Fly Tying Vices

[armagh]

Having spent most of last week trying to fish the South Toe River but repeatedly frustrated by snow flurries, gale force winds and temperatures that made keeping the wood stove stoked the priority, decieded to take up fly tying. Any suggestions for a vice? There are mobs out there. Will be tying for everything from average size trout to light saltwater.

[Nathanrtaylor]

The Dyna-King vises are great all around and not too expensive. I have never seen the need for a rotary vise, personally, but in theory they make wrapping materials easier. I far prefer a pedestal base to a clamp on base. I figure if you need to haul down on your materials so hard that you need to clamp the vise to the table you probably need to refine tying techniques. You can spin deer hair as tight as cork with gelspun thread and good belly hair on a simple Dyna-King Kingfisher pedestal vise.

Tiny jaws are overrated (for midges and size 18 or smaller stuff). Spring loaded jaws aren't strong enough (for big flies or stacking hair).

[Tom]

My vice is whipping my hackle to the dubbing.

[Nathanrtaylor]

My vice is whipping my hackle to the dubbing.

Mayflies don't have legs there anyway.

[Maxspeedwell]

Never considered fly tying to be a vice. (Ok, maybe it is a vice if you are tying a fly while drinking a scotch, smoking a Cuban, and a redhead who looks like a Vargas girl is sitting on your lap and giving you a shave with a straight razor).

I started tying when I was very young... I believe Ike (certainly not Truman???) was president.
My brother in law ended up with that old vise. It worked well, but the new vises are spectacular.

My guess is the old vices aren't any different than the new vices... except for maybe the new positions.



Did anyone even get this? Sound of crickets chirping...?


-Max

[Eddie]

I'm waiting on WayneJ to weigh in here. I'm sure that with like most other things he's probably got a half dozen or so fly vices.

I need to start tying my own flies. Only one wooley bugger to date.

[WayneJ]

I'm waiting on WayneJ to weigh in here. I'm sure that with like most other things he's probably got a half dozen or so fly vices.

I need to start tying my own flies. Only one wooley bugger to date.

EddieB nails it. I inherited a bunch of stuff, bought some and have used most of it. I've tied flies using the cheapest, simplest vices you can buy and they work pretty well. Anything smaller than a size 20 fly and I leave that to the experts with better eyes.

I mostly use an old Thompson vice. I tried the rotary types and didn't like holding the thread or material while rotating the vice. I felt like I had more control winding the material around the hook. My recommendation ... just start tying with something cheap and evolve as you get deeper into it.

... and most important - tie simple, but effective flies. I have several hundred patterns, but my go-to selections are:

1. black wooly buggers (weighted and unweighted) Rainbows hit these on a fast retrieve, like when you made a bad cast and are anxious to get the line back to make another.
2. Deer hair caddis fly. I fish them on the top until they get water-logged and then fish them pupa style about a foot beneath the surface.
3. A simple streamer like a Mickey Finn.

Keep in mind that I live where the trout are dumb as rocks. If you are fishing the Willowemoc, Beaverkill or some hallowed Latort stream, just go with the local recommendations and focus on careful presentations - those fish have seen it all, have a good soruce of real food and are well-educated. I'm usually happy if I can get one of those fish to rise up and CONSIDER taking my fly.

[holliscx]

My son's first drawing looks a lot like a caddis fly:

526343935.jpg

[arcadian]

I like Regal vices. I have been tying most of my life, and this is what my Dad always used and taught me on. They are simple and hold the hook well. The Dyna-King vices look nice as well, but I haven't tried them.