a dry fly box and a streamer, and classic wet fly box. They were arranged by type and size....

[Rusty Spinner]

How does everyone organize their fly boxes?
I was set up by the type of fly. Dry flies, Nymphs, streamers and I had a small box I called trout candy that has eggs and worms. The more I fish the more I have expanded. I now live in New Hampshire where caddis is a huge hatch, I have set up a box with just caddis patterns dry and wet. I have set up a box for terrestrials and two boxes just for small streams.
What does everyone else do? Maybe your boxes are organized by the water or stream you are fishing.

I do find myself carrying too much stuff, but I hate to be without. There have been days on the tiniest mountain stream that the day was saved by that long unused fly in the corner of my box.

I am just wondering while I have all flies spread out and replacing some broken boxes. I would like some fresh eyes on this.


How do others set up?

We've all heard of the minimalist, but I'm the maximumalist to make up my own word. I carry 8 boxes some days.

[Bubba Zinetti]

How many boxes do you need to hold size 12 Adams? An altoids tin or equivalent is all one needs. haha

I really only fish a few patterns, so I only take a few boxes with me on the river. I do have different boxes for different places I fish. For example I have a "Western" box for when we fish out west. Don't use hoppers here in NJ much. I have a panfish/bass box for mid summer.

[Rusty Spinner]

How many boxes do you need to hold size 12 Adams? An altoids tin or equivalent is all one needs. haha

I really only fish a few patterns, so I only take a few boxes with me on the river. I do have different boxes for different places I fish. For example I have a "Western" box for when we fish out west. Don't use hoppers here in NJ much. I have a panfish/bass box for mid summer.

When I said I carry 8 fly boxes, that is just for trout. I have at least 5 large boxes for saltwater and at least 2 for bass and sunfish and probably more like 3.

[MikeB]

Rusty that is a lot, I completely get why. Personally I simplify things and with my brain I would contemplate more than fish honestly.

ALTHOUGH....when I fished competitively for large and small mouth bass I had 10 rods set up, tons of tackle and my go to was a wacky worm, jig w trailer and spinnerbait.

[Troutman]

fly box . I keep all my spinners & jigs in it

[joe_panella]

I'm old school and still use a vest...

I was thinking about this the other day watching hipsters fly fishing on youtube. I think i am the old guy now with a vest and net hanging on the back from a zinger. I have a simms waist pack and have a hard time getting used to it and i don't think i can use it fishing deeper big water, but i don't do that often. As for fllies i use a Cliffs "super days worth" fly box as my box with me on the river. I usually stock it preseason and a few times during the year. I have all my "stock" in about 8 other boxes in the drawer next to where i am typing. Depending on what is hatching i may grab the box with the stock of that type of fly and keep it in the car. I usually have my nymph boxes with me as well.

[Vance]

Well I guess it’s about time to put my two cents in. I also use a vest with all sorts of pockets. I carry two boxes of nymphs,two dry fly boxes with May flies, one box of caddis flies and a small box for size 18 and smaller dry flies. Also carry extra leaders and tippet material. I do not carry a net because it just gets in the way. I now hook up my wading staff to my vest which is made from an old rake handle. If you see a crooked wading staff that’s me holding on to it. Hey just say hello to an old guy and ask how are you doing. If I am doing OK, I will probably give you a couple of flies to try out. If I am not doing OK I will probably still give you a couple of flies to try out. Bill the mailman

[Rusty Spinner]

1950 just called. It wants its fly fishing vests back.

Once you go chest pack, you never go back to vests.....

[Vance]

Hey Rusty, How many pockets does a chest box or a Chestpack or what ever you call them have? With my vest I have two large pockets and a bunch of smaller pockets for split shot leaders fly line cleaner strike indicators thermostat, in the back extra reels and my pliers,have snippers tied onto the vest and my wading staff tied onto the vest. I also carry water and maybe some times a sandwich in the back pocket. Since I gave up smoking 40 years ago I have extra room for other things in my vest. I have always used a vest since I was 14 years old so it has been 70 years with a vest. I guess I am too old to change heck I don’t even have a phone that you can hold in your hand. Old dogs like me just do not want to change I guess. This would be a good question to put up. How many have a chest pack and how many have a vest. Bill the mailman

[NJpatbee]

I don’t finish As much as I used to, I will still carry at least six full boxes of flies. I still use a vest and the box of flies is so light it doesn’t matter. You never know when you might get a green drake hatch in the middle of August!

[MikeB]

Hey Rusty, How many pockets does a chest box or a Chestpack or what ever you call them have? With my vest I have two large pockets and a bunch of smaller pockets for split shot leaders fly line cleaner strike indicators thermostat, in the back extra reels and my pliers,have snippers tied onto the vest and my wading staff tied onto the vest. I also carry water and maybe some times a sandwich in the back pocket. Since I gave up smoking 40 years ago I have extra room for other things in my vest. I have always used a vest since I was 14 years old so it has been 70 years with a vest. I guess I am too old to change heck I don’t even have a phone that you can hold in your hand. Old dogs like me just do not want to change I guess. This would be a good question to put up. How many have a chest pack and how many have a vest. Bill the mailman

I have both Vance, have really been using the chest pack more for convenience. Stick with what you know, you have come this far and done well!

[Vance]

Well thank you MikeB, Yes, just too old to change. Bill Vance. (Bill the mailman)

[dbarr15]

OK, Mainly fishing the SBR. Who wants to share what is in their caddis box?