Fly boxes, as anglers we can never have too many. Naturally, as you progress through the sport of fly fishing you will acquire more flies, and when the trip of a lifetime comes up, you need to have your flies organized and ready. But, when that time comes which one do you choose? The Fishpond's Tacky Pescador Fly Box or do you go with the Umpqua's UPG LT Mini Midge Fly Box? Are you going out for a week to the salt flats or just short afternoon wade? Knowing the answer to these questions beforehand will help exponentially when deciding what fly box is right for you and that my friends is what we hope to do today. Today we are unpacking the world of fly boxes and going over their best applications.

When you are heading to the river for a quick after-work mission or a strike mission up to an alpine lake, having all your ducks in a row and having your flies in order is important. Typically when these types of fishing trips occur your fly selection is pretty small. You may have a couple of dry fly patterns, a couple of nymphs, but the number of flies you have typically won't max out a fly box. When these trips occur it is best to go with something like an Umpqua UPG LT Mini Midge Fly Box or a Fishpond Tacky Original Fly Box.

If you are someone who spends their entire unpaid vacation out on the water searching for the best trout streams you can find, you are probably the type of person who wants to maximize their time on the water. The best way to do that? A larger fly box. Typically if you are spending more than 4 hours on a stretch of water, you will probably end up finding your way into a few hatches. That means you will need a larger array of bug life selection. That is where the Umpqua UPG HD Weekender Fly Box and The Fishpond Tacky Original Fly Box - 2X come in handy.

If you are fortunate enough to have the ability to fish out of a drift boat, you know how exciting it can be. And, if you have been on a float trip either for a day or several days you know you cover a lot of water. A lot. Of. Water. Since you will be covering a ton of water you will also be covering different types of water, deep pools, weedy banks or you might even get out to wet wade a small tributary you find on a map. Whatever your plan of attack is when headed out on your float trip you are going to need a lot of flies. You are also going to need a lot of big flies. From size 4 articulated streamers to massive pike flies, your boxes should be ready for any situation you row across. Enter the Umpqua Magnum Boat Box and the Fishpond Tacky Pescador Fly Box - XL. These boxes offer the largest capacity for fly storage and typically can hold seemingly a year's worth of hatch cycles in a single box. With storage capacity being less of an issue when floating, boat boxes are the perfect option for the floating angler.

It should go without saying that choosing a fly box is extremely subjective, someone who is just starting out may only have a couple of flies and any have the need for a small pocket-sized fly box at the moment. There are also die-hard dry fly anglers that only fish a certain time of year and thus only need that same pocket-sized fly box. However, when it comes down to it, I think that a fly box is a representation of the person using it. Are you the organized type having every fly life stage equally spaced out months before your trip? If so, you will find yourself needing a ton of fly boxes. Or are you someone who sees's what they have the night before and throws them all in without care (read: me) if that's the case maybe you can get away with only one double-sided fly box. Whatever your organization style is, a proper fly box with make your day of angling much more enjoyable. I hope you liked today's quick run-down of fly boxes and their best applications. This is by no means an exhaustive list and I encourage you to swing by the shop to check out our full array of fly box options and styles. If you are not able to swing by the shop our online store brings the full fly shop experience to you! As always if you have any lingering questions regarding fly selection or gear we are here to help, if you liked today's read or think I missed something let me know at brandon@troutsflyfishing.com.