Every angler has a box of flies they bought on impulse and never fished. I've got two. So when Jake, national sales manager for Montana Fly Company, joined us on the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast, I wanted to hear how a company that has been making flies, materials and accessories for decades thinks about what earns a spot in the bin. He's been with the brand since 2012, and his answers are a pretty good roadmap for building a fly box you'll actually use.
Start With a Core, Then Add the New Stuff
Jake described Montana Fly's catalog the same way I'd tell anyone to build a box: there's a core of high-quality, proven flies that services everyone, and then there's a layer of newer, more innovative designs on top. The company's roots are Western and Northwestern, and the idea from the start was to stay innovative in its designs while keeping that dependable core.
For your own box, that means:
- Your core is the handful of nymphs, dries and streamers that catch fish on your home water in most conditions. Stock deep in those, in a few sizes.
- Your experimental row is where the new hot pattern goes. Keep it small, fish it with intent, and promote it to the core only if it earns it.
Where New Patterns Come From
I asked whether hot new flies are regional or global, and Jake's answer was both. He pointed to competition fly fishing as a big driver. Anglers in places like South Africa, Western Europe and Eastern Europe have pushed the envelope on comp-style flies, and those ideas spread into everyday fly boxes. Some styles that exploded in popularity are now starting to settle back down, which is how trends usually go.
He also explained how the company works with its designers. These are people who spend a lot of time on the water fishing their patterns. Designers bring flies that have been very successful for them, and the company gives feedback on construction quality and materials before a pattern goes into the lineup. That's a good filter to use as a buyer too: look for flies with a track record from people who fish them hard, and inspect the tie. Tight thread wraps, secure beads and properly seated materials matter more than flash.
A Fly Box Has to Survive Your Day
One of the company's longest-running hits is a large fly box they call the Boat Box. Jake said they went back to the drawing board around 2010 to build a big box that could take the daily beating that guides and boat anglers dish out. It was built from ABS plastic, which was new for a box that size, and it was designed so it wouldn't fill with water while you're crashing through whitewater, and it would float if it went over the side.
That's a useful checklist when you pick storage:
- Will it float? If you fish from a boat or wade deep, assume it will go in the water someday.
- Does it seal? Wet flies stored in a closed box rust hooks. Let them dry before you latch it.
- Is it built for how you fish? A big boat box for the drift boat, a slim box for the wading vest. Don't try to make one box do both.
Gear You Carry Every Day Should Make You Smile
Jake also talked about the company's art-wrapped boxes and accessories, with big painted trout heads and similar designs, and the idea behind them: these are things anglers use every single day, so why not have them be beautiful? I agree. The tools you clip to your pack and the box you open fifty times a day are part of the experience. Buy the ones you like looking at, as long as they're built to last.
Looking ahead, he said fly storage is right in their wheelhouse, and they keep looking at new materials and better ways to build boxes. For the rest of us, the lesson is simpler: a well-organized box, stocked with flies you trust, will catch more fish than a bigger box full of maybes.
Gear
Before you buy another dozen flies, empty your box on the table and sort it into core and experimental. Then visit your local fly shop for a floating box sized for how you fish and restock the core first. Our Tips and Tricks for Fly Fishing eBook will help you choose and rig the right flies for the conditions. And for long days on the boat, our Five Panel Cap keeps the sun and glare off so you can actually see what you're throwing.
