Organizing fly boxes...

[PV_Premier]

How do you organize your fly boxes and why?

By season?
By river?
By bug?

I'm trying to streamline what I carry. Thinking of trying the "by river" approach this coming season but not committed just yet.

[Darian]

I like the river and/or bug choice for Trout/Salmon. I would add lake or stillwater and dry/wet. If you're going to be fishing for warm and/or salt water, that adds other categories....

[Ralph]

An organized fly box is a sign that you aren't fishing enough.

[bigfly]

+1.....Ralph..lol....fishing year-round takes it's toll on my boxes. Just spent close to $300. to start the year.....and the boxes aren't full.....need to a tie a bit too.....

As a guide, I break it down to 6 boxes.
1.Small dries/soft hackles. Small box.
2.Bigger dries....big box.
3.Biggest dries.....big box
4.Nymphs....big box
5.Streamers.......big box.
6.Ham and eggs......small box
All C$F waterproof boxes....wouldn't want hundreds of rusty flies......yes I still sometimes swim.....

Jim

[tcorfey]

For general trout fishing I usually carry:
- One box that contains my standard fly's (Adams, pheasant tails etc).
- One seasonal/environment box (currently has small nymphs/midges and emerger patterns).
- One seasonal streamer/big bug box. (Currently mostly streamers)

In my car I keep a spare box of standard flys (just in case I totally screw up and lose/forget my flys.)

At home:
I have lots of boxes sorted by bug type, Dry's, wets, nymphs, streamers, etc.
These boxes are used to refill or update the carry boxes and I tie when my at home boxes get low.

Outside of trout fishing I also have some specialized boxes for saltwater, for steelhead, for bass.

Edit - Occasionally when being minimalist I just carry one box - my standard fly's box.

Regards,

Tim C.

[Idadon]

I guess I'm a minimalist and fish the same rivers to much. I've got about six big plastic boxes with dividers that I keep most of my flys in. I only carry two boxes on the water, a nymph box and drys, and just feed these small ones from the big. Seems to work as long as you're really familiar with what's usually going to work. If I'm far from home then some of the big boxes might travel. Simple easy...

[Mickey]

I have 5 boxes (lost a couple) with little rhyme or reason to assortment other than a small glo bug box only and another for fishing the Pit. They all fit and stay in my vest.

[Desmo13]

Organized by river box, lake box, steelhead boxes (big swing ,small swing, indicator), and striper box (big boat boat box)

[John Sv]

For trout I'm in a "trying to do it all with one fly box" mode. Kinda coincides with an interest in fishing lesser fished/less technical water so it's working out nicely. Still doing well on the name brand-waters; although less fish are getting harassed there are enough getting harassed...
Disclaimer: I do have a streamer box.
For steelie Dan I have a summer bugs box and a monogramed streamer wallet from my grandmother for big stuff. Kinda funny that I steelie fish .0001% of the time but have more flies for that sport. I tie for a hobby though and right now the interest is in steelie and classic salmon flies. Coime to think of it I've been fishing classic wets fro trout too.

[Bob Loblaw]

I now use Tacky boxes. You can carry far more flies in less space. I have one box of mayfly nymphs. one box of caddis nymphs that also has "odds and ends" SJ worms, and jimmylegs. One box of my small "go to" dry flies; adams, PMDs BWOs, yellow sallies, royal wulfs, etc. I also have 3 smaller boxes, a nice wooden burl box with big dries...stimulators, stoneflies, hoppers, a streamer box, and a Putah Creek box full of midge nymphs.