Hook Organization

[salmo]

My motto is”Tomorrow we get started on organizing.” My fly tying area looks like it was recently bombed. Bought the attached item on Amazon for hooks. It works for me.

 

[Bamboozle]

That'll work...

I've been using Umpqua Hook Boxes for a LONG time since I can fit four each drawer of my tying desk and I can easily grab a box or two when tying on the road.

I improved them by cutting a piece of foam the same size as the lid to prevent hook migration between compartments, added a Velcro strap to make sure they don't pop open if dropped and I have the small white magnet squares that come or used to come with packages of 100 of the tiniest Tiemco hooks in the bottom of the compartments with my minuscule hooks.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

I keep my hooks and beads in these Craft Mates bags. You can get a lot of hooks and beads in a single bag; I have several bags. My wife made labels for the plastic containers that fit inside the bag so it’s easy to locate the type of hook or bead that I want.

This bag contains Tiemco hooks. The plastic containers are labeled with the individual hook style and size.

 

[bigjohn358]

I got the smaller boxes at Joan Fabrics. I love them because you can open one compartment at a time and the hooks won't get mixed up. Those larger Plano boxes I use for big hooks. I'll cut the label of the hooks off the package so I know what they are.

 

[Streamerdemon1965]

That'll work...

I've been using Umpqua Hook Boxes for a LONG time since I can fit four each drawer of my tying desk and I can easily grab a box or two when tying on the road.

I improved them by cutting a piece of foam the same size as the lid to prevent hook migration between compartments, added a Velcro strap to make sure they don't pop open if dropped and I have the small white magnet squares that come or used to come with packages of 100 of the tiniest Tiemco hooks in the bottom of the compartments with my minuscule hooks.

I dig the Umpqua boxes. Speaking of I need to get rid of some hooks. I think I have 22’ish boxes of hooks. I now tie more large streamer patterns than small drys.

 

[salmo]

Over the years I’ve bought just about every compartmental box I’ve found at Michael’s and Hobby Lobby. Most are still empty 🤔

 

[tomgamber]

I have two of those craft boxes with the curved bottom sections. Got them at Michael's. My wife always has coupons.

 

[rancid waders]

Umpqua boxes , I remember they used to be inexpensive in the day

 

[salmo]

One of the fly boxes is from Eylers in Devon. $1.89 for 25 Mustad hooks. And I had to walk barefoot to school in a potato bag that my mother cut holes in for my arms and legs.

 

[Bamboozle]

One of the fly boxes is from Eylers in Devon. $1.89 for 25 Mustad hooks...

Everything was inexpensive in the day...

For example, I still use a Cortland 333 Bass Bug Line I bought at Eyler's for $25 which was in Ardmore and later Bryn Mawr but never Devon...

...or the fly line would have cost $35...

 

[poopdeck]

Storing infers not using or rarely if ever using. Storing things is the one of the things in life that drives me nuts. I prefer J Stockard store things and then I get them when I want to use that thing. Same thing with food. I prefer Acme store my food and then I go get on an as needed basis. I rarely, actually probably never, feel a need to have every hook imaginable and find a few basics can cover everything. I store my hooks in the original packaging in two 4” by 3.5” wood compartments that sit on my tying bench. Every hook in my arsenal is within easy reach. Those hooks run from size 20 up to 2/0 jig hooks for nymphs, drys, streamers, wets and cover every fly I care to fish. When a pack runs out I pick up another. It’s a great system. I call it not getting into the hook weeds.

 

[salmo]

Yes, you’re right. Bryn Mawr on Penn Street. I bought my Orvis 7 weight there.

 

[gadabout]

My motto is”Tomorrow we get started on organizing.” My fly tying area looks like it was recently bombed. Bought the attached item on Amazon for hooks. It works for me.

If your materials storage space is limited, then you have no choice but to find the most space-efficient ways to store your materials. For hooks, I have found that pill organizers are a good solution. I like the ones that Target sells. They have a nice 7-day organizer with push-to-open compartment lids. They also sell a 14-day organizer with smaller compartments.

Whatever type of organizer you choose, it should have an individual lid for each compartment. The reason for this will be painfully obvious if you ever drop the whole thing with the lid open.

 

[CRB]

I store mine in the package the hooks come in box or pack and store them in a plastic divided box.

 

[afishinado]

Storing infers not using or rarely if ever using. Storing things is the one of the things in life that drives me nuts. I prefer J Stockard store things and then I get them when I want to use that thing. Same thing with food. I prefer Acme store my food and then I go get on an as needed basis. I rarely, actually probably never, feel a need to have every hook imaginable and find a few basics can cover everything. I store my hooks in the original packaging in two 4” by 3.5” wood compartments that sit on my tying bench. Every hook in my arsenal is within easy reach. Those hooks run from size 20 up to 2/0 jig hooks for nymphs, drys, streamers, wets and cover every fly I care to fish. When a pack runs out I pick up another. It’s a great system. I call it not getting into the hook weeds.

I do the same as poop ^.

I used to buy multi-bin hook storage boxes and label each bin for each hook, but with the amount of hook styles and sizes I used, doing so became impractical. Like above I now keep my hooks in their original packaging and line them up in a drawer in my tying desk. It works for me.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

When you get to be a bit more serious fly tyer…

 

[gadabout]

Back when Mustad was the main player in fly tying hooks, I put this little unit together for my Mustad hooks. Back then, Thomas & Thomas sold these tiny sliding drawer boxes that were dovetailed on four sides. It was something like 20 cents for each little drawer. I glued them together into this configuration, added little screw-eyes for drawer pulls, and labels. It sits very nicely at the back of my fly tying desk, taking minimal space. All the hook numbers are in numerical order, so I can very quickly find the hook I need. I wish you could still buy these things.

Life was much simpler when I knew all the Mustad numbers by heart and didn’t need anything else.

 

[Bamboozle]

I used to use "Stack Packs..."

 

[rancid waders]

I downsized in the last five years to 2 full Umpqua hook boxes I have had seemingly forever, they are classed by hook size. That being said maybe I should score another

 

[Bamboozle]

I downsized in the last five years to 2 full Umpqua hook boxes I have had seemingly forever, they are classed by hook size. That being said maybe I should score another

I downsized a long time ago too...

There was a time I bought whatever hook model was called for in a recipe and as a result had a zillion different hooks and storage & organization problems.

Then one day I gave away all of my old hooks, upgraded to quality Japanese hooks in a handful of styles & sizes to cover the fly types I tie.

I STICK to those brands & hook models come hell or high water and as a result I can store my total hook inventory in about 4 Umpqua boxes and life is whole lot simpler at the bench or on the road...