Fly Storage by Fishpond

Gear Review: Tacky Fly Boxes

Every fly angler needs a suitable fly storage system.

Some are content with a simple sheepskin wallet, or an old tobacco tin housing an intertwined pile of bedraggled dries and nymphs. Others with frugal disposition seek the cheapest that Amazon or Alibaba has on offer.

I wish I was of that mindset.

For me, fly storage is as important in my tackle collection as reels and fly lines. I pour over open boxes during the long winter months, sometimes filling gaps, but as often, overseeing a wholesale relocation of patterns within and between boxes. It’s a serious business.

The annual purchase of an additional box to house my widening fly collection starts with a wide review of all offerings.

You see, my need for larger and more boxes grows as fast as my saltwater and destination angling passion expands its horizons. Patterns – from sparsely tied unweighted Gotchas for the Belize bonefish, to 2/0 Black Brushies targeting GTs, baroque Permit offerings, flamboyant streamers for Tierra Del Fuego – they all need specialist housing, in my eyes at least.

Then there’s the New Zealand nymphs, dries, streamers, backup boxes of terrestrials, stillwater damselflies, Tongaririo-style weighted egg patterns … the list never gets any shorter.

My annual investigation of the latest in fly storage involves scanning recent reviews of offerings from Cliff Outdoors, Fulling Mill, plus browsing the many innovations and minimalist designs of the boutique tackle companies for inspiration (Yakodo Supply Co and Epic Fly Fish deserve honourable mentions and I do proudly run the hand-stitched Epic Streamer Wallet). I don’t want to unwittingly invest in old technology!

My search invariably leads back to C&F Designs and Tacky Fly Storage from Fishpond USA, and I browse their collections imagining those sterile, uniform containers housing identical rows of flawless flies in varying weights and sizes. After which I invariably settle on another from Tacky’s trusted system, place my online purchase, and proceed to populate said boxes with my less than perfect mix of random patterns.

In this post, I’ll share my experience of six boxes I own in the Tacky range, starting with their compact Tacky Daypack that I carry in my trout bum bag, the Tacky Original box (heavier nymphs), and the Tacky Original 2X (more trout nymphs) for my multi-day backcountry trout expeditions.

Then onto the Tacky Pescador box in Burnt Orange that I prefer for bonefishing, and the Tacky Pescador Large (Baja Blue) current housing a procession of Patagonian streamers.

Rounding out this fly storage review is the simple and cheap Tacky Fly Puck variations. These either transport a small selection for rapid replacement on the fly, so to speak. Or commandeered for temporary used saltwater fly storage ahead of a rinse and dry session at the end of each day on the flats.

All fly boxes were full paid for by me, not gifted.

I welcome your feedback on my review of each of these boxes. Feel free to share your views in the comments section.