Chest boxes

[JoeE]

I just picked up a Hatch Chestbox on the Clark's Board so I have in my collection that I fish (The Hatch will be a popper box for ponds):

Fye
Richardson
FyteDeck
DownStream
Hatch

If I'm missing any please let me know and if you have one and want to trade let me know .


v/r

Joe E

 

[sundrunk]

Joe,
I have a fytedeck which I modifide for my particular needs..The chest box(flytedeck), is great once summer rolls around and it gets hot..
The Richardsons are something of a pa tradition..Right now I am fishing with a shoulder pack, it's easy, but can get in the way some times..What I like about the shoulder pack Is I am able to throw my camera and sunglasses into it with ease..

 

[pcray1231]

I have a Richardson. Not exactly a collection, but I love it, and no, I'm not willing to trade.

I tore out the foam strips that came with and replaced it all with various sizes of C&F foam. Pretty cool, but the sticky stuff stopped sticking and my strips were coming loose. A little Goop seems to have solved the problem.

 

[JoeE]

Pcray1231 send it back and have that box modified to the pull out foam strips. My Richardson is a 3 box with and two of the boxes are the removable pull outs, it is nice depending on the season.

Joe E

 

[bikerfish]

I bought a downstream about 15 years ago, might have to dig it up and use it again. they are handy!

 

[pcray1231]

Pcray1231 send it back and have that box modified to the pull out foam strips.

Nope, I like the C&F slotted foam. I put some work into that to get it how I wanted it, and it is performing just fine....

The sticky stuff that stopped sticking was the self-adhesive that comes on the back of the C&F foam replacements, not the stuff supplied by Richardson. That stuff was a pain to get out!

 

[Fishidiot]

I purchased a Downs Box in 1984 and am still using it today. I've modified it in various ways including a walnut front cap and darker green color and various foam inserts. It's been all over PA and the West on trout trips and definitely has some sentimental value. Being a lots-of-flies guy, I do carry other boxes for streamers. midges and terrestrials (and bass flies) but this chest box has really suited me well.
The newfangled chest packs and high speed accessorized gear available today no doubt have their advantages and lots of FFers sure like 'em but this ole stick-in-the-mud will stick with his vest and chest fly box.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

fishidiot, I also use the same combo. I have 2 Downs boxes, a 3 tray and a 5 tray. I also have a 4 tray Richardson. I use the Richardson most of the time. I like to use the vest and chest box together. It just feels comfortable to me. I use the front tray for a work station and also keep small tools and split shot there. If I drop something standing in the middle of the stream it drops into the open tray.

 

[MKern]

I have a down's, well two really.

I have 9 trays total: 1 streamer tray, 1 8 compartment, and 7 15 compartment.

I have 2 backpacks: the old version and the new version and two side pouches.

For the down, I highly recomend the backpack.


I used to be a "carry a lot of flies guy" and used to fish with 5 trays. Now, I fish with 3, maybe 4 on occassion. One side pouch is for a camera; the other carries tippet, shot, dry fly leader and indicators. However, I do reserve a compartment in one of the trays for shot and an indicator.

I've thought about putting one set up for sale in the swap forum, but with a young son, I think I'm going to hold on to it.

 

[pcray1231]

holy crap! I don't carry anything except the 3-tray Richardson, thats one of the reasons I switched to the Richardson to begin with, to get rid of all the other crap. No backpack, no vest.

Some tippet and shot go in my waders and/or jeans pocket, maybe a thingamabobber or two if I think I'll need em. Thats it, thats all I take. The hardest thing is always my keys, gotta find a good zippered pocket for em.

Sometimes on some serious backcountry trips I will take a little hunting fanny, so that I can take a drink and food with me. If I do, I'll often throw some leader materials in there too.

 

[MKern]

Pat that's funny you say that. On backpacking trips for brookies I take almost nothing: about a dozen flies and a spool of tippet (sometimes a pocket kinfe). I leave the water in the car.

The backpack actually supports the trays better and is more comfortable than the straps. 3-4 trays is really managable and you are carrying the same amount of stuff as I am, just in different places. I have all of mine in a side pouch. If I take the small (point and shoot) camera, I only need one side pouch.

I wear a wading belt, so jeans pockets are not an option.

 

[pcray1231]

I use the pants pockets if wearing hippers. If I'm wearing chest waders, that stuff goes in the zippered wader pouch.

Camera is another issue. I used to have a point and shoot in one of those waterproof cases, and the case velcroed to the front of my Richardson. It worked pretty well, I loved how accessible the camera was. But on rough terrain (usually rock climbing on brookie streams) it occasionally fell off, which was annoying but not a disaster as the case was shock-proof too. Well, that was until I took a nasty spill this spring and lost the camera, along with a spectacular reel of pictures including the jam and some monster wild browns from NW PA.

So I went from then until now without a camera. Just got a new waterproof camera, the Canon D10. Not quite sure how it'll work out but I think I'll just have a camera case on my belt.