Over the past year or so we’ve heard quite a bit of hype surrounding Tacky Fly Boxes from Tacky Fly Fishing, and we’d be willing to bet some of you have too. Well, we hopped on the bandwaggon, picked one up, and today we thought we’d tell you about our first impression.
What’s the Difference?
There’s no foam! Foam has been used as a backdrop for fly boxes for a long darn time, and while newer ‘slotted’ foam has undoubtedly extended the life of most foam backed fly boxes, the fact remains that over time foam breaks down.
Instead, Tacky’s new fly boxes use a slotted insert made out of a sticky (ahem, or tacky) silicone material. The result? A more durable fly mat material that holds flies super tight!
We really liked the idea when we first caught wind of it, however since we don’t spend much time fishing with smaller ‘traditional’ trout flies at our lodges it wasn’t until we heard about Tacky’s ‘Big Bug Box’ for larger flies that we hopped on board.. And we’re sure glad we did.
Why We Like It
Aside from the unique silicone insert, one thing we like most about Tacky’s fly boxes are their slim profile. It seems like we’re always trying to consolidate our gear into a smaller pack, especially when stomping around on the flats. Nobody wants to wade around with a big bulky pack if they don’t have to, and more often than not, its fly boxes that take up the most ’empty’ space. Therefore, when we heard Tacky had a box designed for flies up to 2/0 in size that was only 1.125 inches wide, we thought that had bonefishing written all over it.
Also, one thing we’re hopeful about Tacky’s silicone insert is that it will take far less time to dry out than the foam boxes of the past. Wet flies have a tendency to saturate foam, taking a long time to dry out, often leading to rusty flies. However, made entirely out of silicone, we have a feeling flies will be able to dry far quicker, which is a really good thing.
Lastly, the box features a strong magnetic closure, without any sort of latch or snap to break or weaken over time which we really dig. At first, we’ll admit we were a bit skeptical of the magnet’s strength to keep the box closed, but after thrashing it around in hand we weren’t ever able to open the box with gravity alone, and thus have little doubt above the manget’s strength to keep it close. Plus, it just feels good when it snaps shut.
Conclusion
We think there’s a future in fly box design for Tacky’s silicone system. It appears incredibly durable when compared to foam and holds flies surprisingly tight. It’s also super easy to slide flies into which is not always the case with slotted foam boxes. We think the Big Bug Box makes an ideal box for anyone looking to target bonefish for permit, but will surely accomodate those looking to throw big gnarlies elsewhere as well.
The Tacky Big Bug Box retails for $31.95 and can be found at your local Tacky dealing fly shop. For more information about the Big Bug Box, or other Tacky products, check out their website by clicking right here.
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