River Series handmade wood fly boxes from A.L. Swanson Craftsman Studio in Helena Montana. Available now at Wolf Creek Angler.

River Series handmade wood fly boxes from A.L. Swanson Craftsman Studio in Helena Montana. Available now at Wolf Creek Angler.

Originally published in May

We’ve recently started selling handmade River Series wood fly boxes from A.L. Swanson. They are beautiful boxes made in Helena Montana and constructed from sustainably harvested lumber, inlaid with exotic woods, metals and shell. They feature inlaid shell and earth magnet closures, brass hinges….the whole nine yards.

The River Series features three different size boxes from three classic Montana rivers, each box with it’s own unique characteristics just like their namesakes, the Missouri, the Madison and the Smith Rivers.

Starting at $129 these boxes aren’t cheap but they are a perfect Montana keepsake for the fly anglers in your life and we think they make a perfect Father’s Day gift which could very well be passed on for generations to come…they’re THAT nice.

Swanson, the maker of the boxes, expects them to be used rather than set on display somewhere collecting dust. They are as functional as they are beautiful and while it would certainly be a drag to lose one of these boxes the normal scratches and dings you can’t avoid with wood will only add to the character of the box as it ages.

I’m not sure I would use this box on the water if I had one, I tend to lose things, but I would definitely put it on display and it would definitely hold a prominent place amongst my prized possessions. A box like this can take on a significance you could never predict or expect.

I was given a beautiful hand made wood fly box by a friend many years ago. I never considered actually using it for the purpose for which it was intended, I knew exactly what it would be used for. It would become the permanant home for a black and white Rooster Tail spinner.

I was still just dabbling in fly fishing at the time and had not yet committed. My dad asked me if I would like to fish with him one June evening which I did. I don’t remember if we caught anything but I closed the night out with the Rooster Tail. A few weeks later he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Seven months later he was gone. It was the last time we fished together and while it may seem sacrilege to store a Rooster Tail in a handmade fly box, this was the purpose for which this particular wood fly box was destined.

Stop by the shop and check out these beautiful boxes. We’re positive your dad, grandfather, husband or anyone you know who loves Montana and loves fly fishing would LOVE to have one. Better yet, why not treat yourself to one. After all, you deserver nice things too!