That's where shrink wrap comes in. Yes, you read that right – shrink wrap for flies. It might sound strange at first, but I promise it's a game-changer.
Shrink wrap is a plastic film that shrinks tightly around an object when heated. It's commonly used for packaging, sealing food, and providing protection during shipping. However, for fly fishermen, it can also be a useful tool for organizing and storing flies.
Until recently, I had always used small plastic boxes with individual compartments to store my flies. While these boxes work well enough, they have a few drawbacks. For one, flies can get tangled or mixed up in the compartments, especially if they're not properly secured. Additionally, the boxes can take up a lot of space in a pack or vest, making them cumbersome to carry around.
Enter shrink wrap. The process is simple – lay out your flies in a neat row on a piece of plastic wrap, leaving a bit of space between each one. Then, wrap the plastic tightly around the flies and use a hairdryer or heat gun to apply heat evenly to the plastic. The plastic will shrink around each fly, creating a tight seal that holds them in place.
Once the plastic has cooled and set, you can trim off any excess and label the bundle with the type of flies it contains. The result is a compact and organized bundle of flies that takes up minimal space in your pack or vest. You can easily slide the bundle into a pocket or clip it onto a loop, ready for use whenever you need it.
I've found shrink wrap to be especially useful for dry flies, which can be fragile and prone to getting crushed or bent in traditional plastic boxes. By shrink wrapping them together, I'm able to protect them from damage while keeping them organized and easily accessible.
Of course, shrink wrap isn't a perfect solution for every situation. It's not ideal for wet flies, which can get stuck together and difficult to separate. And if you need to access a specific fly in a bundle, you'll need to unwrap the whole thing and re-shrink wrap it afterward.
But for me, the benefits of shrink wrap far outweigh the drawbacks. It's easy, affordable, and makes organizing and storing flies a breeze. Give it a try – you might just find yourself wondering how you ever lived without it.