Downstream Chest Fly box

[Phlsphyguy]

Anyone have any experience with this product? Looks like a good alternative to Richardson...although the website doesn't list a price.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

I have two "Downs Boxes". Good system. The boxes can be removed and replaced. You can add or remove trays any way you want. I bought a 5 tray and then removed one tray because it stuck out to far and I kept hitting it with the butt of my flyrod. The 5 tray run around $90. They are available at E. Hilles Flyshop in South Williamsport. I also have a four tray "Richardson" chestbox. The advantage with the Downs is you can switch trays which you cannot with the Richardson and the Downs is lighter in weight. I like both systems although the Richardson costs ALOT more.

 

[pcray1231]

I have a Richardson. There are some members with the Downs, and I've seen many. It's basically the same idea.

You'll never go back. Chest boxes rule!

Comparing the two:

Richardson: I think the aluminum is classier looking and higher quality than plastic, while still remaining plenty light for me (mine is a 3 tray model). I like the tray set up better. I hate compartments, am a fan of strip foam, and Richardson is more customizable as far as your tray set up, lots of options. I think Downs comes only with compartments or a flat foam, and the compartments are fixed to 15 or 8, you can't customize. That said, I ended up tearing my strip foam out and replacing it anyway, used the C&F strip foam with the slits in it, both lid and bottom of the trays. You could probably do the same on the Downs with the flat foam trays, scrape that stuff out and glue in your own. I also added the leader wallet which I very much appreciate, not sure if Downs has that option. The floatant holder is customizable to your brand. Wish I woulda got the tippet holder too.

Downs: Being able to add and subtract trays as you wish is downright awesome, big advantage there. Price, of course. The Richardsons are nearly twice as much. Think they have some better backpack/side pack type stuff as well.

 

[Acristickid]

Agree with the above..

...but like ALL gear it comes down to personal preference. Might think these are overkill but if your a gear hog or love to carry alot of boxes maybe this is the answer for you and actually lessen your load. With the downs box- you could not only put 2 million flies in it but indicators,weights, streamers etc...

I have ditched many items- I prefer to carry as little as possible.

My set up has evolved as I spend more time and have more experience on the water. (unfortunatly this has cost me several hundred dollars to cycle through gear)

Guess I have bought things that my more experienced buddies have used and have decided they were'nt for me. Down box,vests,chest packs etc..

Now wear a jacket or a fishing shirt with some pockets to hold 1 or 2 cheap fly boxes. I use a lanyard for tippet,nippers,forceps,gink. I can stow split shot,indicators and my little waterproof camera in my waders pocket- along with my car key and TP. For a longer cooler day trip or a day when it might rain I stow my jacket and or water bottle in the small of my back or holder on my belt.


For me I think it is an ideal setup for a April-June evening box to walk out to a stream without needing a vest and having every fly that could be needed when many different bugs could be present.

Just my thought. Here some pics of my box I found.

 

[MKern]

I have a Down's (really two)...

I have 9 trays, 2 backpacks (the old and the new), 2 side pouches, and 2 gink holders.
BTW, the new backpack is a thousand times better and 5 bucks cheaper.

All Down's systems are sold through Hille's (www.anglersupplyhouse.com); even the ones at the fly shop in Waterville and the other retailers are purchased and assembled at Hille's.

I love it. It's just organizing it that is stressfull.

I used to fish with 5 trays and it really wasn't that bulky. I know fish with 3, but just to condense flies.

 

[Phlsphyguy]

I like the fact you can add or subtract boxes...and the price. I wonder if they are going to have a booth at the Valley Forge show in March?

 

[MKern]

The switching trays thing is well thought out too.

The pins you pull to switch the trays are curved to not work out from constant opening and closing of the trays.

If you get one, opt for the foam inserts. they were a dollar when I got mine. The foam is the right thickness and the plastic was molded that once your box stays closed for a couple days the lines/grid of the trays imprints into the giving the outline of the trays so to not crush flies or hackles.

 

[pcray1231]

Mkern,

The compartments in pic. #2, are those removable?

That tray would be essentially useless to me, I hate compartments. But I'd get em all like that if you can remove em, and then glue in some proper foam strips. If not, I'd get them all like tray #3. Maybe keep one like that for big flies, and then scrape the rest out to set up how I want it.

 

[pcray1231]

Pics of mine. Pics are old, I've added a lot more flies since and its pretty crowded now. No pic of the bottom tray, it's deeper. Lid is essentially the same as these, but the bottom is streamer foam and spaced accordingly.

