If you're interested in traveling with us or have any questions about the gear mentioned below, don't hesitate to reach out. Give us a call or visit our shop, and our knowledgeable staff will be more than happy to assist you. We love sharing our expertise and helping fellow anglers prepare for their next adventure out West. Whether you're on the East Coast or anywhere else, we're here to provide guidance and make your fly fishing experience unforgettable. So get in touch with us today and let's plan your dream trip together!

GEAR WALKTHROUGH VIDEO

Planning a fly fishing trip to Montana and not sure what gear to pack? We've got you covered! After years of experience, we've put together a comprehensive list of essential items that strike the perfect balance between having enough gear and avoiding overpacking. So let's dive into the details:

Packs and Luggage

Yeti Flip Cooler: This may seem like overkill, but it's great for storing lunches and drinks while driving between different rivers or when renting a boat without a cooler.

Fishpond Submersible Lumbar Pack: An excellent fishing pack with enough space to store your tools, flies, and terminal tackle.

Fishpond Dakota Carry-On: This luggage can accommodate rods up to 9 feet in length, making it TSA-approved for easy overhead storage. It's ideal for carrying multiple rods and reels on your trip.

Fishpond Grand Teton Rolling Bag: A fantastic bag to organize and store all your clothing, wading boots, and other gear for the week.

Fishing Pack Essentials

Tools: Abel pliers, Loon Mitten Scissor Clamps, scissors for trimming indicators, a Hatch knot tensioning tool, and Hatch nippers.

Indicators and Flies: Carry a Fishpond puck with yarn indicators, Airlocks, Oros, and an assortment of dry flies and small streamers in a Fishpond Pescador and RiverMag.

Weights and Accessories: Pack a selection of Loon River camo weights, rubber bands for Dorsey-style indicators, and a Yakoda Utility Wallet for leaders.

Leaders and Tippet

Leaders: Bring a pack of 9-foot 4X and 3X nylon leaders, along with a 10-foot 4X stealth leader for stealthy presentations to picky fish. For streamer fishing, a spool of 16-pound Hatch fluorocarbon tippet.

Tippet: Carry 3X and 4X nylon tippet, as well as 3X and 4X fluorocarbon tippet.

Floatants and Accessories

High & Dry Liquid Floatant: Use this for applying on yarn indicators and hoppers.

Liquid Spray: Easy to use on PMD-style dry flies.

Powder and Brush: Use high and dry powder with a brush for larger hoppers and dry flies.

Easy Dry: Great for shaking out bigger hoppers and dry flies.

Rods, Reels, and Lines

Rods: Depending on your preferences, consider bringing a few 4, 5, and 7-weight rods like Red Truck Diesel, Scott Centric, or Winston Air 2.

Reels: Pair your rods with appropriate reels, such as Hatch 4+ for the 4 & 5-weights and Nautilus XL for the 7-weight rod and spare spools with floating and intermediate sink lines.

Lines: Scientific Angler MPX is a recommended choice for 4 and 5-weight lines, offering versatility and ease of use in windy conditions. Wolf Triangle Taper lines are also a great option. For the 7-weight we recommend, SA Sonar Titan Int - 3 - 5.

Clothing and Accessories

Waders: No waders only wading boots with a built-in gaiter

Accessories: Pack a few hats, visors, buffs, and sun gloves to protect yourself from the sun and elements.

Belts: Opt for a quick-drying nylon belt for added convenience.

Spare Boot Laces: Yakoda Extra boot laces in various lengths can come in handy in case of emergencies.

Rising Net: Consider a collapsible net like the Rising Net, which fits inside your bag.

Clothing: Skwala sun hoodies, wading pants, fishing shirts, and rain jackets for varying weather conditions.

Bonus Items: Yeti Cups, two pairs of Bajio Sunglasses

This event is presented by Loon Outdoors.

We will have for sale Eric's Top 10 Loon Fly Tying Tools.

Every ticket will include an Loon Ergo All Purpose Scissor and Loon hat. All Loon items in store will be 15% off this night only.

This is a limited seating event so make sure you buy your tickets fast! This will sell out quickly. This is a seminar so no need to bring your tying kit.

If you have any questions, give us a call! (423) 573-5668

FLY ROD CASTING 201

MARCH 18th AT 10AM

Discover how to get the most accuracy and distance from your cast, fight wind, and consistently feed fish with Chase Pritchett.

“If you had to choose only one fly rod and one river to fish for the rest of your life, where would it be?”

