Silicone. Foam. Compartment. Each style of fly box has its devotees.
Honestly, I think each and every one has pros and cons. The fly fisher with a diverse set of angling interests probably can find use for every one of them. But don’t stop with these three. Mix in an incredibly viable, time-tested mode for carrying your flies.
The fly wallet.
For many fly fishers, their only exposure to fly wallets might come from kitschy still-life paintings of early 20th century gear: gaudy dry flies sitting atop fluffy fleece. It doesn’t seem modern, practical, or anti-bacterial at all.
However, there are modern fly wallets. And they not only have their place alongside the aforementioned storage options – they excel in certain situations. Below I outline four circumstances where I choose wallets over hard-sided boxes. I also share what is, in my humble opinion, the best wallet on the market today.
Saltwater
A far cry from the wool-lined, leather-bound fly wallets of old, modern wallets are perfect for the salt. I stuff mine full of Clousers, deceivers, and other random streamers. As I navigate the rocky beaches of New England, I’m able to carry dozens upon dozens of flies with very little bulk. With synthetic materials, all I have to do at the end of the day is run the entire wallet under the tap, shake it dry, and let it sit open overnight.
Poppers
Whether you are throwing gurglers for stripers, mice for big browns, or cork poppers for largemouth, a fly wallet might be the best option. Most hard-sided fly boxes weren’t designed with high-profile foam flies in mind. Or, if you can fit them in there, the other side is rendered useless. A wallet will fit the biggest saltwater and the smallest bluegill poppers just fine.
Streamers
If you fish big, feathery, articulated streamers, you know that they monopolize the space in traditional boxes. In a wallet, even the longest and unruliest flies can simply go where they want. If you fish simpler patterns (think grey ghost or mickey finn), simply lay them down as you slide the hook into the wallet. They’ll stack in nicely and the feathers won’t get compressed.
Your One-Box
If you’re looking to throw a small assortment of go-to trout flies in a pocket, there are few options better than a small wallet. The flexible profile means it won’t bother you if it is stashed in a hip, back, or shirt pocket. As it is open on both ends, it will handle getting tossed in your car full of wet flies. Of course, you have to be careful with dries tied with delicate wings or sparse hackle. Otherwise, you can load up even the tiniest wallet with dozens of bugs for your local water.
My favorite wallet comes from one of my favorite gear storage companies: Vedavoo. Vedavoo makes your gear to order in the USA. Their fly wallets come in three sizes, offer four cover materials, and utilize the loop-side of Velcro as an inner surface. I use them in both fresh and saltwater applications, and absolutely recommend that you give one (or more) a try. Check out the Vedavoo lineup here, and have them start building your wallet today.