Fly box

[gasman]

I want to make a wooden fishing fly box as a present for one of my colleagues who did me a big favour. Anyone got a design or any ideas? The commercially available ones I have seen after googling appear to have rounded corners and it is not easy to see details of the box design or construction. Thanks

 

[Jenx]

I dont make such things, but am a competition fly fisher ...
The box needs to fit in the fishing bag ! obvious but easy to overlook !

This is 'typical' .... i use a few of these type : -

HTH a little bit !

 

[wizer]

Here's a couple more examples. Should be quite simple to do

 

[gasman]

Thanks to both of you for your replies - do you mind if I ask a bit more?
Jenx, what is the largest size do you think it could be? And do they generally have mitred corners? or butt joints? or dovetailed? or something else?
And from your personal experience, how often does the box get wet as I was thinking of doing some fancy inlay work on the top - initials etc similar to the inlay stuff that Steve Latta does http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesArticle.aspx?id=30188.

 

[lurker]

You won't be interested in this but.............

I often buy Aldi, Lidl etc stuff like router bits & forstner bits.

I gut the boxes they come in & stick in some self adhesive stuff from fly tying supplies & flog them to my fly fishing mates, for damn near what I paid for the full box. They think they have a bargain. :lol: :lol:

My own personal fly boxes are stripped out plastic spectacle cases from the opticians which fit just right in my fishing waistcoat & they float!

Gasman, regards your comment about water damage. My big storage box stays in the car & then I transfer flies to the smaller ones. I'd guess he would be very happy with a big box.

By the way - if you can, incorportate some cedar in the design - it keeps the moths at bay :lol:

 

[CNC Paul]

This might give you another design

 

[Jenx]

Hi Gasman ..

My boxes are maybe about 10x8x2" High ( when shut )..
Foam in top & bottom sections ... ( I like foam myself, not everyone does.. some prefer the little metallic hook-clips )

One of my boxes is a 'double sided thing' .. two lids if you like..

As far as the construction goes... in the words of Humphrey Littleton... 'Im sorry, I havent a clue' ... i just 'turn' ... I'm nowhere near clever enough to do 'real' woodwork ! :wink:

As Lurker says... some fellas like a 'transportable box' ... especially if they're 'confirmed float tubers' ( Bellyboats ), that like to paddle out in whats not much more than a big innertube, and float about in that all day... ( I prefer being in a boat ! ).. and the same goes for habitual 'waders' that spend their fishing time waddling out into the loch or river ... for those guys, light, portable & fishing waistcoat pocket sized carrying boxes are what they need .. as Lurker says.. they'll tend to 'tackle up' at the car.. fill their pockets with the essentials and off they go. ... filling up 'from' their main flybox, for the day. -- often stackin flies into a lambswool patch on the jacket or waistcoat etc.. ( which is where your box comes in, I guess )

If your man is more of a 'boat based fisher' or tends to fish more from a well-tended bank ( as at many fisheries )... then he has more scope to actually take his box with him at all times during the day.

A bit will depend on whether you want to give him a 'practical, useable box' or if your intention was more of a 'presentation box' which may never leave the home.
( This is somewhat akin to 'priests' .. the sticks with which to despatch the fish to a better place ... presentation ones are generally almost works of art.. lovely things... but the fish would almost need to salute you before you bludgeon it to death. - 'practical' ones tend to be a bit more like minature baseball bats.. or old hammer shafts etc etc.. you know the 'thinking' here , I'm sure ! )

So.. I guess ... much will depend on whether its a beautiful presentation box ... or a place the fella will actually keep his 'working' flies and be 'useable' ... one 'can' be all things to all fishermen... generally speaking , most fly anglers use a much smaller volume of tackle than your average 'coarse / carp angler' ... and usually carry one bag ( satchell size thing ) over the shoulder. so the box , if its to be practical,.. needs to fit in one of them.

Have a look at 'Fly Fishing Bags' on fleabay and the like.. you'll get the idea of size of the average bag's capacity...
and then maybe you'll know how to best go forward, and gauge the size of the box for your project.

Sounds a lovely idea, by the way !

And thats a new bit of info to me about the cedar... cheers Lurker ! didn't know that !

I believe there's a few fishers on here, hovering about...
so a few lads's input may be really helpful in getting you to a decision on how to best go.

All the best... box sounds a great idea though !!

 

[lurker]

As Lurker says... some fellas like a 'transportable box'

... especially if they're 'confirmed float tubers' ( Bellyboats ), that like to paddle out in whats not much more than a big innertube, and float about in that all day...
WA*KRS :twisted:

and the same goes for habitual 'waders' that spend their fishing time waddling out into the loch or river ... for those guys, light, portable & fishing waistcoat pocket sized carrying boxes are what they need

PROPER MEN (esp inhabitants of Northern Lochs) \/

.. as Lurker says.. they'll tend to 'tackle up' at the car.. fill their pockets with the essentials and off they go. ... filling up 'from' their main flybox, for the day.

-- often stackin flies into a lambswool patch on the jacket or waistcoat etc.. ( which is where your box comes in, I guess )
USELESS :roll:

If your man is more of a 'boat based fisher'
IDLE BU££ERS WHO HAVE NOT LEARNED TO CAST PROPERLY :wink:

or tends to fish more from a well-tended bank ( as at many fisheries )...
FISH FARMERS :evil:

then he has more scope to actually take his box with him at all times during the day.

 

[Jenx]

:wink:

And there are flies that catch fish... and flies that catch fishermen

 

[Grinding One]

Nobody over there using the Half Stick anymore??

 

[lurker]

G1 [-X

Fly fishing is this country is a pursuit of a refined gentlemen, or so I tell SWMBO ( she askes why I do it then :lol: ).

 

[Jenx]

Fly fishing is this country is a pursuit of a refined gentlemen, or so I tell SWMBO ( she askes why I do it then :lol: ).

.... and one distinctly unrefined numpty.... ( and its not lurker :wink: )