Bigbender

Well, since Plumbob is enjoying himself down in Tennessee, he probably won't see part two of my question for a while... Can someone tell me how he tied the abdomen? I'm guessing here, but it looks like two seperate colors of thin foam. If it is, what's it wrapped around to connect the tail and create the curl ?

Plumbob, The Adams you tied with the extended body looks great. I just started flytying and I've been wondering how to create a mayfly's body that looks realistic like that. Would you mind sharing your material list with me ? Mike

My grandfather and father had me picking helgramites and crayfish out of seine nets since I've been old enough to walk in the river. That was about 40 years ago and I gather them now without a net but I'm still careful when I grab a hold of one. I've never had them draw blood but you think they're going to because they can pinch down on you pretty hard. It's always a surprise when they get you. My father's gone now, but when I saw Smalliehunter's comment about his dad, it put a smile on my face. Here's why.... If you've never seen one, adult helgramites (Dobson Fly) grow wings and fly around. After dark in mid to late summer, they get real active and you can't see them without a light. They fly around and just land on something and it's usually on your face or on the back of your neck and immediately, they start crawling around. Right before they land, you can hear their wings flutter but by then it's too late To this day, having one of them land on me always makes me jump. When my dad and I were in the boat together, he would laugh so hard at me that the boat would shake. I sure miss those fishing trips with him because he'd always remind me to "keep an eye out".

Well, after a lot of research on rotary vise comparisons, I decided on saturday to purchase a new Peak vise. My "final four" choices were all good quality but my final decision was based on what I could actually get my hands on. One of my friends had a Renzetti Traveler, the other a Regal, and Bass Pro had the Peak. No dealer around here had the Griffin or the Dyna-Kings and I chose not to buy my vise sight un-seen. I want to give a thumbs up to Bob at the Traditional Angler because he went out of his way to explain the differences in the vises he sold, (a large selection). They also provided free shipping so that helped too. The interesting part of the story is that Bob moved to Colorado from where he grew up - about 40 miles from where I live here in Pa. Their shop is just up the road from where the Peak vise is made and he knows the owners personally. When I get the chance to tie some flies, I'll let you know how I like it. Thanks for all of your help, Mike

Thanks for the input. It seems unanimous for the Dyna-King and I found a Junior for $189 (no shipping). I think I'm ready to pull the trigger, but wanted to confirm with you guys that we're all talking about the "Junior Trekker" not the Barracuda... Because it's the smaller version, I have two concerns: 1: This vise only weighs 1/2 pound without the base - will it hold up ? 2: The hook limit is a size 8 and I'm tying for bass fishing.

Hey guys, I'm new to fly tying and currently use a Cabelas AA clamp vise. Since I'm pretty fussy about how my tools work, this vise does nothing but cause frustration. I've made the decision to buy a "true rotary" vise and have four in mind, but I can't make up my mind. After reading your varied opinions on this forum, I'm just as confused as before. I'm willing to pay more for good quality if need be, but I'm new to tying and really don't know how many flies that I'll tie per year. I was trying to keep my purchase price just above $100 and now that I've made some design comparisons, I'm willing to go as far as $200 or slightly above. Most of my fishing is for smallmouth bass but I'll be tying trout flies for freinds so my hook sizes will vary a lot. I don't want to pay more for extra jaws if I can get away with it. Here's the vises I'm looking at and why... Peak Vise: $129 - Lowest cost of my choices and seems like decent quality for the money. I don't like the plastic screws. Renzetti Cam Traveler: $159 - Seems very popular but it's more than Peak and I'm not sure whether I like the o-ring. Griffin Montana Mongoose - $169 - Comes with a lot of extras (big plus) but it has the o-ring and an additional jaw adjustment screw. Seems like too much fussing around with the extra screw ? This vise was recommended over the Peak vise by one dealer who sells both. His main reason was value. Dyna-King Barracuda Junior Trekker - $219 - Most expensive of the group. I've never seen this vise other than pictures. It doesn't seem to have an o-ring or the extra jaw adjustment screw. Is it definitely worth the extra money ? Can anyone help me decide ? Thanks in advance, Mike