Interesting Video on On Organizing Tying Material
- Thread starter MD_Gene
- Start date
Bamboozle
Well-known member
It's similar to what I've been doing for a long time but with a smaller box...
About 25 years ago I was poking around in the local Ace Hardware store and stumbled upon some inexpensive small non-adjustable compartmentalized parts boxes measuring about 4-1/2" W x 8" L x 1.5" D with six compartments running width-wise.
I bought one and when I got home, I happily discovered a spool of thread, wire, floss or tinsel fit PERFECTLY lying on its side in the compartments and I could get 4 spools of whatever in each compartment for a total of 24 spools in a box.
The next day I went back to the hardware store, bought all they had in stock and had them order me some more and organized all of my spooled stuff by material & size and color.
I did the same thing with my Pearsall's thread but went with a smaller Plano Pocket 5 - Compartment box that fit the smaller Pearsall's thread spools better.
YMMV but I like the smaller size boxes because each box holds a specific size of a specific spooled material versus one large box with everything. The smaller boxes also transport better so if I am tying on the road and don't anticipate needing something, I just leave that "spool" box home. When I'm tying at home, the boxes sit on a shelf beside my trying bench.
I also like the smooth dividers without the "bumps" for the adjustable dividers.
I will confess that at least in the case of thread, the boxes really serve as "extra spool storage" because I have more bobbins than brains so all of my bobbins are loaded with the thread sizes and colors I use most often so I don't have to swap spools of thread all the time.
If I'm tying on the road, I just grab the bobbin(s) with the thread color & size I think I'll need. Wire, floss and tinsel is never dispensed from a bobbin in my world so those are the only spool boxes I'll transport IF I need wire, floss or tinsel for the flies I plan to tie on the road.
A couple of recommendations:
About 25 years ago I was poking around in the local Ace Hardware store and stumbled upon some inexpensive small non-adjustable compartmentalized parts boxes measuring about 4-1/2" W x 8" L x 1.5" D with six compartments running width-wise.
I bought one and when I got home, I happily discovered a spool of thread, wire, floss or tinsel fit PERFECTLY lying on its side in the compartments and I could get 4 spools of whatever in each compartment for a total of 24 spools in a box.
The next day I went back to the hardware store, bought all they had in stock and had them order me some more and organized all of my spooled stuff by material & size and color.
I did the same thing with my Pearsall's thread but went with a smaller Plano Pocket 5 - Compartment box that fit the smaller Pearsall's thread spools better.
YMMV but I like the smaller size boxes because each box holds a specific size of a specific spooled material versus one large box with everything. The smaller boxes also transport better so if I am tying on the road and don't anticipate needing something, I just leave that "spool" box home. When I'm tying at home, the boxes sit on a shelf beside my trying bench.
I also like the smooth dividers without the "bumps" for the adjustable dividers.
I will confess that at least in the case of thread, the boxes really serve as "extra spool storage" because I have more bobbins than brains so all of my bobbins are loaded with the thread sizes and colors I use most often so I don't have to swap spools of thread all the time.
If I'm tying on the road, I just grab the bobbin(s) with the thread color & size I think I'll need. Wire, floss and tinsel is never dispensed from a bobbin in my world so those are the only spool boxes I'll transport IF I need wire, floss or tinsel for the flies I plan to tie on the road.
A couple of recommendations:
If anyone goes this route, grab a spool of thread and peruse the shelves in your local hardware store, the Walmart sewing & crafts section or places like Joann Fabrics for small craft boxes that you may like better. IF you find something you like, buy a LOT because they tend to disappear. That's what happened with the boxes I bought from Ace... 🙁
If you go the tackle box route, resist the urge to use adjustable dividers to further compartmentalize spools. It makes it a LOT harder to get them out of the box and they usually don't stay in place.
Look for boxes with non-adjustable dividers in the size you want. The smooth compartment dividers just work better and IF you have slightly wider spools, you may find you will be able to fit more spools between those compartment dividers if they don't have the adjustment bumps sticking out.
IF you think you want a box with adjustable dividers, look at Meiho tackle storage boxes from Japan. They make all sorts of sizes and compartment arrangements and Meiho boxes are the ONLY adjustable tackle storage boxes I ever used where the adjustable dividers stay put.
Good luck!
Last edited:
mt_flyfisher
Well-known member
Those are nice, relatively small boxes that are a nice way to store spools of thread, tinsel, wire, etc.
I especially like the way he uses them to store loose pieces of hackle, and I may have to get 1 of 2 of those boxes to store my loose hackles because I always seem to have leftover pieces of saddle hackles after tying flies with them, and I now have bunches of hackles of all colors and sizes mixed together in zip lock bags at the moment.
I keep some of my tying thread and lead wire on several different types of racks (and elsewhere) now, but there are advantages to them (they are right at hand) but also disadvantages to them (like trying to move them without dropping some spools off.)
But I also keep some of my wires and tensel, etc. in this type of plastic box which I believe has some advantages over that shown in the video. It is larger (can store over 100 spools) and has a handle so you can easily carry it.) It is deeper so you can store larger types of spools, and the plastic dowels go all the way to the top so the spools stay in place if you carry it or store it on its side. (Excuse me for it being somewhat messy!)
I especially like the way he uses them to store loose pieces of hackle, and I may have to get 1 of 2 of those boxes to store my loose hackles because I always seem to have leftover pieces of saddle hackles after tying flies with them, and I now have bunches of hackles of all colors and sizes mixed together in zip lock bags at the moment.
I keep some of my tying thread and lead wire on several different types of racks (and elsewhere) now, but there are advantages to them (they are right at hand) but also disadvantages to them (like trying to move them without dropping some spools off.)
But I also keep some of my wires and tensel, etc. in this type of plastic box which I believe has some advantages over that shown in the video. It is larger (can store over 100 spools) and has a handle so you can easily carry it.) It is deeper so you can store larger types of spools, and the plastic dowels go all the way to the top so the spools stay in place if you carry it or store it on its side. (Excuse me for it being somewhat messy!)
Bamboozle
Well-known member
A couple of times I've experimented with keeping bits of this and that in boxes....
However, if you are not careful when you open the box, especially a larger box with a larger lid you create a vacuum and suck smaller bits right out of the box. Also I found the feathers don't necessarily like to cooperate or get static charged so I ended up closing the lid on a feather, mangling one end or the other.
For that reason I stick with either stuffing the leftover feather back in the Ziploc bag it came from or I just tie a few extra flies to use it up.
YMMV
