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when you write Griffin Spider, do you mean the Griffin Odyssey Spider? that is a true-rotary vise (which also comes in a cam version, but that cam lever looks small in the photo i found but what do i know, i've never used vises like that). the Anvil Apex rotates but is not a true rotary. I believe it also tilts. it is also a bit smaller than full rotary vises (like the Atlas, making it a good travel option. the Anvil ATLAS is a true rotary vise (which i have) can be had for about $115. the Atlas is also a nice hefty vise. btw, both vises are now offered by Wolff Indiana, no longer technically Anvil. both companies stand behind their product, i've emailed both in the past and they've responded quickly and helpfully, but they are different types of vises. the Anvil/Wolff vises do not have separate jaws for smaller or bigger flies, but their one jaw design works with a wide range of hooks. this makes it easy, no need to swap out or store extra jaws. another vise you may want to consider if you do not need a true rotary vise (judging from your interest in the Apex) is the Peak Non-Rotating vise for about the same price as the Apex. the Apex may have a leg up though since i think it allows spinning the fly to check around the exterior. i do not think the Peak Non-Rotating vise allows that option, you'd want to check. But the Peak has optional fly tying accessories, it's also a bit smaller in size, like the Apex. another thing to note is that the Apex and Atlas vises are not finished nicely (but they work fine). they have a rough satin almost a pebbly texture/finish. the griffin is black. the best thing to do is find these somewhere and hold them, tie a fly on them, get a real feel for each if you can. there is a difference in the design of a true rotary and a non-rotary when it comes to left-hand placement (assuming you're a rightie) which can or may not affect comfort and ease. all three companies are made in the USA with good support and warranties. eric fresno, ca.

Fred, It looks to me like the video shows he needs to extend his grip beyond the ball to the wire to keep it from spinning too. I have an all silver/stainless matarelli-style whip finisher, i think it's a dr slick but cannot be sure. it has the half hitch tool on the end of the handle. i know it's not a true matarelli. the top ball spins on mine too, i believe always has from day one (the bottom ball is fixed). it has not prevented me from whip finishing. if i understand what you wrote, then i do not think "the top sphere one pinches to keep the tool immobile" is true. but i could be wrong. dr slick's web site has an 800 phone number. why don't you give them a call and ask, and then let us know what they say. eric fresno, ca.

Fred, I miss-typed my earlier reply (now corrected). I bought the Atlas vise, not the Apex. The Apex is not true-rotary like the Atlas. The Apex is also smaller. I think i paid around $120 for the Atlas, plus another $12-$15 for a bobbin. Others on my list were the Peak (this thread is the first I've read about any "problems" with the Peak), the Apex (too small and not true-rotary), and the Montana Mongoose from Griffin. If you don't need true-rotary, take a look at the Griffin 2A, a simple but good vise backed with US warranty. You may not need true-rotary, i think many don't even use it when they have it, but having a vise that rotates (not true-rotary) can be helpful in viewing the fly from all angles. The Wolff vises (Atlas and Apex) are roughly finished in many areas. The designer explained to me that is how they saved money in production. Also on my wish-list was the HMH Spartan, which is at the top end of your budget. good luck. eric fresno, ca.

I too bought a Wolff Atlas vise (formerly Anvil Atlas). it wasn't very smooth at first but a dozen flies later (and a call and chat with the guy who said he designed it) it's now smooth as buttah. great price for a substantial true-rotary (doesn't come with a bobbin cradle) and great service. eric fresno, ca. DUH! edited to change to Atlas vise, not Apex vise. The Atlas is a true-rotary.

"If you got a proper light set up, you will get good results very quickly." exactly. like I said, you know how to take great studio photos eric fresno, ca.

Thanks again everyone. I haven't had a chance to really try any of them but I did tie up some Usuals (fran betters) and a buddy and i used them and tons of grabs from small fish. He landed a couple nice ones from a small stream, his first catching with a dry fly. That fly using elk hair and CDC, i see now that i used a little too little CDC. Next time, mas! -eric fresno, ca.

You sir, know how to take great studio photos. eric fresno, ca.

Nice fish, nice surroundings too! Thanks for posting these. I want to see some grayling! eric fresno, ca.

What kind of flies are you tying? I tie trout flies and I started off accumulating a few colors of UNI 6/0 because that was what the sole fly material shop in town carried. It never occurred to me to color white thread with markers. Then i bought a couple spools of UTC 70 and fell in love. I like how flat it lays down and later i have the option to split thread for new dubbing techniques. But i need to moisturize my hands first or rough skin can shred that flossiness. I also have one or two spools of 10/0 or 12/0 Veevus. I like that stuff too. start off with Uni 6/0 or whatever is easily accessible in a local shop. see where it takes you. Exploration and discovery is part of the fun. eric fresno, ca.

"Does breathability matter FOR THAT PART OF THE WADER WHICH IS UNDER WATER?" why do you ask? maybe your concern or focus can be more directly addressed to your liking. eric fresno, ca.

