Entry level saltwater vice?

[bobfishgerald]

Hello. I am thinking I need to expand my obsessive realationship with fishing into the tying of saltwater flies.
When I was younger I briefly tried tying little midges and dry flys but my all thumbs approach did not generate great results. I am hoping that the nature of saltwater flies will be more forgiving.

I am wondering what a good basic vice for this would be.
Thanks for any help and vice advice. Bob

[reefdonkey]

I highly reccomend the Renzetti travel model. For about a hundred fifty you get all the bells and whistles, and the portability is great for trips. You can spend a lot more (or a lot less) but I dont feel that there is a vice out there that is better by any objective standard.

[flyinsalt]

I agree with reefdonkey. Don't buy one of those real cheap ones, you will be sorry. You can find some good deals on a Renzetti on e-bay.

[Homebuilt]

I bought a $10 vice a few years ago. It does a good enough job of holding a hook still. Sure, there are times I wished I had a rotary vice, but I'm coordinated enough (and patient). I haven't run into a fly I can't tie on this vice. Best of all, with the money I saved I've been able to buy a lot of materials.

Of course, I'm the same way with my equipment. I'd love a $600 dollar reel, but I can get by with a Tioga (a lot of people on this site game me that tip).

[bobfishgerald]

What is a rotary vice? Does one need it to tie basic saltwater flies?

[moxie]

Bob, The next meeting o :United Fly Tiers" meets on the first thurs of
the month. Woburn Ma. Check it out on the WEB.
You will probably see 10 different kinds of vices. People are
friendly and helpfull.

MOXIE

[El Bishop]

I agree with the recommendation for the Renzetti Traveler. While I haven't had another vice so I can't really make a comparison, I have been more than happy with this one. I picked it up out at Concord Outfitters along with an "entry level" tool kit that was amazingly high quality for $20 or something.

[JohnDe]

Bob - if you are into comsumer reports type analysis then this link will take you to the defacto standard in comparative vise reviews. http://www.flyfisherman.com/ftb/hwvise/index.html
Hans and Bruce do a great job of explaining most questions you might have as to how to select a vise. This is entirely objective on their part. There is no advertising what so ever takng place.

[CaptSuperfly]

My first salt water vice was a Griffin. It was not a rotary vice, and I did outgrow it in a season or two. It was however, 30 or 40 bucks.

After that I ended up with the renzetti traveler.

I might suggest starting with something like the Griffin, tie with it for a season. Then, ask for the renzetti for a christmas gift. You can always use the Griffin for a spare if a buddy comes over to tie some flies.

[Chuckster]

I've had my Renzetti Traveler for about 15 years now, and it's served me well. However I had trouble tying larger saltwater patterns, so I went down to see Scott at the Bear's Den this weekend and splurged on a new Renzetti Saltwater Cam Traveler.

The cam feature is MUCH nicer than my old knob style, and the larger jaws are great for saltwater hooks. I guess I have the best of both worlds now: my old trusty Traveler for trout flies, and the new kid on the block for saltwater. Either way I highly recommend Renzetti Travelers.

...and yes, a rotary vise is a great thing to have when tying saltwater flies, especially things like Clousers and crabs where you would have to flip the fly over for certain stages. It's very helpful when epoxying Popovic-style Surf Candies too...

[bobfishgerald]

I think I have found the solution. Throught the site I have been offered a very good deal on a used Regal vice. I am told it is in very good shape and I believe it to be loaded with mojo.
I am sure that if I really get into tying I will buy Renzetti (actually given the way I amass gear i will probably end up with atleast at least two or three more!) And if it turns out to be something that doesn't totally grab me I can pass it on to the next guy with out taking too much of a hit.
Next step aquiring a set of tools. I think I will try Concord Outfitters for that given what El Bishop said. Anyhow I will let you guys know how it goes.
Thanks for the help, Bob

[SamRiley]

Ditto on the Traveler. You can swap out the cam if the knob is making large flies tough. Think about getting a weighted base to use instead of the clamp base. Makes for more comfortable work sometimes.