Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD
If there’s a perfect storage solution for trolling flies, I’ve not seen it. I’ve tried a few that come close, at least for certain sizes but where I fish, we start our season using “peanut” flies about an inch or so long, move up to two-inchers and by summer we are using full size flies for salmon and trout. Each size needs separate storage needs, it seems, to keep the leaders, hooks and flies themselves from coming out of the box as a giant-sized mess.
In the southern states, Texas-based Academy Sports is as big or bigger than Bass Pro/Cabela’s in the north and it’s moving north into the Great Lakes states. There’s one not far from where I live in Indiana and that’s where I spotted the H2OX Bait Locker. Sized to fit most tackle storage systems that accept 3700-sized StowAway boxes, the thing I picked up on quickly was the overall build of the locker. Compared to the basic Plano StowAway, the H2OX is made from a more rigid plastic, as you can see in the photo, it’s bright translucent blue and more importantly, the hinges and closure latches are solidly built with metal hinge pins.
Inside, it has removable dividers that can create 46 separate compartments inside the box roughly 1/1/4” X 2” X 2”, each compartment is perfect for tucking a one to two-inch fly, hook and leader. That’s plenty for my use since I only use about eight or ten basic patterns. If you need more, Academy does make a double–sided bait locker with similar dimensions inside but twice as thick.
If there’s not yet an Academy Sports store close to you, they do have an online ordering department that will ship straight to your home. Check out the H2OX Premium Bait Locker at www.academy.com and while you are there surf around on the site to take a look at their other products that make Academy Sports one of the fastest growing fishing and outdoor recreation equipment outlets in the USA.
FISHING TOYS 