Flyboxes

Bruno

Bruno

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 10, 2006
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What would be the best in the 30 to 40 dollar range ? I got a gift card from work for filling out a survey. I don't think I have ever spent more than 5 or 6 bucks for a box ever. Suggestions Please.
 
Bruno - C&F fly boxes are nice, but a lower cost alternative that provide many of the same advantages are the System X fly boxes. The Max boxes are a great way to carry a lot of flies in one box.

While I don't do it, it might be a good idea to have a lanyard attached to one of those things. Losing that many flies in one shot would definitaley hurt.
 
C&F boxes are really good and I use several.

I also use the Day's Worth and the Big Cliff Box by Cliff Outdoors. These boxes are about 1/2 the price of C&F boxes and are perfect for mixing and matching a wide range of flies. The Big Cliff box is my actual go-to box and I keep an assortment of streamers, nymphs, dries and midges (there's a small magnetic pad perfect for securing small flies). The Day's Worth box is simply smaller.

Here's the website.

http://cliffoutdoors.com/
 
I agree with GreenWeenie on the Days Worth. I think mine is the mdeium size one - don't remember the exact name, but it certainly can accomodate a large number and variety. It was approx. $25. The magnetic "nymph pad" is a really nice feature.
 
I got the larger C&F box for dries and really like it. I am sure it will last a long time considering your sticking the flies into a slot, not directly into the foam. It's also a tight fit and the flies don't fall out like cheaper brands. Although, the initial reason I got it was b/c it was a floor model and they no longer had the box for it, therefore it was discounted! :-D .
 
The thing with C&F boxes is if you get one designed for smaller flies, putting larger flies wastes a lot of space and at $40 a box, why waste space. Same thing if you get the C&F streamer box, it's not designed to hold dries The C&F boxes really hold the flies nicely and I have nothing bad to say about them except if you get one designed for small flies, that's what you put in there.

For $20-$25, the Cliff box can hold a bunch of different size flies and you can reposition the foam strips as you see fit. The Cliff box certainly isn't the same high quality box as C&F but it is good.
 
For dry flies nothing but C&F. I love the C&F fly boxes for my dries because they protect the hackle. For my nymphs I like the ripple foam boxes.
 
GreenWeenie wrote:
C&F boxes are really good and I use several.

I also use the Day's Worth and the Big Cliff Box by Cliff Outdoors. These boxes are about 1/2 the price of C&F boxes and are perfect for mixing and matching a wide range of flies. The Big Cliff box is my actual go-to box and I keep an assortment of streamers, nymphs, dries and midges (there's a small magnetic pad perfect for securing small flies). The Day's Worth box is simply smaller.

Here's the website.

http://cliffoutdoors.com/
Click to expand...

I use the Cliff box for my streamers, the C&F for my nymphs, and a clear plastic one with small walled compartments for my dries. I don't like to beat up the hackle using a C&F style for them.
 
C&F boxes are super nice but I just couldn't stomach spending that much on a fly box, gift card or not. I have some of the system X boxes from SA and like those and I've been eying up these Flambeau Blue Ribbon boxes that are very nice also. Flambeau
 
StudentofTheStream wrote:
I have some of the system X boxes from SA
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I got a few of these for xmas...they don't really seem to like holding onto sz 20+ flies. Have you had the same issue? Is there a particular leaf for these flies in the box?
 
I really only use those particular boxes for nymphs but I do have some midges tied that small and they hold fairly well. Well enough that I don't notice them falling out anyhow. Not sure if that helps or not.
 
I plan on picking up the blue ribbon all I got is a plano clear one with the ripples and the blue ribbon seems its the same thing as the c&f but alot cheaper.
 
The ones with the threaders ,on magnets , look interesting , you can have a bunch of small flies ready to go , i think i saw them in the Orvis catalog.
 
I got 2 of the large flat/ripple boxes from hook and hackle and I'm content. Yes there are probably better options out there, but it serves its purpose for me. Here's the link, and theres a few more of their boxes too. I have one for dries and one for nymphs. I'm going out to buy another box today too. I have that random assortment of flies that I'm going to put in one box. I need something for those "experimental" flies I tied, and all the random ones I bought before I tied.


http://www.hookhack.com/flyboxes.html
 
I bought a blue river fly box today. I went to both Gander mountain and ****'s due to having some gift cards. Saw the SA boxes but for some reason just don't like them. They were semi-difficult to open, and didn't have the interior space of others of similar size. I went with the flambeau blue river (even though it was almost twice the price) due to the interior space. I got the swing leaf design in the smaller of the 2. (link below, towards the bottom). Almost $25 but seems to hold a lot more flies than my flat/ripple boxes and that is pretty important to me. So I thought it was a good buy.


http://fishing.flambeauoutdoors.com/otdrs_fishing/fly_boxes/blue_ribbon.asp
 
I bought a handful of 6 compartment plastic boxes from the feathered hook. $3 a piece. I spent $6 on a ripple foam box at wal mart for streamers. I did actually buy a decent $20 fly box for most of my dries, but I am regretting the purchase.
 
jayL wrote:
I bought a handful of 6 compartment plastic boxes from the feathered hook. $3 a piece. I spent $6 on a ripple foam box at wal mart for streamers. I did actually buy a decent $20 fly box for most of my dries, but I am regretting the purchase.
Click to expand...

I did that for a while, but couldn't take it anymore. My flies were very hard to locate in the compartments, and always stuck together. Had to carry like 4 or 5 boxes just to keep it somewhat organized. I like the flat/ripple ones to organize by row. I sometimes have a fly come loose, but not usually. Those cost me about $7 at Hook and Hackle... we'll see how I like my new box. It was with a gift card, so I can't complain about the price.
 
I recently bought a "Bug Luggage Box" and it is the best I have ever used. It holds the fly securely, well spaced out and protects dry flys very well. I will definitley be buying more.
 
Be forwarned, the price tag on the Richardsons is steep. I did it anyway, partly because I had a gift certificate, and partly because I know I'll never buy another flybox again. The Downs are a little easier on the wallet, but still more than your listed price. They're basically the same set up, a little cheaper materials but I think they'd last a lifetime just the same.
 
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