Filling a Box 

I have done something similar and spent the last 7 years researching the best fly patterns from every source I can find! I have created several books where all the patterns are written down. I reviewed each and reduced the patterns down to the most essential which will catch Brown trout, sea run Brown trout, Brook trout, sea run Brook trout, Rainbow trout, Landlocked salmon and Atlantic salmon! These are the fresh water fish available where I live. Each pattern must be effective for many of these and some (a small number) will catch all or any! I am down to about 30 patterns at this point! I still have specific Atlantic Salmon patterns…the exception, at this point! It is a work in progress and may never be complete! I rarely fish dry flys as I found no need! Soft hackles, flymphs, wet flys, bucktails feather wing streamers and hair wing flys are what I use and on a good day can catch over 100 trout releasing most but keeping perhaps a 1/2 dozen for a meal! Trout are very abundant where I am and if anything overpopulated in many waters here so taking a few for the pan is not frowned upon and expected! If not done correctly, catch and release often kills the fish you caught, later and out of sight! I never touch any fish or remove it out of the water! I keep it in a soft mesh net and grip the hook with haemostats, a quick twist to free the hook and dip the net to let the fish swim away! Probably not perfect but as good as I can do! Tight lines, keep on tying! Best Regards!

I was checking back to see how your doing health wise. Love you videos

"As soon as I filled the only box I need, I immediately needed another" // Love it. great stuff brah rick du4 ~rad~

I love your organization of everything.

Helpful is an understatement. Fantastic work!

Nice video and nice idea. Thanks!

I really like watching your videos, I love to see you with your filled up boxes, I will take away the neatness of how you do it but I think I have a lot more different flies, im sure I need to cut down on a few, thanks I have subscribed & will be watching all your future videos,

Everything about this is great. The organization, the attention the detail... Lovely content, and hope to one day be as organized.

Thanks very much for your great videos which are very well made. I am from Ireland and have been tying for over 30 years and continue to learn and be inspired by others. Seeing your immaculate filled box and your note books made me start my own "fill the box" project which should keep me content for a good few months. I think your work really captures how there are many rewarding facets to fly tying other than tying a nice fly. Thank you again and all the best, Martin.

I enjoyed watching your video. Thankyou for sharing it with us. Aloha🌴🎣🏄‍♂

I think your first two videos here, really address an historical issue most fly tyers have to address fairly early in the game. Storage and organization, covers all of the main issues that we find ourselves dealing with for the next 25 years. Can't wait until you cover material storage. My tying room is huge and organized but finding stuff is still an issue. You do great work, looking forward to more.

Just discovered this channel, great stuff! I have managed to (almost) get down to only "The Box" now, but I have a vintage 16 compartment Wheatley box with wool in the lid, I manage to get around 3-400 flies in there, but are usually enough for me for one season, as I use only few patterns, and primarily dryflies. I also have a smaller 6 compartment box with foam in the lid which I mostly keep empty for when I pack ultra-light, here I also keep the smallest midge patterns. And in the last box, also a quite small one I keep my daddy longlegs and those big drake mayflies.

Wonderful stuff.

I just purchased two of those same boxes. Only one has the extra insert though. Excellent box. Thanks for the video.

Thanks for this video. It has given me several helpful ideas. I had to pretty much stop fly fishing due to disability a few years ago & lost my motivation to tie until I saw an ad this year about a program providing fly fishing opportunities for disabled veterans. I contacted them & learned they would be happy to have fly donations. Now I have some boxes to fill, & your tips will help with organizing them. Thank you.

Just discovered your channel and am enjoying your content! I think your organization is brilliant! I'm a techy, so I'm building a database! ( I love paper, but... )

Super helpful! I definitely will organize the nymphs by weight as well (heaviest to the right). With hook sizes, weights and colors, the total fly count really adds up quickly!

Great video... You are great narrator. And that OCD really helps with tying.

I’ve really enjoyed your first two videos. Our boxes could be exchanged and neither of us would feel the loss. It’s nice to see someone else who appreciates a well organized box. My challenge is that I’m primarily a Stillwater fly fisherman and that requires an entirely different level of needs to accommodate the wide array of food sources in lakes and a collection of flies from tiny midges to huge streamers. I’m currently at 34 boxes and counting plus the 22 boxes I’ve tied for my fishing partner. Lol..... It’s been an ongoing process for the last 20+ years and some boxes have seen a complete turnover of their inventory 2-3 times over the years. It’s a hobby. It’s a lifestyle too. There are worse things to do with ones time and money. Besides that we both enjoy collecting flies for the simple pleasure of it- Yes I also fish rivers when the lakes are frozen and I’ve struggled to get down to that one box to do the job. I’ve currently reached an all time low of 3 boxes for rivers (not counting streamers that are dual purpose) and so far I can’t figure out how to downsize further. But I’ll keep working on that. Thanks for the inspiration to reach my goal of a single perfect box for rivers. I don’t know if I can actually do it or not, but it’s a noble goal if for no other reason than to simply that area of my life. I’ll continue watching your other videos. Best regards!

What a great channel

That's funny... I just got the same box and am working on filling it 😂

Great info

Thanks for posting. Bravo Zulu.

Good job Shorty!

Super..... tutorial su costruzioni ? Dry fly.... wow fantastiche....

Great idea. Loved the box. What brand is it? I fish mostly salt water and large mouth bass. I believe that box will work for my bass bugs and my salt water flies. Looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks

Every thought of providing those fly list in the boxes and pattern lists? Would love to have those, I feel like I’m spinning my wheels on what to put in my boxes.

Love this! Have you considered organizing by weight? Such as all PT in one row, from light to heavy?

Realistically we need to hire Sherpa's to carry all our flies we need since they can carry a lot of weight and big awkward loads over rough rocky terrain.

What is the box could or brand

Hallo 'Shorty', Love to see your boxes. Can you give me a suggestion? What box can I use for midges #18 till 24? Tight lines and greetings from The Netherlands.

I am ptsd and so unorganized i cant describe how messy my tying station is.ha and my fly boxes are just as bad. My flies arnt perfect but i enjoy tying in short sperts. For the last 10 yrs. Enjoy.

Another great video! What box is that?

Does enyone now what the fly box is could

Great video! Would you be willing to share your master list of what is on each row?

Hey shorty...what brand is that fly box... Also what brand is that open compartment box you use for dry flies in your previous video... thxs

As I know nothing about fly fishing, do you go through a lot of flies during each fishing trip?? 'Cause your fly box has a lot of flies in it! 😃

What is the name of that box