Embarking on a new fly fishing journey requires effort, patience, and complete equipment. Generally, the vise is the starting point for any fly tier. It’s a device that holds materials firmly while own flies are being worked by hand.
You can use the vise to cut, shape, and form materials. Tying flies is a step into understanding what fish are eating and matching your skills to duplicate it.
Are you starting or looking to upgrade your current setup? We have gathered six of the best fly tying vises.
The goal is to provide you with a complete run-through of all the features of these high-quality fly tyers products at affordable prices. In this way, you can focus on what matters⎯catching fish!
Best Fly Tying Vises
- The Best Fly Tying Vise – Peak Rotary Fly Tying Vise
- A Professional Tier’s Favorite-Dyna-King Ultimate Indexer Tying Vise
- Flagship Fly Tying Vise -Regal Medallion Fly Tying Vise
- Perfect for Any Level of Fly Tier-Colorado Anglers 102 Supreme
- Fly Tying Vise with High-Quality Performance-Regal Engineering Medallion GVC-26 Fly Tying Vise
- Most Affordable High-Quality Vise-Dyna-King Kingfisher Pedestal Vise
1. Peak Rotary Fly Tying Vise
The Best Fly Tying Vise
Key Features:
- Designed using stainless steel, brass, tool steel, and aircraft aluminum
- Tempered tool steel jaws that are hardened with secure hooks
- Powder-coated white steel base to provide a backdrop
The Peak Rotary Vise, perfect for a more advanced fly tier, is a fly-tying vise engineered for optimum efficiency. It includes a height and length adjustable bobbin cradle and pivot mount for ease of adjustment and set-up.
Additionally, It has a built-in resistance adjustment screw to provide infinite adjustments, and all you need to do is just tighten the screw until it stops, then you’ve got your perfect tension.
2. Dyna-King Ultimate Indexer Tying Vise
A Professional Tier’s Favorite
Key Features:
- The pedestal base is convenient for traveling
- Comes with four positive locking angle and 360° rotation for stable tying
- Fully machined with high-quality aluminum and stainless steel
- Clamping jaws include two notches of different sizes
- Quick clamping system to hold hooks
For almost 40 years, Dyna King Inc. has provided only premium vises for optimal function. The Dyna King Professional Fly Tying Vise is everything you want in a high-end fly vice for fly tiers.
These professional tiers are every fly fisher’s favorite because they are durable and craft bass bugs and saltwater flies.
3. Regal Medallion Fly Tying Vise
Flagship Fly Tying Vise
Key Features:
- Fully customizable and available in many colors
- Heat-treated stainless steel jaw
- Accommodates from #32 to #2 hook size
- Powerful springs are mounted, and the lever opens the fixed jaw vise
- Has a translucent ultra-saturated anodizing process
The Regal Medallion Vise is a classic, iconic design copied many times but has never been matched. The versatile 360° axis articulates 220° up and down, so you can mount any size fly. You also have another option to use the included tiny midge head to catch even the smaller flies.
4. Colorado Anglers 102 Supreme
Perfect for Any Level of Fly Tier
Key Features:
- 360° rotation with clamped hooks for a better fishing experience
- Rotary fly tying vise holds a wide range of to tie professional-looking ties
- Has a rotating head with a black anti-glare finish
- Have Interchangeable jaws allow you to change gears quickly
The Colorado Angler 102 Supreme Vise is versatile enough to hold all types of hooks. Nonetheless, its resilient design fits the heavier ones well sufficient to flare out bucktails.
The vise comes with a cast-iron clamp for ease of use. The multiple jigs are versatile and can be used for a range of jigs, including 24oz jigs, 8oz bottom jigs, and bucktail jigs.
5. Regal Engineering Medallion GVC-26 Fly Tying Vise
Fly Tying Vise with High-Quality Performance
Key Features:
- Fully customizable and available in many colors, head, and base options
- Holds large streamer hooks such as 5/0 or 6/0 Siwash hooks
- Nothing to adjust even upon switching from a wider size range
- Rotates 360° degrees and pivots 220° up and down, allows you to mount any size fly
- Made with lightweight aluminum ideal for traveling
The performance of the Regal Vise lies in the unique design of our heads and jaws. They consistently hold the hook in place better than any of the competitive vises on the market. It also allows for immediate change in hook sizes with absolutely no adjustments, saving time and frustration.
