Fly tying vice

[jeepster]

Im looking to get a new fly vice. I used a generic el cheapo for years but I finally broke it, and with a summers full of fishing on the horizon, I have a list of larger flies I want to tie up, for trolling in the salt, and casting in tide rips for kings silvers and pinks. I don't tie small flies, but I'd like to buy a vice that will last a while and wont let me down...

Any advice?

Gonna be interesting, I'm also planning on building the salt water equivelent of a drift boat for fly fishing shenanigans.... We shall see how that works....

[fishnfur]

No help here.  Been too long.  I would just check fly tying websites.  Look at what the pros use and then downgrade until you can justify the expense.  I think I spent about $75 on mine 20 years ago.  I guess that would equate to about a million bucks these days??

Something with a heavy base that won't move or tip while you work.  I still pull out the old table clamped vise that I got 45 years ago when I need to tie some streamers for Sea-Run Cutts up on Hood Canal.  It works just as well as my more expensive vice.  The fish don't care how you tied it, but only that it looks like food when you are fishing it.

[MtnMuley]

I'd recommend the Regal Medallion.  Price isn't that bad on the Medallion model either.  I really like mine.

[quadrafire]

 
I'll second the medallion

[boneaddict]

It's been too long since I bought mine, I don't remember the price or what it was.   I can remember my fishing partner telling me to spend the money and it would be worth it.  I remember puckering at the time.   I guess it was well worth it.   I'll try to remember what it was

[bradslam]

I would recommend visiting some local fly shops and take a look at what they carry.  You can get their opinions, as well as play with the vises and see what appeals to you.  Like any tool, you don't want to buy junk or you'll just get frustrated, but you don't need to buy a top of the line vise either.  The Renzetti Traveler is a good vise for around $200.  The Peak Rotary Vise is good for the money, around $150.  The Regal vises are good, simple vises, that some people love, but they just never appealed to me…probably just due to aesthetics.

I use the HMH Spartan which costs around $200.  If I was tying mostly larger flies, I would probably want to step up to the HMH Standard, which, by the way, is what fly fishing and fly tying author Skip Morris uses.  HMH also makes three sizes of jaws (micro, omni, and magnum), as well as a tube vise converter kit if you chose to tie tube flies for salmon and steelies.

[ribka]

I'll second the medallion

Third-Using mine for over 20 years. Not purty but very reliable

[Damnimissed]

No reason to spend a lot on a vise if you're going to be tying bigger stuff. I've been tying jigs for a long time and you have to crank in them sometimes. I use a cheap $30 vise with spring loaded jaws, so I don't see how it could fail, unlike the kind you have to clamp down. I broke one of those a long time ago. If you were going to do smaller flies, then I would recommend a griffin or one these guys have mentioned already.

[jeepster]

I would recommend visiting some local fly shops

..... those still exist.....? 

Last one I knew about on the west side was in Port Townsend, and he shut down a while ago....

[bradslam]

I would recommend visiting some local fly shops

..... those still exist.....? 

Last one I knew about on the west side was in Port Townsend, and he shut down a while ago....

I bought a ton of hooks and other stuff from him when he shut down.  Yes, there are still local fly shops.  Here's the ones in my neck of the woods:  Peninsula Outfitters in Poulsbo, Gig Harbor Fly Shop, and Waters West in Port Angeles.  BTW, Waters West is one of the finest fly shops you will find anywhere.  There must be some shops on the other side of Puget Sound.