Richardson Chest Fly Boxes

I don't know if Hille's will be out of business forever. they had a fire and a subsiquent liqidation sale. I know the business wasn't doing great, but the temporary residences (drillers) were starting to buy things from the shop.
 
There is an 800 order number at:

www.chestflybox.net/pricelist.html

(800) 893-8180

There is also an extensive Pennsylvania dealer list accessed from the menu on the left.
 
I have a 4 tray Richardson fly box collecting dust on a shelf. Would consider a trade for a 3 or 4 weight rod. PM me if interested.
 
Still looking for a Downs Chest Box. Will consider buying a used but functional box. Anybody got a lead on such an animal?
 
outsider wrote:
I have a 4 tray Richardson fly box collecting dust on a shelf. Would consider a trade for a 3 or 4 weight rod. PM me if interested.
Click to expand...

PM sent
 
Thanks for the post on the Richardson but I've really become accustomed to the light weight, cheaper price and flexibility of the Downs box.

Guess I'll keep looking!
 
Anybody have any idea who made this box? It has no name on it, three trays for flies and in the rear it features an area with a cool hidden coil retractor, tippet dispenser and flip-out lighted magnifier.

It definitely isn't a Richardson but the quality is comparable. I remember seeing them for sale at Cold Spring Anglers a few years before Herb retired:

Thanks in advance; any input is appreciated!

Front.jpg


MiddleTray.jpg


AccessoryTrayMagDeployed.jpg


TippetSideView.jpg

 
Im not sure what it is, but the thirds picture down has something that says SIMMS on it...
 
That's the Simms coil retractor I mentioned.

It definitely wasn't made by Simms although it does leak when immersed. ;-)
 
That flip out magnifier looks like it could be a gps unit. Your legendary DeLorme skills have just been revealed. :cool:

I've seen Richardson knock offs at Baldachino's place up on Kettle, but they weren't as nice as that one. Maybe it's a one-off deal. Somebody that has equipment to do aluminum siding has all they need to do that.
 
Heritage-Angler wrote:

I've seen Richardson knock offs at Baldachino's place up on Kettle, but they weren't as nice as that one. Maybe it's a one-off deal. Somebody that has equipment to do aluminum siding has all they need to do that.
Click to expand...

Does anyone know who made the Richardson knock offs, and if they are still making them?

BTW, just this past weekend there was an auction notice in the local paper, and it said a Fye fly box was going up for auction. Unfortunately I saw the ad after the auction had taken place.

Fye was the guy who originated that type of box, and made them before Richardson. Fye was from Hollidaysburg. So if you see a Fye box at a sale or something, that's a bit of PA flyfishing history. I have no idea at all of their monetary value.
 
Heritage-Angler wrote:
That flip out magnifier looks like it could be a gps unit. Your legendary DeLorme skills have just been revealed. :cool:

I've seen Richardson knock offs at Baldachino's place up on Kettle, but they weren't as nice as that one. Maybe it's a one-off deal. Somebody that has equipment to do aluminum siding has all they need to do that.
Click to expand...

I was hoping it would hold a pack a Camel's in case I give up stogies and go back to butts. ;-)

It definitely is a lot nicer than the knock-off boxes I've seen out there including some at I saw at McConnell's a few years back which may or may not be what you saw at Phil's. Back when Dusty Weidner worked at Cold Spring Anglers, (pre TCO) in Carlisle they had at least two or three of these boxes. That is the only place I ever saw one until this one came into my possession.

troutbert wrote:
Does anyone know who made the Richardson knock offs, and if they are still making them?

BTW, just this past weekend there was an auction notice in the local paper, and it said a Fye fly box was going up for auction. Unfortunately I saw the ad after the auction had taken place.

Fye was the guy who originated that type of box, and made them before Richardson. Fye was from Hollidaysburg. So if you see a Fye box at a sale or something, that's a bit of PA flyfishing history. I have no idea at all of their monetary value.
Click to expand...

A long time ago there was a guy in Springfield, Delaware County named **** Sadler who made knock-offs under the Angler's Box & Tool name. He was a retired guy who made boxes with no outside hinge, similar to the old Fye boxes in his basement. They weren't as nice as a Richardson but the couple I had served me well for many years until I bought a Richardson. I doubt you will find any of his boxes around although at least two shops in Delco: Eyler's & The Sporting Gentleman USED to carry some but that was a LONG time ago before TCO bought Eyler's and before Barry moved to the new store.

Like my green box I have no idea who makes the knock-off I saw at Mc Connell's although it wasn't bad. It was a bit crude in construction but WAY cheaper. Maybe a phone call there could get you a maker's name if he still has any.
 
Knew my grandmother had tied flies in her younger years and her dad fly fished way back in the early years. She grew up near there in Houtzdale. Asked her today about Chirp, and yup, that's who she tied for back then. This was probably before he made the boxes as she thinks it was very late 1940's for her. I took my two tray Richardson box to show her today, and she was blown away at how small the flies are now-compared to what she tied "back in the day".

Also got more history on the boxes from someone else which many have covered here to Hollidaysburg's Fye, and then some more leading to Joe Harvey's involvement in the development of them too. Pretty cool.

can say I'm lucky to have the Richardson box I have and wouldn't fish without it and now with even more memories.

TL-RW
 
It's odd about the Downs fly box site. Somebody is paying to keep the website up, there's a price list, and the 800 number hasn't been disconnected, but nobody answers it.

Although the dollar store waist pack I'm using works fine, I wanted to move up to a rigid chest box before Summer fishing.

I ordered a Richardson box last Fall. Although Bob Hegedus, the owner, very promptly replied to a question I had, I think he's so buried in orders that it may take a year to receive a box.

One of his new boxes, all tricked out, went for $600 on eBay recently.
 
Update on the search for the Downs Chest Fly Box. I got in touch with Mike Downs. He said that Hille was the only distributor and as everyone knows, they went out of business. Mike has opened a store on ebay and the boxes with accessories are available there. The pricing looks really competitive.
 
I wonder if he got the rights to produce the backpacks and side pounches that were designed for Hille's?
 
Yep, he sure does. They are listed on ebay as an accessory. As I recall, the prices are cheaper now than they were years ago.
 
gweisinger wrote:
Update on the search for the Downs Chest Fly Box. I got in touch with Mike Downs. He said that Hille was the only distributor and as everyone knows, they went out of business. Mike has opened a store on ebay and the boxes with accessories are available there. The pricing looks really competitive.
Click to expand...
I wonder why he does'nt find a new distributor?
 
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