A place to discuss the collecting and tying of classic flies, the tyers who made them famous, the tools, materials and techniques they used as well as the waters they were designed for. While classic is generally used to describe old things, classic is also used in the sense of first class or in the highest form. Therefore a fully dressed Salmon Fly, or a Carrie Stevens Streamer are just as much classics as a Chernobyl Ant would be. Enjoy the forum.
I started tying in the early 1970s in Western Massachusetts, and my first vise was made locally: a Universal No. 1 rotating vise. It was made of aluminum, rotated well, and I was intrigued that so many other tiers were occasionally pictured using it also--Helen Shaw and Keith Fulsher for example. This remains my favorite travel vise for its lightness and efficiency. You can read a nice brief history of the vise here: http://www.mtfa-springfield.org/wp-cont ... -Vises.pdf
At home, I use Regals with a brass base--I have several of them. I prefer the version that has a rotating--but not rotary--head. When tying Stevens streamers I will use two simultaneously, rotating through different stages when assembling the bodies and wingsets:
One thing I like about the Regal is the low profile, which makes hand/arm movements a little easier:
ffftroutbum, My first vise came from Barry Becks shop when it was on Orange st. in Berwick. This was his Mom and Dad's store. This was when it was still Beckie's sporting goods. I still have it and I think its a knock off of Vince M. vise. I then bought a Regal C Clamp and and Renzetti traveler. Both of those have served me well over the years. I flip flop between the two depending on what I'm tying. Regal for parachutes and Quill wing wets and the traveller for nearly everything else.
Just my 2 cents.
MD
ffftroutbum, My first vise came from Barry Becks shop when it was on Orange st. in Berwick. This was his Mom and Dad's store. This was when it was still Beckie's sporting goods. I still have it and I think its a knock off of Vince M. vise. I then bought a Regal C Clamp and and Renzetti traveler. Both of those have served me well over the years. I flip flop between the two depending on what I'm tying. Regal for parachutes and Quill wing wets and the traveller for nearly everything else.
Just my 2 cents.
MD
I remember Beckie’s in Berwick ! That was a great little shop. Lots of materials to look at….Jim
Started with a Thompson Model c and moved up to an A which I still have an a black finished Thompson. I gravitated to A Regal and Have had it for 40 years. I did move up to an Anvil Apex small jaws for tying most of my flies today - I have had to replace the jaws. The rotary feature works for me I just don use it much.
Interesting to see how everyone has figured out what works for them. Here's my sequence:
Pot metal POS that came with a Hank Roberts introductory box
Thompson Model A (birthday present age 12), added midge jaws for it somewhere along the line, also a heavy brass base for travel
Regal (probably about 1980) Pitted the jaws once but they were reluctantly replaced for free.
DynaKing equiped with midge jaws 2015
Bought a Mongoose strictly to tie big pike flies. Despite my natural tendency to refuse any change I've come to love the rotary feature (not for speed- just to be able to see all sides) and now tie almost everything on the cheap Mongoose.
This talk about fly tying vises rekindled a memory. Around the turn of this century I attended a few the FFF sponsored Fly tying Expos in Eugene. They featured lots of tiers demonstrating during designated blocks of time. A program was printed allowing people to see what interested them. The arena was jam-packed with high quality vises; Renzettis, HMHs, Dyna Kings- the shiny pricy good stuff. During one of the afternoon slots I spied the ONLY person in the whole arena tying on a Thompson Model A. The guy wasn’t listed on the program and didn’t display a name plate- just a fat-fingered unassuming schlub with nobody paying much attention to him. It was Bob Quigley. I had met him in Dunsmuir and got to spend about an hour talking to Bob about various fly fishing things, notably Green Drakes.
“The things that I loved were very frail. Very fragile. I didn't know that. I thought they were indestructible. They weren't.”
― Cormac McCarthy, The Sunset Limited
Started on a Thompson A in 1968, then a HMH in 84, then to a Regal in 87 until I did the final switch to a Norvise with all the attachments in 2007.
I really liked the Regal but I don't believe I'll ever stop using the Norvise, Norm really knew what he was doing on this piece of equipment.
My first vise was a cheap stamped metal one from a "kit". Bought a Thompson A in 1968 and still occasionally use it. My current vises in use are a HMH Spartan and a Pamola Fly lathe.
