Fly Tying Vise Recommendations

[Leigh]

As the title says any particular manufacturers or models you would advise on when buying a vise.

Your recommendations would be much appreciated.

[Watermole+]

The first thing to understand is that the cost is not indicative of practicality.

You can pay a fortune, but it won’t tie better flies for you! I never used a vice for years until the fingers started to lose dexterity and then spent the princely sum of £3 on a very basic model!

It depends on what kind of flies-and how many- you want to make.

The essential criteria is that it has well ground and hardened jaws that will grip the size of hook you will commonly use, well. This slightly important feature is often overlooked, believe it or not.
Don’t buy one with a “cranked” jaw arrangement, that is, one that appears overly complicated. You just don’t need this.
One that can rotate is very nice, but not essential.

My advice is to buy a very basic and inexpensive model and see how you get on with it. If, after a thorough trial, you find it lacking somehow, then you can buy something better, but don’t waste money on something you will never really use.

Some of the finest tyers in the history of fishing; Dr. T.E. Pryce-Tannatt for example, whose flies must be the epitome of delicacy and proportion have either just used their fingers or a basic, small jewellers vice…

wm+

[Iasgair]

Leigh, before I say anything, Watermole+ gave good advise.

But what I need to know is:
1. Are you a beginner?

2. How much are you willing to spend?

Watermole+ is right, you don't need an expensive vise to tie good flies. You don't need a true rotary vise either, but I will say in my opinion, they are nice to have and they will speed tying flies up. There are some great quality vises out there that don't have all the bells and whistles, and really, you don't need all those bells and whistles.

I want you to watch these two videos. It's to help you decide what type of vise you think you need. You have to remember, the vise just holds the hook. That's all it does. But it must hold the hook well. These two videos, Kelly tells you everything you need to know in a down to earth way. Listen to him. Please, watch these, because he goes over different vises. Now I'm sending you two videos, and the second video is what I want you to see first because what Kelly says right from the beginning about thread control is absolutely important. It's quicker for you to see these two videos than for me to type my opinions.





But here are my opinions. I agree with Kelly with starting with a rotary vise. It's like having air conditioning in your car, you don't always need it, but it's nice to have if you do.

The vise I started on was a cheap C-clamp Bas Pro vise. It did it's job, but in about 3 moths the vise went bad. Then I got a Peak vise because they were made right here in Colorado, just a few miles from me. Now they are made in that foreign state we call Texas.
But I have had my Peak for 12 years, and it'll last a lifetime because it's built like a tank. Love the thing, except when tying tails onto very small flies. Because of the way it's built, tying tails on size 20 and smaller is difficult. But that's the beauty of it, because how many people tie that small?
This vise will last forever.

But I just got a Renzetti vise, and so far, it's amazing. But I have to say the Peak is easier to work with because you have one nut to adjust for different hooks. But the Renzetti vise does have advantages, like I can tie tails on smaller flies. But the advantages are small matters. I have to say, the Peak is heavier duty than Renzetti. I won't let the Peak go. I thought I could, but I like the darn thing too much.

Regal is nice and they have a solid following. Great vise because it has a lever you squeeze to put the hook in the jaws. But, when it comes down to smaller hooks, 18 and smaller, they have been known to spit the hook out and send it across the room. And the only way you'll find it is walking barefoot. OUCH!!

So watch those videos.

There are new companies out there with vises, like Nirvana. Nice looking vise, but it has it's issues like every other vise. A vise here in the USA that's affordable is the Montana Mongoose, and it gets really good reviews. Plus it comes in a hard case, with a pedestal or clamp, plus some fly tying tools. No one else does that.

https://www.griffinenterprisesinc.com/i ... erated.htm

https://www.griffinenterprisesinc.com/i ... r-vise.htm


Here's the Peak. They even have a non rotary vise.
https://peakfishing.com/products/fly-tying-vises/

I'm sure there are vises in Europe I am not aware of, but Kelly's videos will help you choose what vise you think will work best for you.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Leigh]

Many thanks for the advice so far, will watch the videos and get a better understanding. My aim would also be to get my children involved in learning entomology.