We posed this question to our friends and partners at the Atlanta Fly Show this year. Here were the responses:

Pat Dorsey - Orvis H3D 9’ 5WT in the Cheesman Canyon (CO)

Kevin Sloan Skwala - Winston B3X 8’6 3WT on the East Gallatin River (MT)

Rich Hohne Skwala Sage LL 9’ 4WT on the Yellowstone River (MT)

Gardner Imhoff Skwala- Sage X 9 7WT on the Rio Baker (Chile)

Drew Carlson Yakoda - Scott F1 6’6 2WT on Boulder Creek (CO)

Rob Hermann Yakoda - Douglas Sky G 9’ 5WT in the Cheesman Canyon (CO)

Chase Pritchett - Echo Prime II 8’10” 8WT for Louisiana Redfish

Jimmy Dobes - Thomas and Thomas Exocett SS 8’8” 200 on the Nolichucky River (TN)

Chris Maney - Winston Air 2 8.5’ 3WT on the Luftee River (NC)

Thankfully, we do not have to choose just one.

TU CHILI COOK-OFF

FEBRUARY 21 AT 6PM

Join us for some great mid-winter fun as we host the 4th Annual TU Chili Cook-off & Gear Swap. We are looking forward to seeing you all there to compare recipes, swap fishing gear, and have a good time.

CASTING 101

FEBRUARY 18 at 11am

Learn the basics of casting your fly rod, check out different fly lines, and techniques to improve distance and accuracy. This

ATLANTA FLY SHOW

FEBRUARY 3-5

Stop by our booth to check out our Guide Trip Show Special!

EVENT STARTS AT 6PM ON FEBRUARY 1ST

Attendees get 15% off Skwala Gear for this night only!

Come meet the team from Skwala Fishing! Grab a drink or a bite with the crew from Montana and learn what this new startup is all about.

If you have any questions, give us a call! (423) 573-5668

EVENT STARTS AT 6PM ON JANUARY 20TH

Rod Rigging 101 is the perfect way to start with the basics of fly fishing. This will be hosted at The Fly Box and registration is free! Great for beginners of all ages. This class will cover everything from setting up your fly rod, rig selection, and knot tying.

Attendees get 10% off all terminal tackle used during the event.

Other topics we will cover:

- Low water vs. high water

- Bounce rigs, in-line rigs, dry fly set-ups, swinging wet flies, & streamers

- Leaders you should use for different set-ups

- Best tippet sizes for each rig

- Bug placement

- Tippet rings and micro swivels

If you have any questions, give us a call!
(423) 573-5668

Located in the heart of Patagonia, there is a lodge and outfitter that lives up to the hype. 

Earlier this month, Chelsia and I were lucky enough to be invited down to Vista Patagonia Lodge for a week of fishing by the owner Diego Guerro F. and his wife Macarena Alarcon. 

The purpose of this trip was to partner with Vista to begin hosting trips starting as early as 2024. We are excited to help our Fly Box Family make a trip of a lifetime possible.

THE FISHING

Since Chile is located in the Southern Hemisphere, the weather was similar to spring here in the U.S. A perfect storm of rain and glacier runoff created high river conditions. Even with double the flow levels, the water was still gin clear. These weather conditions made for a great opportunity to put our Skwala RS gear through the ringer.

The fishing was totally worth the trip. The quantity and quality of the fish lived up to the hype. Everything we fished was big. Big rods (6-8wts), big tippet (0-2x), and big flies.

Caught on a Fuego Flies Streamer

Sight Fishing on a High Alpine Lake with a Caddis dry (#12 Bloom’s Caddis)

Caught on a Chilean Chubby

THE GUIDES

The guides were local Chileans who spoke great English and were awesome to fish with. Their excitement for fishing was contagious. They were not overly demanding but they cared about you having success. It was easy to tell they love what they do and were a joy to fish with. Additionally, they were all extremely informative about the fisheries and area. Coyhaique has a unique history and it does not get better than hearing it from the locals.

THE LODGE

As soon as we walked in, we felt like we were in an extension of The Fly Box, 6000 miles south. The look and feel is so similar to our shop. All of the rooms were clean and the beds were very comfortable.

The lodge hosts 8 anglers at a time which makes for a very intimate and personal experience. Getting to know the staff and guides was one of the highlights of the trip. It truly felt like the Vista crew was a part of our Fly Box family.

Chilean Eel

End of the week Lamb Asado

Diego preparing river-side Charcuterie

Post-fishing charcuterie and cocktail hour

THE FOOD

Everyday our chef, Christian, knocked it out of the park. For breakfast we ate fresh pastries, scrambled eggs, bacon, homemade bread, and french-press coffee. Our river lunch was typically a Gaucho-style sandwich with a side salad. After fishing we always had charcuterie, appetizers, and wine waiting for us back at the lodge. For dinner we had local, regional recipes that were amped up with a Vista touch. At the end of the week, all guests get to enjoy a traditional Chilean lamb Asado.

