92Esquire

Chartreuse/White clousers in size 4 and 6 always seem to drum up something for me.

You're going to love it. I've been tying on an Indexer for the past year and a half, and I don't think there's a finer vise out there for Bass and Saltwater tying.

I use Sharpies (when I can find the color I want), Bics (cheaper than Sharpies, and a wide selection of colors available in the multipacks) and Prismacolors. Be careful if you use CA glue around Sharpies and Bics. Bics in particular turn really odd colors when exposed to CA glue. Sharpies I have not had quite as much trouble with, and Prismacolors (at least the shades I have) don't react with the glue.

I think i'll go with the Dyna King. Also what would be a good PEAK vise? The setup I really like with the PEAK is the D-arm, the brass screws, and the material clip. I think their base is the best out there (I liked it better than my Dyna-King Barracuda's). Vise jaws are a personal choice - I can say that the midge jaws have more clearance for size 18 and down than any others I've used (I tie a lot of 18 - 22 midges). But the standard jaws will work from about a size 22 up to a 1/0 saltwater hook. Very good all-around vise. Dyna Kings (in my experience) are better than the PEAK for hook sizes of about 8 and up. But the stock jaws don't work as well as the PEAK's do down around a size 20. Every vise has something it's better at, and things that it's not quite as good at. The HMH Spartan will tie a very large range of hooks very well if you can live with the somewhat-limited rotary function.

Both are good vises that will provide a lifetime of service. I own a Spartan, and tie on it frequently. I will not own a Renzetti product, so I can't comment on the Traveler other than to note that lots of folks tie on them and never want a different vise. The Spartan is a great all-around vise, and packs very small if you ever think you'll tie while traveling. My only issue with the vise is for tying Clousers - I prefer a rotary for those. Also if you're used to being able to move your hand around under the vise, you don't have as much room under the vise due to the post. But it holds hooks very well, is extremely well machined, and will last hundreds of thousands of flies for you. Within your budget, if you're really looking at rotaries, I'd also consider the PEAK. Very well made vise, and you could get it with pretty much all the options for within your budget. In my opinion, the PEAK is one of the finest trout vises ever made.

I seem to tie with Uni 6/0 for trout flies of size 14 and up, Uni 8/0 for 16 and down. For bass bugs and saltwater I've really come to prefer UTC 140 for smaller sizes, and UTC 210 for bigger stuff. It just creates a smoother head than the Uni thread. However, it frays worse than Uni. Horses for courses. Thread's cheap, it's worth experimenting with.

I've been tying on a Barracuda Indexer for almost a year and a half. I really, really like this vise. I previously tied on a Peak, and also own an HMH Spartan. All of them have things they do better than the others. However, with the tying I'm currently doing (quite a bit of bass and saltwater tying), the Dyna King is a better vise for me.

Thats exactly what I was looking at using, do they absorb water? Nope, they are the same material (or appear to be the same) as closed-cell sheet foam. They take markers well - particularly Prismacolor. I love the way these turn out for dremel poppers. For a size 2 TMC 8089, I aim for a cylinder 3/4" in diameter, and 3/4" long, then round the back. Still gives plenty of room for the hook point. I was taught this fly by a spectacular warmwater tier in East TN, Dean Campbell.

For dremel poppers, I use the "Foamies 3-D Shapes" that look like marshmallows: My local Joann sells them, and they're about perfect for a size 2 Tiemco 8089 hook. They're kind of big to start with for smaller poppers, but they work.

I recently bought 500 Eagle Claw 413's from Captain Hooks. Great service, fast shipping. Understand though that 250 hooks in a ziplock bag is an interesting example of a bird's nest.

Is this for lead dumbells? Yowzers. I typically use the Mediums for 1/0 through 2, Smalls for 4 and 6, and X-small for 8's. Bead chain (depending on pattern, like a Crazy Charlie) I'll use up to a 4. I'm now working with smaller eyes. I got an intermediate line, and can't believe how much faster a size 2 with a medium lead eye sinks. I'm now using smalls on a size 2. For brass eyes (like the Real-eyes plus) I'll use one size larger.

Cue Heart - "Barracuda" Sorry, not an "artsy" picture. This was the first day I had it and I was completely in awe.

Both are great vises that will give you a lifetime of enjoyment. I don't own the "Ultimate" indexer, but I put my money into a regular Indexer a little over a year ago. Not a single regret from where I sit. For every vise out there, there are folks who love to tie on it. I just happen to love my DK Barracuda Indexer.

That's a really cool idea, and probably holds a bit tighter than mine. I peel the magnetic tape out of packs of Tiemco hooks and double-stick tape them to the base of my vises.

I agree with TitanFlies - we all buy things that we don't absolutely need. But I'm going to disagree and say that for someone, this COULD make them a better tyer. If pride of ownership in your vise makes you want to tie, and the enjoyment of using a well-made tool makes you happy, then you may want to spend more time tying if you buy the vise you really, really want instead of a $25 bargain vise. And as everyone knows, vise time is what makes you a better tyer. Does that make the LAW worth $750 or $900? Not to me. But it certainly makes my Dyna King worth what I paid for it. To me.