6. Dyna-King Kingfisher Pedestal Vise
Most Affordable High-Quality Vise
Key Features:
- Designed using high-quality stainless steel and lightweight aluminum
- Fixed jaw at an angle for easy and comfortable fly tying
- Equipped with notch-lock cam lever jaws with 360° and hooks 8/0 and #22
- Has a Kingfisher vise, DR SLICK professional tier tools, DAIICHI hooks samples, and WASPSI tying materials
The Kingfisher is a great Dyna-King, with a low price point. Despite this, it is made to the same very high standards as the other Dyna-Kings.
It is small and durable, made from stainless steel like all of our products, and famous for its hook-holding ability. You can also choose from clam and pedestal.
Types of Fly Tying Vises
Rotary Fly Tying Vises
A rotary vise is a device that enables you to secure hooks and similar materials in place while you work on them.
This vise features jaws that rotate 360 degrees, ensuring your hook’s axis of rotation aligns with the vise. Plus, it offers greater accuracy and more views of your hook as you prepare and applies materials.
Additionally, there is no better way to wrap than with a true-rotary vise. It gives you the option of holding the thread and rotating the vise, which helps you cover onto hooks.
Stationary Fly Tying Vises
A stationary vise is more difficult to tie with. It doesn’t have the same mobility as its rotary vises counterpart. However, it makes a big difference in your tying experience.
There’s more physical labor when wrapping the materials and less accuracy in placing the materials onto your fly since it doesn’t rotate.
Things To Consider When Buying Fly Tying Vises
Pedestal
The pedestal mount is a plate that holds the vise allowing it to be used on any flat surface. You can use it in many more places. It is a great product to have in your toolbox if you need to work on a small surface or when traveling.
Shaft Diameter
Although they have different designs, most vises should have a 3/8 inch shaft diameter. It’s essential to ensure that you are not straining your eyes trying to see your work hook.
C-clamp
If you think you’ll be taking your vise to a fishing destination soon, you’ll love the C-clamp base versions. They clamp to the tabletop, so there’s no need to worry about damaging your vise when traveling.
It allows for a low and comfortable position, making it easier to make those tiny adjustments.
Ease of Adjustment
When a fly tying vise cannot easily adjust the size of the hook, fly tying is more difficult and time-consuming. This issue is often seen in cheaper models that are poorly made. The tool also needs to be strong enough for different materials.
Hook Holding Power
When you tie a fly, you want to keep your fingers safe. A cheap vise may loosen over time and not hold the hook securely, leading to injury.
In addition, a cheap vise will be hard to crank down on the jaw clamping mechanism without cranking down on the hook itself. If this happens, your fly will tend to slip.
Hook Size Range
Keep in mind the kind of fishing you do and the size of the flies you use most. Hooks with a wide size allow you to fish confidently, whether on a saltwater or freshwater stream.
Many fly tiers may already have a selection of hooks that you can use for your own needs.
Replaceable Jaws
The best way to improve your hook choice is by investing in a vise with replaceable jaws. This will give you the freedom and versatility to work with a wider variety of hooks. However, they tend to be more expensive than fixed jaws.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learning to tie your flies will allow you to understand the natural world better. You will be able to connect that knowledge with your own experiences. At the same time, you’ll also gain confidence by doing something difficult and requiring many skills.
You can work from a sitting or standing posture. With the adjustment screw, adjust the vise’s height to the point that best suits your height. The screws are designed to resist any unplanned rotation, so don’t worry about the involuntary cycles of the stand.
To use the table C-clamp vises, you must first adjust the holding jaws to a slightly higher position than the desktop clamp. To do this, open the jaws by altering the rotary shaft and attach a hook to one of the jaws. Closing the jaws holds them in place.
Most can be used traditionally. Nonetheless, the setup is more advantageous. A rotary fly tying vise lets you tie more advanced flies, all with the help of rotating the head. It’s easier to add material when you need to, and it increases precision in your work.
Conclusion
Tying your own flies is a money-saver! If you’re entering the art of fly fishing, don’t worry about purchasing specialized materials right away. It can be difficult to find a fly vise to add to your fly tying kit that has a good balance between the affordability of the price and the quality.
Hopefully, this article made headway in your purchase of the best fly tying vise. In this way, you can start tying flies on your next fishing adventures!
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