Through the years, I and the fly people in my family have used various patches to hold and dry fly patterns that have been used or placed in a handy location for immediate access. Whether one uses a vest, chest pack or sundry other devices to hold equipment for fly fishing, fly patches have been a fly fishing mainstay for a long time…here’s our evolution with some other alternatives tossed in…
Some younger guy, on the Frying Pan River in CO with no fly patch around 1978…
Jean Marie, above the Roaring Fork River, Aspen, CO – with a vest and (count ’em) two fly patches made from sheep skin – one of the worst patches ever made when attempting to extract an un-de-barbed hook…leave one’s flies in there and watch them rust…
Ally, on the Madison River, MT with my TEENY VEST ( which I got for tubing) and a sheep skin fly patch..I recall her saying, “I’ll be takin’ that vest !”…
Me n’ Angelo on the Lower Owens River with one of the first foam patches Simms made for their vests…they didn’t hold up too well and I kept asking the guys at Bob Marriott’s Fly Fishing store to see if they could get a replacement from the company…
On the North Fork of the Tule River with an almost destroyed Simms foam patch…
Simms foam fly patches…OK (above) – Mo’ Betta’ (below)…
Michael with the current Simms patch on the East Walker River…
Waterworks Fly Traps…a little Velcro and it goes here…
Upper left vest pocket flap on the older Simms Guide model – on the Madison River, MT…
Simms patch box…closed…
Simms patch box…open…
FINSPORT BUG CAGE…closed…
FINSPORT BUG CAGE…open…
FINSPORT BUG CAGE in use…on the North Fork of the Tule River…
Hardy Leather Fly Patch…I really like many of the Hardy leather products …unfortunately, this patch has sheep skin inside…
These are from STREAMWORKS …plastic with foam or magnetic insert…
This is the Wychwood Vuefinder Fly Patch…reviewed by Andy Buckley…
From C&F DESIGNS… magnetic and something to pin on your hat or vest…
A magnetic fly patch from Cabela’s…
I am personally keen on the Finsport Patch…It is enclosed and I don’t find myself losing flies when navigating “wait a minute ” bushes… Michael likes the Simms foam patch and is always asking me to replace fies… 
Stuff that will grab yer’ flies on the East Walker River…
This is the new Tacky Tube which folds together and is held by magnets so bushes don’t snatch yer’ flies – (July 2015)…
NEXT: That Annelid
PT/TB
PLANETTROUT: Fly Fishing, Fly Tying and LIFE
PlanetTrout 