My two favorites in that price range are the HMH Spartan and the PEAK vise.

I looked at those and immediately wondered if they could cut 2mm foam. Chernobyl and bodies, STP froggies, etc...

All of my trout flies are on Tiemco. I use Mustads for stainless saltwater (primarily what used to be the 34007 and 34011). I also use Tiemco for their bass Stinger hooks.

Of those you list, I have the HMH Spartan and the PEAK. I tied for two years on the PEAK; I've had the Spartan about 6 months. Either one of them will be a spectacular vise. It depends on what you plan to do with it and what you want out of it. The PEAK worked just fine for me for a great many flies. I still really, really like it for trout flies. I'm in the minority, but I had some hook holding issues when I started tying on smaller saltwater hooks. For what it's worth, I've found that all three of my vises (including a Dyna King Barracuda) have an area of hook sizes they struggle with. On the PEAK, it's about a size 2 or 4 hook. On the Dyna King, it's a size 8 or 10 hook with the standard jaws. The HMH is similar to the Dyna King. Every vise is the result of a series of tradeoffs. The PEAK holds well, rotates well, and has a fantastic base. However, it's a pretty bulky unit to travel with, and you can occasionally have trouble with hook access behind the jaws. The HMH is lighter, smaller, travels well, and holds great. However, it's not "true" rotary (may or may not make a difference to you) and lacks space under the jaws due to the proximity of the vertical post. Personally, I wouldn't go with the Squire. I'd look primarily at the HMH and PEAK. It'll come down to two questions: 1) Do you think you need true rotary, or will an in-line rotary suffice? 2) Do you plan to travel with the vise, or is it a home-use only? Either way you will have a vise that will last you a very long time.

I don't buy any furs or feathers (with one exception) at the craft stores. I do buy glass beads, stretch beading cord, holographic mylar (Sulky Holoshimmer), rug yarn, foam, and embroidery threads at craft stores. A lot of this material I just can't find at my local fly shops, and I prefer it to the closest fly tying relation. One feather I will buy at craft stores, primarily because I can't find them in fly shops, are exotic Pheasant Tail feathers. I've never seen a fly shop that carried Lady Amherst or Golden Pheasant tail feathers, but most craft stores with a fake-flower department will have these. I like the golden pheasant for a more mottled PT, and the Lady Amherst comes died blood red for a killer "blood midge" PT. My local fly shop gets hundreds of dollars from me a year. The craft store might get one hundred. I do agree that you have to be careful with what you buy there.

I tied on a PEAK vise for two years. In my opinion, there are two vises to consider under $200, the PEAK and the HMH Spartan. I own both, and I've tied tons of flies on the PEAK. It's a very nice vise. Perhaps not as adjustable as the Renzetti and Dyna King models, but still a great vise for trout and warmwater flies. I really like the midge jaws - for flies under size 16 they're fantastic. I tie a lot of size 20 and 22 flies and the midge jaws are great for that. Mine had the brass screws, D-handle arm and the pedestal base. It is still a great trout vise. I do not care for it as a saltwater vise, even with the saltwater jaws, however. I ended up buying a Dyna King Barracuda for saltwater, which I like quite a bit better for that. In my opinion, if you're tying primarily trout flies, the PEAK will be a top performer. If you need to tie a lot of saltwater patterns, there may be other choices to consider. Just my opinion only.

Green weenie was the first for me. After that, I worked my way through Al Campbell's beginner's series.

I made a mistake. I knew I should have bought the Griffin 2A, but I couldn't wait. I was leaving this past week for a trip to see my brother, and I needed to buy a vise for my niece for her 13th birthday so that I could teach her some tying. I know that the Griffin is the way to go, but I ran out of time. Gander Mountain had the Terra Silverado. It was a piece of junk out of the package, with the cam being gritty and hard to adjust, and the rotary barrel not holding tension. My niece doesn't know any better yet, but after trying to tie a couple flies on the vise I was embarrassed that this was my gift to her. An old Thompson would have been light years better, and the Griffin would have been just great. Within two days and less than 20 flies tied on the vise, the cam pin bent to the point of the jaws no longer holding hooks. And these were small hooks - size 10 and 12. No excuse for the vise to fail that quickly. I took it to Gander Mountain and they agreed to refund my money. I will now be buying the vise I should have bought her in the first place. If someone has one and loves it, I apologize for slamming your vise. To everyone else, don't buy one of these. Save up a few more dollars and buy a vise that will treat you better.

I own both the PEAK and an HMH Spartan. To be honest, I prefer tying trout flies on the PEAK. The Spartan is more of a travel vise for me. I like it very much, and it's a well-made vise. However, for most of what I tie, the PEAK would be a better choice. However, I also own a DK 'cuda, and that is my favorite all-around vise. Nothing at all wrong with any of them, plus they all appear to have top-notch customer service. Great folks.

I think there are some additional differences such as aluminum vs. steel for some parts. I tie on a Barracuda Indexer, and it feels more substantial than the Trekker I messed with a couple months ago in a fly shop. There are some parts that are different between them other than just the knobs I believe.