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I am not actually looking to purchase a LAW vice, but the access to the hook on the standard Renzetti Master is somewhat hampered by the large blunt jaws. Now I find I can buy a set of midge jaws for it, that might well solve the problemAs a observation the CAE vice is very close to the LAW and would be a excellent lower cost alternative if it wasn't for its reputation of poor quality. My other choice of the J Vice is hampered by the lack of a metal base. Why don't you get the Jvice without a base? The money you save on not shipping a base could go towards having a metal one made. Alternatively, I am pretty sure that Snowbee will sell the base for their "Waldron vice" separately if you contact them. I agree that the pictures of the CAE vice look beautiful, but I have read a few too many bad reviews on it. If you buy the Jvice I can assure that you will not be taking any chances on shoddy workmanship.

The illustration in Chris Mann's book has the body hackle taper from its shortest (about 3/4 of hook gape) at the back, to barely longer then a hook gape at he front. However, If I was you I would not be chasing a yellow genetic cape just to meet that requirement! The feather you have on looks like nice quality and has a good strong colour. I doubt anyone will ever look in your box and say "nice flees, shame about the hackle on the Beltra!" Remember also that most people tie up a few variants of the same fly with heavier/lighter dressings, longer/shorter wings etc. to suit different water conditions. To my eye the fly you have started looks better than the one in the book anyhow. Make sure you post a pic when it's finished.

JSzymczyk, your understanding is a wee bit flawed. In Scotland probably the majority of salmon fishing takes place by members of local clubs, many of which can be joined for an annual fee of less than £100. A good proportion of members use lower end rods, reels etc. and most certainly have to consider the cost of their consumables. Of course there are beats on the major rivers costing many thousands per week and those that fish them are in the "if you have to ask....." brigade. I think the argument may be a bit of a moot point however as I doubt there are more than a handful of fishers using the type of flies being discussed here. As Crackaig says, we are all using bucktail patterns. To spend days tying a fly which might get lost on the first cast is a bit eccentric even if you are a millionaire! Those flies are tied now to show off tying skills and for presentation cases.

Would love a Damaseal, but as a guide it's out of my price bracket. I hate to say it, but the CAE vise, which is a Law Copy, looks very interesting But his web site leaves a lot to be desired. Mhhh, thinks, my is not all that great! Bazzer, I came across the CAE vice when trying in vain to find a really good tube fly vice. I agree that it looks very nice and is appealing now that the LAW is no longer available (unless you want to part with £2000 ($3300) for a second hand one as someone did last week on ebay). However, when I did a few searches I found that it got an absolute hammering on the uk forums with regard to finish and quality. I did notice though that a lot of the critics appeared to be LAW vice owners and friends/acquaintances of the LAW vice maker. I agree that the website leaves a lot to be desired and suspect it may be rather costly since the prices are not even declared on the site. Incidentally, I own a Jvice and love it. It may look a bit over engineered in pictures but in the flesh it just feels very robust and well made. I find it very user friendly and enjoy owning it. The maker is a real gent to deal with and will help you out in any way he can. There have been a few threads now on the Jvice and so far I have it seems to me the only critics are those who have never actually seen/bought/used one. All the owners are positive in their comments.

I tied a couple for my brothers wedding. To be honest I did not find it too hard. There are some lumps and bumps in funny places and the proportions are a bit funny. It pays to plan a wee bit in advance how you are going to deal with them. The tip about bending the pin out is definitely a good one although I still managed to spike myself a few times! A good thing to remember is that the rear side is more or less irrelevant as it can't be seen, so no need to knock your pan in trying to keep it perfect. The cheapest supplier I could find at the time was http://www.flytyingshop.co.uk/category-s/140.htm Unfortunately they only have gold ones now. I wish I had bought a few more silver ones at the time as this was the only place I could find them. I will have to strip mine back and re-tie it (a good old Scottish wedding over in Oz gave it a bit of a battering). I have seen one belonging to a friend that was much better made with the pin on a hinge and a roll clasp to close it. I searched high and low for these but could not find any. If you come across some I would love to know. Cheers

Piker, you can find it in Hobbycraft.

The price just keeps going up! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231017865854?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649&autorefresh=true

Pete, I think Rolsen is referring to the small knob on the end of the crank shaft being fixed in place. I also have a jvice and have often thought it would be nice if the knob rotated. It would make the rotary function that little bit smoother. It's not so important for fine adjustments but when winding materials onto the shaft of the hook it would be a nice feature. What is the J-line spooler? Any chance of a pic? Thanks.

There is a knock-off, but I don't believe the guy bought the rights. I think it is a straight up copy. I could be wrong and may be corrected by someone here. http://www.caeengineeringservices.com/ It has taken a hammering on some of the UK fly dressing sites. Does not seem to be well received. There used to be prices on the website but can't seem to find them any more. From memory it was about £300-£400. If I were going to be spending that kind of money I would buy a Jvice if I were you.

Steiner, I think you might have a dodgy vice there. I don't ever remember having a problem with the jaws coming loose on my apex. I used to rotate it all the time and they were always rock solid. I suggest you take it back where it came from or send it to anvil. I think it has a lifetime warranty?

Almost 5 days to go! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281063497342?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Yes, I agree the tail is too long. It got the chop not long after this photo was taken! Best vice on the market (as you know )

Try tying a really big trout "Gurgler" on a 5/0 hook. It's a bit of a bugger to cast but causes quite a disturbance in the water!

I find that my Dr. Slick bobbin makes an annoying squeaky noise. Anyone else find this? Changed to TMC heavy duty ceramics and think they are great. I also have a J-bobbin which is brilliant, if a little heavy on the engineering!

Hi buckybrews, not sure where you are located, but in the UK the most common thread is UNI-Thread. It is mainly used in 6/0 and 8/0. When I started out I assumed that thicker thread would be easier to tie with and opted for 6/0. It wasn't until I bought a spool of 8/0 by accident that I discovered that it was actually better for me. It is not particularly easy to snap but ties a much neater fly in my opinion. I use it for small trout flies up to number 16 as well as large salmon flies/tubes and it does the job well. I have never found the need to use a thicker thread. If tying smaller than number 16 then I use Gordon Griffths Sheer which is 14/0. If you watch Davie McPhail's excellent videos on you tube, you will notice that he uses 8/0 UNI-Thread more often than not. If it's good enough for him..........