fishpond Tacky Big Bug Fly Box 2X, Double Sided Fly Box Review (2026)

Who this fly box is built for

This box is aimed squarely at anglers who tie or buy larger flies, streamers, poppers and bass bugs that do not fit the tight compartments of a standard trout fly box. The double sided design and 144 fly capacity give enough room to carry a real variety of big patterns for a day on the water without needing multiple smaller boxes stacked in a pack. Fishpond's silicone anchoring slots are specifically built to grip larger hooks up to size 2/0 without crushing hackle or deforming foam over a season of use, which matters more with bulky streamers than with small dries. Anglers who mostly fish size 12 to 18 dry flies and nymphs will find this box oversized for their needs and better served by a slimmer, foam-slot box sized for smaller hooks.

Materials and the silicone slot design explained

The Big Bug box is molded from recycled polycarbonate, a durable plastic that fishpond uses across its Tacky line for its resistance to cracking and its lighter weight compared with metal boxes. Instead of foam slits, the box uses fishpond's patented silicone anchoring technology, a grid of flexible silicone slots that grip a hook shank firmly while still releasing it easily when you pull a fly free. A useful detail is the step down insertion guide molded into each slot, which lets you feel where the slit begins so you can push the hook straight down into place rather than blindly backing it in sideways, a common frustration with plain foam boxes. The box closes with a strong, latchless magnetic seal rather than a mechanical clasp, and fishpond states the silicone construction is built to withstand an extreme temperature range, which matters for a box that may sit in a hot truck or a cold wading jacket pocket.

Loading it up and using it on the water

Filling the box is straightforward once you get a feel for the step down guides: line the hook point up with the visible dimple at the top of each slot and press down, and the silicone grips the shank without needing to fish blindly for the slit the way older foam boxes require. Because it is double sided, you can organize by fly type or by water condition, keeping streamers on one face and poppers or bass bugs on the other so you are not flipping through mixed patterns mid-trip. The magnetic latch opens and closes with one hand, useful when you are standing in current and do not want to fumble a mechanical clasp. For care, rinse the box with fresh water after saltwater trips and let it dry open before closing it for storage, since trapped moisture against silicone slots over a long stretch is worth avoiding even though the box itself is built to resist temperature extremes.

Trade-offs against other large-fly boxes

In the site's fly box guide this fishpond box ranks first of eight, ahead of the Maxcatch Super Slim Magnetic Back box with 18 compartments, which scores 8.6, and the Kingfisher slim waterproof magnetic compartment box, which scores 8.0. Those competitors lean toward compartmentalized storage for a wider mix of fly sizes, while the Tacky Big Bug box commits fully to large flies with its silicone slot system, which is the main reason it scores higher for anglers specifically working streamers and bugs. The trade-off is size: this box is noticeably bulkier than slim magnetic compartment boxes, so it can be harder to fit into a small chest pack built for slimmer boxes, and it carries a premium price compared with basic foam-slot boxes from budget brands. For anglers who fish a mix of fly sizes rather than committing to large streamers, a slimmer compartmentalized box may pack a better-organized kit into less space.

Verdict and who should pick a different box

Choose the Tacky Big Bug Fly Box 2X if your fly boxes are dominated by streamers, poppers or other large patterns up to size 2/0, and you want a durable, double sided box that resists crushing hackle better than foam over a season of hard use. The magnetic latch and step down slot guides make it genuinely easier to load than older foam boxes once you get used to the motion. Anglers who mostly fish smaller dries and nymphs, or who need to fit a box into a slim chest pack, should look at a compartmentalized or slim magnetic box sized for smaller hooks instead. For dedicated streamer and big-bug anglers, this box's top ranking in the site's guide reflects a design built specifically for that job.

Frequently asked questions