reviews

Finsport Fly Drying Box

Reviewed by Scott Richmond

Finsport Fly Drying Box. $14.95. Available at some fly shops or online (google "Finsport").

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hen he looked closely, Bill could see the big trout back under the overhanging alder branches. Every 30 seconds or so, its nose would poke through the river's surface, and a floating caddisfly would disappear. Bill smiled, because he knew he had just the right fly. He'd already caught several trout on that pattern today. Because he'd lost several flies in the trees, and once he'd been broken off, he only had one good fly left--right there on his vest's wool fly patch.

Bill confidently reached for the fly. It wasn't there. He resisted panic while he pawed through the wool fleece, thinking it was buried in there. Then he looked all over the vest. Frantically searched the ground. Desperately dug through his fly boxes. No fly. It had fallen out and was gone forever.

Meanwhile, his friend Steve had also found a rising trout. Steve had the right fly, and expertly placed it in front of the trout, which grabbed it with a beautiful head-and-tail rise. The trout raced for mid-river, jumped, then tore downstream. And was gone.

Steve checked his hook. It was broken at the bend, which he could see was rusty. "I really should dry these guys before putting them away," Steve muttered.

The Problem

If you've fly fished very long, you know the problem: flies--especially barbless ones--fall out of wool a "drying patch" like ripe apples dropping off a tree. But if you put your flies away wet, they will rust in the fly box, making hooks dull and weak.

The solution is a separate small box that will hold your flies safely while they dry. Lately, I've been using a little lightweight box made by Finsport. Inside, there are foam ridges for your flies. Mesh sides let air circulate so the flies can dry. The lid has a Velcro closure, so your flies are safely enclosed. The box will hold everything from midges to steelhead flies.

The Finsport is made from fabric and weighs next to nothing. A camlock clip lets you put it almost any convenient place. I often clip mine to a shirt pocket flap. It's proven to be a very useful accessory. I've tried several different drying boxes, and this one is my favorite. If I had one wish, it would be for a swivel mounting for the camlock so I could clip the box to more places.

Finsport also makes a larger box. It comes with belt loops and an external plastic pouch into which you could put your fishing license, which could be quite handy if you're fishing in a state such as California that requires your license to be visible.

Bottom Line: Best fly drying wallet I've used. Reviewer Rating: 4

Scott Richmond is Westfly's creator and Executive Director. He is the author of eight books on Oregon fly fishing, including Fishing Oregon's Deschutes River (second edition).

Uploaded 08/15/2000.

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Closed fly wallet. Cam-lock is at the top.

Open fly wallet.