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Choosing a Fly Tying ViseA cheaper vise can provide adequate grip to allow you to tie beautiful flies. Higher quality vises will hold a wider range of hooks securely, have added features such as rotation, and are better machined with higher quality components for a more enjoyable time at the tying bench. These higher quality vises come with a higher price. Let’s take a look at some characteristics of fly tying vises to help us better decide which one you will need. It is best to try some vises out before you buy them. What works for one person may not be best for another. Hook SizesThe best vises will securely hold a wide variety of hook sizes. If you fish only a certain size fly then buying a vise that will securely hold that hook should be your main concern.Fly fishing for bass and panfish requires a variety of fly sizes and a vise that can securely hold them. You may wish to tie a small fly for panfish and then a rather large streamer for largemouth. You will need a vise that is versatile enough to hold these larger, thicker hooks without slipping. Some vises have the option to change the jaws for a wider range of hooks. One is used to hold small hooks down to a 28. You can then change these jaws out for saltwater jaws that can hold hooks up to a 6/0. Fixed Head or Rotary VisesAn option you’ll find on more expensive vises is the ability to rotate the head to give you access hard to see parts of the fly. These are referred to as “rotary” vises.There are also vises that are described as “true rotary” vises. Like a rotary vise, these make it possible to rotate the fly while still holding the hook securely. The benefit of a true rotary vise is that the hook shank will remain in the horizontal position throughout the full rotation. With the hook shank in the horizontal position while rotating it allows you to “rotary tie”. This is done by keeping your hackle in a stationary position while rotating the hook to apply hackle. A fixed head fly tying vise offers no rotation. Plenty of tiers learned to tie on fixed head vises and some, even master tiers, still use a simple fixed head vise. Although rotary vises offer some advantages, they are not necessary to tie flies that will catch fish. BaseFly tying vises come with two types of bases, C-clamp and pedestal. Almost all model of vise comes in either option.Pedestal vises are attached to a base and can be set on any flat surface. The bad part about these is you don’t have the ability to adjust the height of your vise. C-clamp bases attach to the edge of a table. Most have the ability to adjust the height that makes it easier to tie from a comfortable angle. Which ever base style you choose make sure that your vise is sturdy. You should be able to tie your flies without the vise rocking around. If it does, return it. It’s just too much of a headache to have to deal with. Fly Tying Vise ReviewsThere are plenty of high quality fly tying vises that can be purchased for under $150. You might be able to find a great deal by looking at used vises.Here is a link to a review I came across when researching fly tying vises. It separates the vises in three separate categories according to price and offers three authors point of view on each vise. Return from the fly tying vise page to the fly tying basics. Click here to return to the home page. Sign up for our free ezine.To get updates to the site, fly fishing stories, tips and gear information feel free to sign up for our free monthly ezine – Fly Fishing Journal.
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