At a Glance: Vises & Accessories

The vise is the backbone tool for tying flies, and our quality selection covers many price points, from entry to the best in the industry. FishUSA offers vises from Renzetti and Regal, among others, in both standard and rotary styles. We also provide accessories such as C-clamps, pedestal bases, stem extensions, vise heads, and replacement jaws.

Fly tying vises generally fall into two categories: fixed jaw or rotary jaw styles. A fixed jaw vise holds the "head" or jaw at fixed angles, and you can adjust some models to a higher or lower pitch. Rotary vises help wrap materials more efficiently and allow the tier to get a look at all sides of the fly because they rotate the hook horizontally 360 degrees. This fly tying vise usually has a bent or adjustable shaft. Rotary vises have grown in popularity even though, as a rule, they tend to be more expensive than a fixed head vise.

The vise jaws close and secure the hook with either a cam lock, collect lock, or lever lock method. All work well, although the cam and lever lock jaws hold better with little to no adjustments, especially with the lever lock jaw system.

Vises also are either C-clamp or pedestal mounted. The C-clamp style clinches to a table or bench, and the vise stem is inserted into the clamp and held stationary. A pedestal-style mount is a heavy base with a mounting lug in which the vise stem sits and is held in place by a tightening knob. These work well on table tops and benches. Fly tiers who take their vises while traveling find that pedestal vises are more adaptable to their surroundings. Many flies have been tied around a campfire with a plastic camping tote serving as the top for a bench vise.