as mentioned in another post my so called waterproof boxes are letting water in,now it doesn't bother me because i keep my dries in the top two pockest,nymphs and wets in the bottom two,but some of the colours of my flies are running into another and others flies are starting to rust
anyone know of how i can keep them waterproof when wading,i've thought of those self sealing plastic bags,i dry them every time but you can see the rust colour on the foam.
any help.

Waterproof fly boxes are one of the dumbest ideas ever to hit fly fishing. I'd think the number of flies ruined by "waterproof" fly boxes outnumbers the ones saved by 100 to 1.

Setting aside the issue of leaks, the problem is that even atmospheric moisture can damage flies and rust hook. Every time you open the lid, you let in a nice dose of damp air, unless of course you're fishing in the middle of the Sahara.

So what happens? The moisture in that air cannot escape because the waterproof box seals it in. Let the rust and rotting begin!

The best way to prevent rust and fly damage from moisture is to open your fly box and place it on the bench for a day after using it to let it dry out. I've done this for a long time and I've never had rust or mold issues.

The only benefit from waterproof fly boxes comes in situations where you know you'll have to deep wade extensively and that benefit is that they minimize the amount of water that gets in the fly box. In these situations, I'd think a better idea would be to transfer a minimal number of flies into a small waterproof box, making sure they are removed at the end of the day and allowed to dry.

Grouse

Thank you for explaining this distinctly arcane area of maintaining fly dehumidificational integrity.

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Musha rig um du rum da

Personally, I've used C & F boxes for years and never had a problem, even if submerged/dropped in the water.

Pricey, but classy..

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www.paypalsucks.com

Wychwood vuefinder boxes are the way forward

Very droll. Obviously for you I'll have to clarify that I was pointing out that many anglers use waterproof boxes even though they never encounter the single situation where they might present some modest advantage. Instead, they use them because they have been sold on the idea they need to "protect" their fly collections from any and all moisture, rain, humidity, etc, not just submersion.

And in your rush to maximize the yuk-yuk factor or your reply, you probably didn't notice the rest of my post. Even in the deep wading situation the boxes never perform as advertised, so you still need to treat them as if they weren't waterproof and dry everything out afterward. Which makes them pretty much useless.

Grouse

Im telling you the wychwood vuefinder boxes are totally waterproof. I was wading right up to my chest waderslast night and had pockets full of water and not a single drop of water got in. Im sure gelert will justify this as he was with me

Highly recommended boxes

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Jonathan

Actually I thought your point about preventing damage to flies from the moisture inside a fly box by opening the box and allowing them to dry out was full of insight and clear indication of a scientific mind at work . Why on earth hadn't I thought of that before?

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Musha rig um du rum da

da iawn diawl bach,
i can certainly vouch for the vlufinder boxes and their waterproofness,what i was getting at was my flies all seem to run into one another (colour) and i keep my dry fly box in the top two pockets closest to my neck to prevent water ingress,my wets,lures nymphs get a right soaking as i usually wade far deepr than the capacity of my vest and just thought if there was another way forward instead of drying the boxes every night.although if i'm honest the hooks that are starting to rust are problably my cheaper flies,and not naming names but some of my fulling mill hooks must be stainless steel or similare.