Using a Vise for Fly Tying

Video Transcript

"ALVIN DEDEUX: Okay, the first thing we're going to need to think about when we're tying flies is our vise. The vise is pretty much the heart of the whole fly-tying setup. This is what holds the hook. This particular vise is what we call a pedestal vise. It means it's got this nice heavy base, this pedestal base that keeps it stable on the table. You can also buy vises that will have a clamp that will actually clamp onto the side of a table. The pedestals are nice because if you're trying to tie them at home and you don't want to clamp something to your nice dinner table then you don't mess the table up. And also they're really portable. You can pack them down and take them in your luggage and go tie flying on the side of the river. This one also has what we call a rotary feature which allows the hook to be spun, and when you attach your materials, it's a lot easier to do it this way than actually have to try to wrap the material around the hook. What you want to be looking for is something that's got nice strong jaws so that it holds the hook firmly. You should be able to tighten this vise down and actually be able to bend the hook. You should hold the hook that stable, but just good strong jaws are essential. This rotary feature, while it's nice, it's not absolutely necessary. And just--if you get a pedestal, make sure it's in a nice heavy pedestal. This is another feature. It's a material clip. This is just a little feature to make it a little bit easier to tie your flies. You can hang the material here instead of having to hold your different bobbins the whole time while you're tying but this is also not essential, just a nice additional feature. But just make sure that it will hold that hook solid and that either it will clamp solidly to your table or has a nice base to keep it firmly so it's not moving around when you're trying tie your flies."