Fly Boxes

[steveg137]

I've amassed lots of flies and lots of boxes.

Somehow I still need more, or at least I keep buying and occasionally tying them.

What boxes do you use for dries, particularly size 16 and smaller? Any recommendations ?

I've been using mylan plastic compartment boxes but the risk is they can fall or be blown out.

Looking for some ideas ..,

Thanks
Steve

[tcorfey]

I like the Tacky fly boxes for dry flys they hold the hook well and provide good seperation. Sometimes I will also use every other slot on a waterproof double sided box.

[John Sv]

I'm not a super indulgent kind of guy. Mid range rods, oldish reals, etc. However, I have a flip lid Wheatley for my trout flies, and a clip Wheatley for steelies and salmon flies. And hey I am down to one box for trout flies! I might catch a few less fish than everyone else but I can't really tell if I do or not. My rationale on the Wheatley's is I spend a lot of time tying flies as a hobby and it's nice to 'honor' them with a nice home.

The Wheatley is great for little dries, BUT: really small dries, especially without hackle can creep underneath the compartment wall and get stuck. Also, if the lid closes on a rubber legged fly, sometimes the door is harder to open next time around. I have not had them all blow out of a compartment.
FWIW

[willies99]

I will second John's opinion on the Wheatley boxes. I have many types of fly boxes, but the Wheatley box with the compartments on one side and the foam sheet on the other is my favorite. When you have a compartment open, the other flies stay safe from the wind. If dropped while rigging, you only fumble/lose the flies in the open compartment.

They do have another feature that works well on streams. If dropped, they sink like a rock. Usually, making retrieval easier. This feature is not as welcome on lakes.

Dan