The best fly boxes match how you fish: a waterproof silicone-slit box for everyday trout flies, a slim box for a shirt pocket, a compartment box that protects dry fly hackle, a deep or magnetic box for streamers, and a big briefcase box for the boat. Most good fly boxes cost $15 to $60.
I have watched more flies die in bad boxes than in trout mouths. Crushed hackle, rusty hooks, a lid that pops open on the walk in and sends a dozen midges into the grass. My buddy Jay once dropped an entire box off a drift boat because the latch gave up, and we still talk about it every trip. Picking the best fly box is not glamorous, but it saves you money and sanity.
Here are 10 fly boxes and fly storage picks from our packs, bags and fly storage collection, grouped by how you fish.
- Best all-around: Wild Water Large Thin Foam Insert Fly Box.
- Best budget: Wild Water Large Double-Sided Fly Box at $14.99.
- Best for streamers: Lid Rig Mag Box Pro.
- Best gift: Eastern Trout Fly Assortment With Gift Fly Box, loaded with 24 flies.
How Do You Choose the Best Fly Box?
Start with three questions: what flies go in it, where does it ride, and how wet does it get. Foam slits are cheap and forgiving, silicone grips hooks tighter and lasts longer, compartments protect bushy dry flies, and magnets hold big streamers without bending hackle or marabou. On the podcast, the founders of Tacky Fly Fishing made a point I never forgot: a sealed waterproof box keeps water out, but it also keeps water in, so one wet fly can rust everything in there. Whatever box you buy, let used flies dry before they go back inside.
What Are the Best Fly Boxes for Trout Anglers?
Wild Water Large Thin Foam Insert Fly Box
The Wild Water Large Thin Foam Insert Fly Box is a large box lined with thin foam, so dries, nymphs and small streamers sit in neat rows and you can see your whole selection at once on the bank. It is simple, roomy and easy on the wallet. For most trout anglers, this is the box to build a system around.
$15.99 Shop Now
Day Tripper Shirt Pocket Lanyard Fly Box
The Day Tripper is a minimalist trout fly box made to ride in a shirt pocket or hang from a lanyard. It is the right box for a short evening session or a small stream, when you only want the handful of flies you expect to use and nothing else weighing you down.
$14.95 Shop Now
Wild Water Large Foam Insert Double-Sided Fly Box
The Wild Water Large Fly Box is double-sided with clear lids on both sides, so you can see what you have before you open it. It has a water-tight seal and 276 pre-cut foam slits across six rows per side, in a 6 by 3.75 by 1.75 inch package. At $14.99, it is an easy way to organize a beginner's first fly collection.
$14.99 Shop Now
Wild Water Large 6 Section Clear Fly Box
Dry flies hate being squished. The Wild Water Large 6 Section Clear Fly Box drops them loose into six open compartments instead of jamming them into foam, so bushy hoppers, Stimulators and parachutes ride without crushed hackle. The clear lid shows you which section holds what before you open it.
$9.99 Shop Now
Wild Water Terrestrial Fly Assortment, 36 Flies With Fly Box
Big summer dries need their own box, and this one shows up already loaded: 36 terrestrial flies in a Wild Water fly box, ready for hopper season. Keep it as your dedicated terrestrial box and restock it with your favorite flies from the FFIP shop, or hand it over as a ready-made gift.
$35.85 Shop Now
Dry used flies on a safety pin. North Carolina guide Stratton Hunter told us he clips a large safety pin to his shirt and hangs each used fly on it to air-dry instead of jamming it back into the box. Salt water and wet flies rust hooks fast, especially on a long trip. At the end of the day, only dry flies go back in the box, which protects everything else you own.
What Is the Best Fly Box for Streamers and Big Flies?
Streamers need room and a firm grip. Bent marabou and crushed rabbit strips swim wrong, and big hooks tear up cheap foam fast. For more on organizing the meat side of your box, read our streamer box tactics and browse our streamer fishing products.
Lid Rig Gatling Fly Box
The Lid Rig Gatling Fly Box is a molded plastic box with a strong magnetic closure and dual cross-cut slits in durable SeaDeck camo foam. It holds 90-plus dry flies, holds streamers when you set them in lengthwise, and fits in cup and water bottle holders on a boat, truck or kayak.
$49.95 Shop Now
Lid Rig Mag Box Pro
The Lid Rig Mag Box Pro is a streamer box with magnetic inserts on both sides, three large movable fly docks and a magnetic tin box for small stuff. At 9.5 by 8.5 by 3 inches closed, it handles streamers, hoppers, nymphs, split shot and swivels in one box. Read our full Lid Rig Mag Box Pro review for more.
$89.99 Shop Now
Wild Water Mega Fly Assortment, 120 Flies With 2-Sided Fly Box
A drift boat box should hold a lot of flies in one place, and the Wild Water Mega Fly Assortment does that out of the gate: 120 of the all-time most popular flies in a two-sided fly box. Leave it in the boat bag as the backup for everyone on board, so nobody's day ends because they ran out of the fly that is working.
$87.40 Shop Now
What Fly Storage Makes the Best Gift?
Eastern Trout Fly Assortment, 24 Flies With Gift Fly Box
For a gift, I like a box that arrives full. This Eastern trout assortment packs 24 essential dry flies and nymphs into a gift fly box, so the angler on your list can open it and go fishing the same weekend. It is a great pick for anyone who fishes eastern trout water or is just getting started.
$38.95 Shop Now
Lid Rig Mag Pad
The Lid Rig Mag Pad is a strong 4 by 7 inch magnetic silicone pad that sticks to tying desks, vise bases, rafts, coolers and dashboards. It comes with two camo foam and metal fly docks with hook slits, so fresh flies come off the vise and onto the pad to dry before they go in a box. Pair it with gear from our fly tying collection.
$24.95 Shop Now
Former FFIP host Greg kicked off the podcast with episode 01, featuring Tim Jenkins and Ki Aston of Tacky Fly Fishing, who explained how silicone fly box inserts came to be and why a sealed box can turn into a rust trap. Episode page.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best type of fly box?
The best type of fly box for most anglers is a waterproof box with a silicone or slit-foam insert, because it protects flies from rain and dunks while holding hooks securely. Add a compartment box for bushy dry flies and a deep or magnetic box for streamers as your collection grows.
Are silicone fly boxes better than foam?
Silicone fly box inserts usually grip hooks tighter and last longer than foam, which can tear and lose its hold after heavy use. Foam is cheaper and works well for beginners and small flies.
How many fly boxes do I need?
Most trout anglers do well with two or three fly boxes: one for dries, one for nymphs and one for streamers. Many anglers also pack a small day box with only the flies they expect to use, and leave the rest of the collection at home.
How do I keep flies from rusting in a fly box?
Keep flies from rusting by letting used flies dry completely before they go back in the box, opening waterproof boxes to air out after a wet day, and rinsing saltwater flies in fresh water. A safety pin clipped to your shirt makes a handy drying rack on the water.
Tight lines, everyone!
A good fly box is one of the best gifts under $60 you can give an angler, and it helps them catch any fish, any time, and anywhere.
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