Chest Fly Box?

Billems said:
Yeah, I know. You can add or subtract boxes on a Richardson? Wow.
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It meant I voided my warranty in doing what I did, but it was worth it to me to get what I wanted.

Besides, I really don't envision ever needing a repair and if I do, I'll just pay for it...
 
Didn't even know about a warranty. They're so bullet proof. I once frightened some kids while out fishing. They asked what the box was. I said it's where I keep my artificial heart. They started running. I had to call them back and show it to them.
 
Just about every manufacturer's warranty is useless because they either go out of business, stop making what is warrantied or charge a ridiculous fee to get warranty service. Therefore, I really don't care about them any more.

Speaking of crazy misinterpretation of chest boxes...

I'm standing in a middle of a trout stream fishing and a guy asked me if mine was a concertina...

So I said, "Sure, do want me to play you a song?"

After I explained to him what it was, I asked him why I would I be standing in the middle of a creek with a concertina... :)
 
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I use boxes in a vest. But, when I was a young fly-fisherman, another guy took me to Osceola Mills to "Chirp" Richardson's shop, as I recall it now. He wanted to sell me a chest box, but I didn't buy one. Just for the antique value, I wish I had gotten one, whether I'd have used it or not.
 
Billems said:
Didn't even know about a warranty. They're so bullet proof. I once frightened some kids while out fishing. They asked what the box was. I said it's where I keep my artificial heart. They started running. I had to call them back and show it to them.
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maxima12 said:
Are these good or do they inhibit casting and searching your vest. How do they react when wearing waders. Plastic or metal? Downs a Wmspt outfit. Talked to Downs Co., long time ago! At that time they were in process but working on hinge system. How do the hinge system perform? Chest box or fly box. Suggestions?

DaveW has been using a Down's Chest Box for decades. Maybe he will see this thread and comment to help you out.
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They are good that they hold alot of flies and have many compartments I have one its metal and very sturdy made in Pa but with all the other junk I bring along
in the vest it gets kind of cumbersome
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Back in the day I carried EVERYTHING you could imagine in my vest including a gazillion fly boxes. I started using a chest box specifically so I didn't need a vest.

It took some doing to figure out what I REALLY needed and downsize to lose the vest, but without fly boxes to carry, it wasn't hard to work out a system.

I miss the fly boxes because I have some nice Wheatley's, but I don't miss carrying them and still carry one or two in an over the shoulder bag I use for small stream fishing when the chest box stays home.

My first chest boxes weren't Richardson, but knock offs made by a REALLY nice older guy in Springfield, Delaware County named **** Sadler. He'd make you whatever you wanted for peanuts. I had a two tray, a three tray and a five tray. Decent quality without the external hinge but nowhere near as nice as a Richardson.

Anybody remember the Sadler Boxes? They were available in the only three fly shops in Delco at the time.
 
Here's my kit. Needs organized and restocked. It's winter.


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Perfect. I'd lay mine out like that, too.
 
No. But I'm a lifelong drummer. Fairly ambidextrous.
 
Bamboozle said:
I take it you are a southpaw?
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Nope, I am correct handed. :)

I don't know that I specified which side the hinges are on when I ordered it. They certainly don't get in the way. I did specify the floatant holder be on the left.
 
rrt said:
I use boxes in a vest. But, when I was a young fly-fisherman, another guy took me to Osceola Mills to "Chirp" Richardson's shop, as I recall it now. He wanted to sell me a chest box, but I didn't buy one. Just for the antique value, I wish I had gotten one, whether I'd have used it or not.
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I was in Chirp Richardon's shop in Osceola Mills, in the 1990s, and got to meet him. His shop had old lures and tackle going way back in time, some probably to the early 1960s.
 
pcray1231 said:
Nope, I am correct handed. :)

I don't know that I specified which side the hinges are on when I ordered it. They certainly don't get in the way. I did specify the floatant holder be on the left.
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Me too, but when I ordered, both Richardson & a "correct handed" friend of mine suggested the external hinge be on the left, "out of the way."

I don't know if it would have mattered on the other side, but I was afraid of snagging it with the sleeve on my fishing shirt on my rod hand, so it's on the left and like it that way.

I didn't opt for floatant holders or light holders and such because I knew from experience that my preferences or the "bottle" size may change. My light & magnifier is on my hat brim and I even modified the light on my hat so it can point directly down into the box without tipping my head or hat down.

I keep my floatant and some other goodies in pouches on my homemade harness.
 
I have been using a Down’s chest box for a couple decades. I bought a bunch of extra trays and have them organized so I can select trays I want/need. The little red ball handle on the hinge rods fell off years ago so I use my leatherman to help change trays. If I had more money back in the day, I would have loved a Richardson, but the Down’s proved to be a good fit for me.
 

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flyguyfishing said:
I have been using a Down’s chest box for a couple decades. I bought a bunch of extra trays and have them organized so I can select trays I want/need. The little red ball handle on the hinge rods fell off years ago so I use my leatherman to help change trays. If I had more money back in the day, I would have loved a Richardson, but the Down’s proved to be a good fit for me.
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Flyguyfishing:

I don't know if this will work for you, but when I used my knock-off Richardson boxes made by **** Sadler, I set them up to swap trays like a Downs Box.

Without boring you with all the details, I fabricated my own removable hinge pins from piano wire of the same diameter (available at hobby shops). I cut it about 1/2" long, polished the ends round and bent that 1/2" extra over at a right angle to make it easy to take it out and put it back in.

I have a feeling the same idea work would work fine on a Downs Box so you don't have to use your Leatherman.

Just a thought...
 
maxima12 said:
Are these good or do they inhibit casting and searching your vest. How do they react when wearing waders. Plastic or metal? Downs a Wmspt outfit. Talked to Downs Co., long time ago! At that time they were in process but working on hinge system. How do the hinge system perform? Chest box or fly box. Suggestions?

DaveW has been using a Down's Chest Box for decades. Maybe he will see this thread and comment to help you out.
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At one time I owned two of the original metal Richardson boxes. A three & four tray. I had them for decades and they never inhibited my casting or movement. I sold both of them here on the Swap forum.

You may be asking if I loved them why did I sell them? Good question. I stored too many flies in them. Hundreds and hundreds. As I got older I was concerned that if I fell in all those beautiful flies would get soaked. I think I sold them for more than I paid for them. Now I use C&F micro slit boxes for #16 - #22 dries and nymphs and Myran compartment boxes for dries #8 - #14. I have another four not pictured here.
CF Boxes
 
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