Houndog

Great efforts so far, it's not the easiest subject. As mentioned the light is very important. Are you using a flash? The light from the flash on a P&S can be diffused by using a tissue, this can make a noticeable difference. I saw on another post you are using a G9, it has a manual focus mode that may help also.

Nicely done Terje! Are you using two pieces of CDC for the parachute?

Good point! I vote capeBsalar also

Looked fine to me

Wow, looks great! Is it tied as 'Art' or for fishing?

Glad they finally arrived, getting them accross the border can be slow. You are most welcome for the extras, thanks for hosting

Great looking flies Karsten!

Trailers look good, nicely tied flies Terje!

Very Nice!

Nice captures, I especially like the May Fly

Found it on a a few weeks ago.

I'm in! Squirrel Tail Caddis-Sedge

Nice View Glad you are home and feeling better!

Thanks Pete it looks like you are using it for much larger hooks than I will, nice. Dustin I looked at that the Jvice also (online), it looks like a nice setup

Wow, I need more wet flies in my box and that will be one of them, thanks! Nice pictures also, makes it much easier

It happens to me, I keep a razor blade handy to reclaim the hooks

Great! I finished mine last night

I had been admiring this vise for a couple of years, I had seen it in magazines and on the internet but there was not one close enough to try. This is not the most economical vise I have seen, and when I first started looking at it the Canadian Dollar was so low that it was going to add another 20 - 25 % to the cost. Late last fall I had inquired about the price/availability through Day5 on this site, he responded with a very good price and our dollar was almost at par but I was still on the fence. I continued to do research and then was further pressured by the Sale Day5 was having, the opportunity was too good to pass on and I ordered the vise. Many thanks to Matt (Day5) for a very painless transaction, shipping was very efficient and he was very good to deal with. Also thanks to John (ridderbos3) for his informed and unbiased opinion. My wife thinks I made an error when I ordered the vise, I ordered the bobbin holder but not the trash bin, it's nice to have that kind of support! It should be mentioned that my previous vise was a rotary Peak, it was my first rotary vise and worked very well. The Peak actually made tying more enjoyable and because I tied more (and tied with a more full featured vise) I believe my flies were tied better. I don't think the Swiss vise would have such a noticeable difference and that was something I struggled with prior to the purchase, but I suspected that it would be more 'comfortable' and enjoyable although that is very subjective. Well it was a bit like Christmas morning that mid December day that I picked up the new vise, hard not to be a bit excited when you get a new fly tying tool. It was packaged very well, fit and finished looked great. It was setup from the factory as a clamp, a feature I wanted but most of my tying was to be using the base mode so it needed to be changed. With the 'tool' included the swap from clamp to base style was very easy, as with other Marc Petitjean products this seemed to be very well thought through. Next step was to try a hook in the jaws, a bit awkward at first compared to the Peak, but after some use I definitely prefer the adjustment of the Swiss vise. The jaw angle and height can be adjusted to ensure the hook shank is aligned with the center of the rotating head. This seemed like a great idea when I was researching but when I first tried to align the jaws it seemed like I had to 'fiddle' with it much too long. The second or third attempt at aligning the jaw it became much easier, especially with the tool provided to ensure the hook is properly aligned. Now it it's second nature to properly setup a hook. The jaws themselves are spring loaded, they hold the hook before it is clamped down and hold the tied fly until after it is unclamped and is manually released, a feature that seemed over thought but is appreciated once I was used to it. The largest hook I have had in the jaw is a #4, the smallest was a #24, it had no problem holding either and I don't expect I will use much larger than a #2 (I tie mostly for salmon and trout). I have seen the video Day5 showed a large hook being bent while the jaws of the HMH held the hook in place. I am quite certain that the Swiss vise would not hold nearly that well, but for my type of tying it should be fine, spinning deer hair on a salmon hook is the hardest workout it will have. The Peak did not seem to hold as well as the HMH either, its holding power was similar to the Swiss vise. Alignment Jig 'Tool' The fit and finish look great at first, the only visual imperfection that I found was the machining marks on the metal that is attached to the jaws. I assumed this would have been smoother, in comparison to the other parts it looks rough. There is some noticeable 'play/slop' in the head of the rotating portion, again I assumed that a vise of this 'quality' would have better tolerances. I expected a bit of play in the Peak, it's a relatively low end (at least in cost) vise that uses a stainless shaft through a brass sleeve. I have contacted the Swiss manufacturer to see if this is functioning normal. To adjust the tension on the Swiss there is a machined nut at the rear of the head, it allows a wide range of tension on the rotary shaft. The drawback of this is that is comes loose during use, I find myself frequently adjusting tension if using the rotary feature. Again, I have contacted the manufacturer to see if this is functioning properly. Compared to the Peak, the Swiss is a very smooth vise, the Peak seems a bit 'clunky', due to the larger rotating mass. My tying has probably improved since using the Swiss vise, but then again I have been watching more Davie McPhail videos online and have recently purchased a couple of very good books Instead of purchasing the accessory posts, I turned/polished a couple of 3/8" stainless bolts on my wood lathe (using a carbide tool) and tapped the bottom for studs so they could be mounted to the base. (holes drilled and chamfered in the sides so they can be easily installed/removed with the included 'tool'. Homemade Bobbin Holder Post Bobbin Holder Hackle Gauge Holder (on right) Would I purchase this vise again knowing what I know now? Maybe, probably, but I'm not 100% sure... I know I don't have buyers remorse and that's a good thing If I had to buy a higher end vise today I would have to take a closer look at the CAE Vise #2. Tube Fly Attachments

LOL, Foxworthy speaks the truth

Kirk the second photo (the one you added the vignette) makes your 'subjects' stand out more, very nice. I don't use it much but feel vignetting (and selective color, black & white, etc) can be used to enhance photographs for the better in certain situations. It's very subjective

Agreed, really like that first shot

Nice Captures!

Nice ties Now I need to get mine finished...

Nice ties Roy

You won't be getting your own fly back, so you just need to tie one for each of the other members in the swap. Be careful, swaps can be addictive