Living on the edge of Dartmoor i am not taking full advantage of the fly fishing opportunities on my doorstep to go and explore.

[Nigel Rainton]

Leigh,

Veniards No. 12 (£15) would be my choice. It's cam operated not collet.

I've had that model for nearly 50 years, it does the job.

I started by tying flies in hand, then progressed to a pin vice (held in the hand) then mounted my pin vice on a clamp and finally, when I could afford it, bought the Veniards vice as recommended by Dave Collier.

[Liphook]

Excellent advice above. I most often use a sprung lever vice that's an Indian copy of the Regal design. I must have had it for getting on for 35 years. It will hold 6/0 saltwater irons down to a size 20 fine wire dry hook. .Many years ago I treated myself to a beautifully made DynaKing that is cam operated, i have this permanently set up with midge jaws for tiny hooks but it's not often needed. The vice itself matters little provided the hook is held at the correct height and angle for you and there are no nasty sharp edges or burrs to catch your thread. There are rotary vices of complex design but I've never found the need for them. I find it essential to get the seating position right - you don't want to be hunched or slumped over the vice, you need good posture to prevent aches and strains particularly for long periods of repetitive batch tying,:Hat:

[Plumtart]

It's not often one finds cause to disagree with the extraordinary Watermole, but on this subject I really do. Fly tying is as much an art and a lifelong distraction, as fishing. It's entirely possible to fish without all the wonderful paraphernalia we are inclined to collect and cart around, but for most of us, those delightful extras are part of the fun. They are also part of the understood expense, with pride of possession being allowed, rather than an indication of execrable elitism. I hope the forum isn't taken-in by 'humble bragging' of the "all you need is a bamboo cane and bent pin" variety. I'm sure that approach would work sometimes, but it shouldn't be strutted about as a particular virtue.

And so it goes with fly tying vices/vises. A poor vice is a horrible thing to use; an expensive precision vice is a joy. For most tying enthusiasts reality will lie somewhere between the two. To put those opposites into perspective, that's £10 on eBay to £3,000 if you're lucky, for a second-hand Law vice. The best and cheapest good vice (my opinion) for anyone has has done some tying, is fixated by the art, and who wants to step up, is the American-made Rensetti Traveller, which you might pick up for £150 knowing that you can sell it at any time for £150. There are any number of makes, and every vice is the best thing since sliced bread according its owner. The general consensus is that high end Rensetti, Petitjean Swiss, and those amazing Law vices are what besotted tyers are likely to end up with. Those designs are brilliant and don't need to be re-invented. Imagine such perfected designs engineered by Watermole. He won't do it, of course, because he doesn't like to copy. Ah well.

But the first job for any aspiring tyer, is to go to Davie McPhail's fly tying videos on YouTube. Then go to Barry Ord Clark. Those British tyers are the best in the world.

[Iasgair]

And so it goes with fly tying vices/vises. A poor vice is a horrible thing to use; an expensive precision vice is a joy. For most tying enthusiasts reality will lie somewhere between the two. To put those opposites into perspective, that's £10 on eBay to £3,000 if you're lucky, for a second-hand Law vice. The best and cheapest good vice (my opinion) for anyone has has done some tying, is fixated by the art, and who wants to step up, is the American-made Rensetti Traveller, which you might pick up for £150 knowing that you can sell it at any time for £150. There are any number of makes, and every vice is the best thing since sliced bread according its owner. The general consensus is that high end Rensetti, Petitjean Swiss, and those amazing Law vices are what besotted tyers are likely to end up with. Those designs are brilliant and don't need to be re-invented. Imagine such perfected designs engineered by Watermole. He won't do it, of course, because he doesn't like to copy. Ah well.

I have a Renzetti Traveler vise and its simply wonderful to tie on. The Peak vise I have was around $150 when I bought it, but now its $210. Probably because Peak has to pay for their move to Texas from Colorado.

If I were to recommend one or the other, go with Renzetti. Less expensive, will last many years and just a pleasure to tie with.