The storage of salmon flies is an important issue. All tiers and collectors who expect their collections to remain in good shape must understand that once a salmon fly leaves the vise it immediately becomes subject to deterioration.

When I first started collecting salmon flies, I framed and hung every one of them. Unfortunately, the room had high humidity and the affect on the flies was disheartening: Most of the wings and all of the crests twisted to one side or the other. I attempted to correct this problem by removing the flies from the frames and lying them on their sides for several months. I then stored the flies in Riker mounts (butterfly specimen boxes) for protection. Once mounted, I found that steaming the glass front of the boxes with a tea kettle helped some of the distorted flies.

Riker mounts are attractive but they have their drawbacks. After several months your flies will be squashed, as the mount's glass lies directly on the flies. Those lovely tent-shaped wings will be folded flat as a piece of paper. Another problem is that the filler material can snag and pull at the fly when it is being removed from the box.

Mark Waslick shared with me another method and I feel it is the best alternative: Store the flies in clear plastic boxes, like the kind sold at baseball-card shops. The boxes come in a variety of sizes and have several advantages. By fastening a small cork cylinder in the box to accept the point of the hook, you have a protected display that can be viewed from all sides. The box can be signed with a gold or silver Magic Marker, and pertinent information can be noted on the side of the box. Lastly, the price is right and the boxes are readily available.

I store full-dress salmon flies in as shallow a box as possible, letting the sides of the box support the wings. Deeper boxes work well for Spey flies by providing room for the hackle to breathe.