 

[MKern]

There's a 15 compartment tray, and 8, and a streamer (open tray).

You can get them in any configuration.

I have 6-15 compartment, 1-8 comp. and 2 streamer trays.

I like the small compartment, because of the different number of fly patterns.

I see what you are saying about adding your own, but then it's kid of like carrying linked fly boxes then.

 

[pcray1231]

Well, all the chest boxes are like carrying linked fly boxes. After all, there's fly boxes in compartments too. The advantage is having it on the chest, easy open, peruse hands free, etc. As opposed to digging through pockets and trying to remember what flies are in what boxes.

My reasons for not liking compartments:

- I carry a lot of of flies, but not many exact copies of a particular pattern and size.
- I want to use the lid to save space.

Even if I had compartments, I'd want to be able to customize shapes myself, which is very easy to do as a homemade project with materials from places like Michaels. I'd probably have 30 different shaped compartments instead of your 15, lol.

I think if your gonna spend the money on a system like this, you expect it to be for life. Meaning I'll never buy a vest or another box again. And that means it has to be highly customizable as a home project, it's gotta be able to adapt as your needs change.

But really, as long as either the dividers or the black stuff is removable, or if you can order the trays "blank", then thats not an advantage of the Richardson, you could do the same with the Downs. And being able to remove the trays on the Downs is really a big advantage, us Richardson guys are kinda jealous on that one.

 

[RonB]

The dividers are not removeable.....They are either 15 compartment or 8 comparment. The streamer or wet fly tray is adaptable as it is just a box with no deviders.
I have a 5 tray with 3 15 compartment, one 8 comparment and also one streamer tray.
I changed this year from the vest back to just the straps, so I can also go with a vest as well.

 

[flyguyfishing]

pcray1231,

I just got a downs chest box. Got five trays plus two more. I like the fact the trays are so easy to remove.

My trays with foam were shipped without the foam attached. Just an empty tray with two properly sized foam pieces per tray. Just peal and stick the foam.

For you, you would not need to remove the foam....just never attach it.

 

[fly_flinger]

Phlsphyguy wrote:
I like the fact you can add or subtract boxes...and the price. I wonder if they are going to have a booth at the Valley Forge show in March?

They will not be at the VF show. They only did the Harrisburg Sportsmans show this year.

 

[pcray1231]

thanks flyguy. I'm happy with the Richardson, but since you can order the tray blank, I think I could have been just as happy with the Downs. I find it uglier, but tray swapping and price might be plenty to overcome that shortcoming if I were to do it all over.

 

[Shock]

Where can you buy C&F foam strips?

Just wondering because I wanted to redo my Richardson Ultralight which originally came with Wheatley Foam instead of dividers.

 

[pcray1231]

Shock, most fly shops that sell C&F boxes will have replacements for those boxes. Or you can order online

http://www.google.com/products?q=C%26F+foam+insert&hl=en&aq=f

Lots of different sizes available for your customizing needs. I cut out the strips with scissors, so you can put them end to end and make extra long rows, and the freedom to space them as you see fit. Nice to have some midge foam, medium foam, and some streamer foam, etc. as well.

Note, the replacement foam has a sticky back, and it sticks fine, at first. But with time the edges start lifting. Best to throw a touch of super glue, or Goop, or whatever you want, under the edges to start, and anywhere else it starts to lift or shift on you. I used Goop cause it seemed to me it'd be easier to scrape off than super glue, should I ever want to change the configuration.

I used to do this even before the Richardson. Always loved C&F's slit foam, but never wanted to spend so much money on a fly box, and didn't really care about the waterproof aspects or the threaders, just liked the foam. Solution: Buy $5 plastic fly box, rip out foam, replace with $10 C&F foam. Presto, a $15 C&F style box.

 

[MKern]

You could also go to a craft store and buy 1/4" foam sheets, cut slits in the foam and glue them in yourself.

I have done this to dry flies on my vise. Cut a 2" by 2" square of 1/4" foam. Then cut a slit every 1/4" or so around the perimeter of the square. Then use and x-acto knife to slice an "x" in the middle of the square. SLide over your vise stem and viola, a fly drier. Store bought modles run about $5.

 

[pcray1231]

You could also go to a craft store and buy 1/4" foam sheets

True, but be careful, not all foam is made alike. I've had other split foam that I didn't like nearly as much as C&F, though there's good ones out there too. Ability to hold flies depends on density, etc.

 

[MKern]

I get you on the quality thing, but if you ar elooking to save money a sheet of 1/4" foam is $1 and will make hundreds of foam strips, so they are expendable.