Outside of Vista Patagonia Lodge

Diego and Macarena

THE TRAVEL

Let’s be real. The travel is no joke. 

You can expect a full 24+ hours of travel and a layover, essentially two full days of travel each way. Lesson learned: Stay an extra night in Santiago. This happened to us due to a missed flight, however it was a blessing in disguise. For our future trips, this will be a part of the standard program. Having extra time allowed us to be ready to rock and roll when we made it to Coyhaique. Fishing for a week straight is no-joke hard “work”. Being rested up is wise so you can make the most of your time. It’s well worth it.

*Some photos shared from the fine folks at Vista Patagonia

TYING STARTS AT 6PM!

Come tie with us! We will be gathering as a community and learning to tie together. Please bring your own vise and tools.

We will have Chili Dogs on the menu.

Even if you do not tie, feel free to come enjoy cold beer and good company.

If you have any questions, give us a call!
(423) 573-5668
www.theflyboxtn.com

The Fly Box owner, Jonathan Neyman (@jneyman71) takes us through his pack and what he carries when he wade fishes.

Jonathan’s Gear List:

• Scott G 8’8 5WT

• Hatch 4+ Black

• Fishpond Thunderhead Submersible Sling Pack

• Fishpond Emerger Net

• TroutHunter Evo Nylon 4x-7x

• Thunderhead Sling Divider

• Tacky Original RiverMag x 2

• Puck Organizer loaded with The Fly Box pucks

• Loon Quickdraw Forceps

• Loon Floatant Spray

• High N Dry Powder w/ Brush Applicator

• Yakoda Utility Wallet

• Yarn Indicator Kit

• Hatch Nippers

• Amadou Patch

TYING STARTS AT 6PM!

Come tie with us! We will be gathering as a community and learning to tie together. Please bring your own vise and tools.

We will have Snackle Boxes and Chili Dogs on the menu.

Even if you do not tie, feel free to come enjoy cold beer and good company.

If you have any questions, give us a call!
(423) 573-5668
www.theflyboxtn.com

Join us as we host a fly tying seminar with Forrest Dorsey. Forrest is the owner of Tailwater Junkie, a fly company.

Forrest was born and raised in Colorado where he spent endless hours fishing the South Platte River with his dad. (Pat Dorsey) He has recently relocated to the Asheville area and looks forward to learning new waters in Western North Carolina and sharing his passion for fishing, fly tying and photography with others.

Forrest has been fortunate enough to take his fly fishing addiction to the next level by traveling to many bucket list locations, including Alaska and Patagonia. Forrest is proud to be an Umpqua Feather Merchants fly designer and Regal Pro Staff member. 

Your ticket will include a puck of 1/2 dozen Tailwater Junkie flies!

This is a limited seating event so make sure you buy your tickets fast! This will sell out quickly. This is a seminar so no need to bring your tying kit.

If you have any questions, give us a call! (423) 573-5668

MEET THE MOUNTAINS FESTIVAL

Come say hello Friday and Saturday Aug. 19-20 as we host a booth at the Meet The Mountains Festival in Johnson City. The festival will be in Founders Park!

We will have fly tying, gear, and merch at our booth.

“This free festival serves as a showcase of Northeast Tennessee’s outdoor recreation assets.”

If you have any questions, give us a call! (423) 573-5668

FLY TYING NIGHT AUG. 11TH!

Join us this Thursday Aug. 11th as we host a laid-back night of fly tying and beer!

Please bring all your tools and materials as we will not be providing any for this event! We will have a few open vises for learning and sharing.

If you have any questions, give us a call! (423) 573-5668

The Fly Box was recently featured in an article by The Fly Lords featuring the latest Huge Fly Fisherman video. Ben and the Tailer Trash crew came down to dust off the winter frost and do some smallmouth fishing.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

We love our area because there is no off-season like many other parts of the country. There is always something to catch! The BWO hatches and smallmouth fishing in east Tennessee are really heating up this time of year.

Huge thanks to Ben and the Tailer Trash guys for sending some love our way. Go check out the video and subscribe to Huge Fly Fisherman’s youtube.

As always, call the shop with any questions. (423) 573-5668

It all started with a dream idea to create a fly shop that people could get behind and a location that provided everything an angler would need for fishing in East Tennessee.

Our vision is to sell products we fish, and to make your time on the water more efficient. Only four minutes from the river, we have you covered on your way to the water. We are excited to join this community and earn your business.