FFIM

I'm gearing up for my first day on the river on Monday, and I can't seem to get 10#'s of $hit into a 5# bag... again...

Streamers and big nymph box are done.... right now i am tripping over my wets/emergers, small nymphs (<#14) and dries.

I have gobs of boxes, from the thin single layered ones, the overly fat SA ones, the compact SAP ones with the middle leaf.

Right now my prevailing thought is to use some of the thin magnetic compartment ones for my wets/soft hackles... a box with a swing for my smaller nymphs and a box without a swing for my dries... no matter what, i am out of space on nymphs, and my hackles and dry flies get crushed.

What say you guys?

Perhaps i don't need to carry 1500 flies for 3 hours on the water.... bah... forget I said that

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"Fishermen...spending their lives in the fields and woods...are often in a more favorable mood for observing her, in the intervals of their pursuits, than philosophers or poets even, who approach her with expectation." - Thoreau

Tim.....

If you can figure it out let the rest of us know.

I carry no less than six full flyboxes in my chest pack at all times, and would feel naked going to the stream with any less.

I guess I admire the guys that go out with only one box......but that will never be me.

Dave M

PS: A good friend that I fish with has eleven (!!!) full flyboxes in his vest at all times, so I'd guess six ain't bad.

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"Fish the West every year. Life is short; and you'll be dead a long time." Chris Hutchins--2009

And if you run out of room in your vests etc. That big opening at the top of your waders will hold a couple of strategically placed boxes.
"Note remember to pull boxes before releasing wading belt, lest you want to become a contortionist to fetch them...."

Ron

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The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of something that is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope.

Sir John Buchan

I'm with Dave... let us know if you figure it out. I'm guilty of caring WAY to many flies. I currently have 3 streamer, 3 dry, 4 maybe 5 nymph, 1 wet and 1 stonefly. And I think I'm forgetting 1 or 2 more. Then there is the 2 bass boxes... and 4 salt boxes... I have a vest with a 1000 poclets, it works for me. I think I carry 8 or 9 boxes every single time I hit the water for trout. My vest also has a built in backpack, so I can stuff 6 or 7 more in there, and sometimes I do. I think a carried a streamer box in my vesy for the ENTIRE season last year and only used it once or twice. I do need to cut back on the weight, but I'm dont want to leave boxes in the car.

Peter

Ps.. I currently have 100 or more flies piled up on my desk that I can't find room for. Every single box I have has a fly in every single slit.. and even more jabbed in everywhere there's a free bit of foam.

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"A good game fish is too valuable to be caught only once"
Lee Wulff

I used to organize. I don't anymore.
1. It's Maine, you need about 12 patterns.
2. I lose a lot on bottom, so it's tie and go.
3. Most of the flies that don't fall off the fly patch somewhere in the woods end up in the cupholder.
4. Carrying multiple rods for different techniques is a good way to break multiple rods at once.

My fly boxes are the only organized part of my life.... One large C&F leaf box for big nymphs; One large C&F box for winter fishing (buggers and soft hackles) one medium C&F for small nymphs; one medium C&F for small dries and wets; two ancient and in need of replacement orvis boxes one caddis, one mayfly; and, currently missing, one large C&F box with attractors; one big streamer box that usually is not carried, but goes in the boat.

I think I have regressed... everything has a home in a box, but too many boxes for the vest.

I landed on...

1. Big cr box for big nymphs
1 small swing leaf generic box for mayflies and small nymphs
1 small cr box for dries
1 flat box for caddis nymphs (slit foam)
1 flat box for caddis dries (magnetic compartment)
1 flat box for soft hackles (magnetic compartments)
1 large box for featherwing streamers
1 fat ziplock book for all other streamers.

So, 8 boxes, thousands of flies... no fish.

_________________
"Fishermen...spending their lives in the fields and woods...are often in a more favorable mood for observing her, in the intervals of their pursuits, than philosophers or poets even, who approach her with expectation." - Thoreau

"So, 8 boxes, thousands of flies... no fish."

Sounds like you've nailed it! I'm usually at 10 boxes, thousands of flies, no fish

Perfect... that is the nearest thing to "2 under par" than i've seen in about 10 years.

_________________
"Fishermen...spending their lives in the fields and woods...are often in a more favorable mood for observing her, in the intervals of their pursuits, than philosophers or poets even, who approach her with expectation." - Thoreau