A New Chest Flybox Company

[Quent]

Hook Jaw Fishing Products, of Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, is selling a new line of what appear to be aluminum, black powder-coated chest fly boxes. The fit and finish look good. The boxes are shown at this website:

www.hookjawfishing.com/

 

[whheff]

Very nice but too expensive for me.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

Looks like a Richardson clone to me. They appear to be in the same price range. I own a 4 tray Richardson deluxe model and it is one of my favorite flyfishing accessories. Maybe this company will give Richardson some competition. They do look well made.

 

[Quent]

I took a good look at the website. These boxes are hard-anodized aluminum so they are likely dark gray instead of black. Hard-anodized aluminum should be extremely durable. Additionally, there are three tray depths. The innermost tray is 1.75" deep, the second tray is 1" deep and the outermost trays are .75" deep.

The only other difference between these boxes and the Richardsons that I see is that these use swivel 'D' rings for the lower attachment points instead of flat pad eyes. The Richardson Co. offers many more options and will build to suit.

I have a three-tray Richardson box, and I found it a bit difficult to fit the plastic strap hooks into the pad eyes. I put a 1.5" split ring on each pad eye to make it easier to hook up, and to provide an attachment point for floatant holders, etc.

 

[poopdeck]

Is that contraption worn while fishing? It looks huge. Do people actually strap that to their chest to fish? Can't be, no way, how many flies does that thing hold? Who carries that many flies while fishing? Maybe I need to hang out in the fly shop more.

 

[Biggie]

Poopdeck....IMO, A chest fly box is one of the better FF inventions

 

[JohnPowers]

People must like them. I see them on the stream but not for me. But I was ready to suggest that someone sent a Richardson to china but shut my mouth they're made in PA.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

poopdeck wrote:
Is that contraption worn while fishing? It looks huge. Do people actually strap that to their chest to fish? Can't be, no way, how many flies does that thing hold? Who carries that many flies while fishing? Maybe I need to hang out in the fly shop more.

You bet fisherman wear it including me, one of the best inventions ever for flyfishing IMO. I won't go flyfishing without my Richardson box.

 

[poopdeck]

Ever since men started wearing spandex bicycle shorts I guess I should not be surprised but I gotta tell you I am.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

I love my Richardson. Plus, it really limits you on the gear you take. Yeah it carries a lot of flies, but you don't have a lot of storage for a lot of other junk that many FFers feel they need.

 

[Quent]

Sasquatch, that harness you have is pretty slick. Is that a Downs harness?

 

[troutbert]

They are like any other type of tackle. Whether you choose to own and use it is a personal choice. But don't try to punk others for the tackle they use.

The chest fly boxes are part of the PA flyfishing legacy, and are quite an item of craftmanship.

They go back at least to the 1940s. George Harvey said that he first acquired one in the 1940s, but didn't know who made it. He showed it to Ronald Fye of Hollidaysburg, who was a machinist for a company that made quarrying equipment.

Fye made the boxes for some years, but passed away at an early age.

Then Rex "Chirp" Richardson of Osceola Mills, bought Fye's tooling, and made them for 35 years, from 1960 until he passed away in 1995.

Then some young guys who had learned from Richardson, and using his tooling, began making them in Bellefonte.

There are also other people in PA who have made chest fly boxes.

 

[pcray1231]

This does look like a Richardson clone. I mean, almost exact, on the exterior, anyway. Not as many options. I would hope the dividers could be taken out or it'd be a no-go for me (don't need one anyway, since I already have a Richardson). Slit foam throughout for me. I got a bunch of C&F replacement pads that you can buy for the boxes, and glued them in.

Love my Richardson. Best FF purchase I've ever made. Beats the living snot out of the fly box/vest combo. See my avatar....

They are EXTREMELY light. A vest with absolutely nothing in the pockets weighs more.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Quent wrote:
Sasquatch, that harness you have is pretty slick. Is that a Downs harness?

Yes it is! The Richardson company makes upgraded harnesses and whatnot, but of course the price point is always the issue. Delta Dog put me on the Downs ebay store and I ordered one of their harnesses. Has a little backpack thing, 2 side pouches that I can use for keys, cell phone, camera, pipe and tobacco, etc. I've been very happy w/ the harness.

 

[JackM]

I like the metal ones as I am sure they would stop or at least slow down a bullet.

 

[pcray1231]

I can confirm that they will NOT stop a bullet. Don't ask how I know this.

 

[Swattie87]

pcray1231 wrote:
I can confirm that they will NOT stop a bullet. Don't ask how I know this.

I won't ask how you know it, but I do hope no one was wearing it when you found this out. :-o

 

[Heritage-Angler]

pcray1231 wrote:
I can confirm that they will NOT stop a bullet. Don't ask how I know this.

Solution - reactive armor faceplate.

Crunch the numbers at work tomorrow, and I'll start fabricating it. :-D

 

[poopdeck]

Not trying to punk anybody. My apologies to any chest fly box owners who may have been offended. It was an attempt at humor not a dig or slap in the face to anybody. I'm starting to learn that one shouldn't make jokes about fly fishing gear.

 

[just_jon]

I've been using a Richardson 4 drawer since 1973 with no regrets. Best $73 I ever spent.