Eden Cane bamboo fly rods are made by one of the finest bamboo rod makers around right now. he made the bamboo fly rods for Scott Fly Rod company for awhile. if they were mine, i'd contact Bernard Ramanauskas and ask him directly. He could even repair the broken one. you may have to reach him through a used bamboo fly rod dealer. google "Bernard Ramanauskas" for more information. eric fresno, ca.

Don't get me (too) wrong. I think the smart/prudent thing to do is to just buy the materials for 3-4 flies, basic flies for your area which if chosen wisely can teach the basic skills applicable to a wide range of patterns. learn those well. tie at least a dozen of each pattern. once you learn the basic skills, they can be applied to new patterns. try to reign in any desire or need to buy everything you see for a multitude of patterns which may or may not be necessary at the beginning. you will probably fail in this endeavor. i know I did. kits seem to be hit or miss. my kit sucked with the most elemental tool, the vise. and my kit was from a well known manufacturer of flies and material. it rhymes with umpqua. it was their deluxe kit. the vise was pakistani, based on the thompson vise. again, it sucked big time. it simply could not hold a hook. these days people want instant gratification. if you're one of those, or under 30 years old, or you don't have a fly shop nearby, or do not know fly tiers in close, friendly proximity to you, just get a kit. it's like scratching that itch. it's not the smartest thing but you may make worse decisions in your life. and it certainly isn't a life-threatening decision. i think if you were to share more details, i bet the friendly people here at this forum may be able to help you narrow down the material for a few select patterns if you wish to go that route. and books? people still read books???? (kidding) besides one or two very good books, online videos of high production quality will really help. one of the best things you could do is to sit next to a fly tier, watch and learn how they tie. ask questions. have fun! eric fresno, ca.

Get a kit, get it out of your system. better yet, have someone get a kit for you! then in a few years when somebody else asks which kit to get... i had a kit. the tools were fine, actually a very good pair of scissors, but the main feature, the vise, was crap. the material was ok, but too little of what i wanted and some stuff i have yet to use (10 years later).

it's painful to see how "off" they are under macro photography! but i imagine they'll catch feesh. eric fresno, ca.

Thanks! eric fresno, ca.

Nope. eric fresno, ca.

I'm relatively new to this forum, and fly tying in general. Though I tied some flies 6-8 years for a season of LMB and striper fishing (clousers and streamers with plastic wiggle tails), i've not tied flies since then. That is until this past spring when i bought a new vise and planned a trip to the eastern sierra with some buddies back in june. I churned these out like mad trying to learn and often times making up stuff as I went along. Usually I didn't have the "correct" material on hand. Many of the flies I see posted here are exquisite. I'm far from being good, but it was fun. Strangely enough, I stopped tying after that trip. Just haven't had an urge, which is in contrast to the feverish video-watching and tying I was doing. Here are a few, tied on 14, 16 and 18 hooks. Please be kind eric fresno, ca.

Medalists are good blue-collar working reels, quite adequate for many uses. If you wish to get it back into fine working condition, upgrade it or have a need for spare parts, this company offers solutions, including spare screws. Though, some of the parts may be more than the reel you bought One-Pfoot: http://www.onepfoot.com/Home.php eric fresno, ca.

Although very unusual for English-speakers in the States, i found the writing style both fascinating, entertaining and refreshing. Too many abbreviations these days. eric fresno, ca.

Mike's correct. you CAN save money. Take my new fly fishing buddy for instance. I've been doling out material to him as i receive it. He's out of a job right now and he's a buddy, so he's saving a TON of money tying his own flies lol eric fresno, ca.

I should add that when i pull a fly from the water, i blow hard on it to blow off much of the water. then i use frog's fanny. i also started using water shed on my last trip, and it worked surprisingly well. not sure if it's ideal for CDC but i used it on some CDC flies and together with my application of frogs fanny and my blow-hard tendencies, i saw my dry flies floating like corks for that trip. sometimes i would also tie up the fly to a guide (line wrapped around reel foot) and do some hiking, moving on to the next spot. the combination of these, and wait to apply FF before i fished again. this combination, including drying time before the next application of FF, i believe helped the flies float like crazy. eric fresno, ca.

Frogs Fanny or similar. eric fresno, ca.

Your color balance is off. The overall video is orange, too warm. Plus it seems you are using mixed light sources (temperatures). is there window light involved? That could be the reason for the yellows and orange on one side of the metal (vise) and blue highlights on the right side of the vise. when balanced the metal should be colorless (unless it's painted metal . what i have yet to see which i think is a good idea is to place a white card as a background between you and the vise. you'd be reaching over or around it while tying. it doesn't have to be too big, just enough to fill the frame of the video. this would minimize distractions like room background, patterns on shirts, logos on shirts, etc. particularly movement of the shirt as you stretch and flex and adjust while tying. just an idea... and you'd be the first one doing this!!!!! lol basically the common idea behind photographing flies with still photos and using a background "card." and as flytire mentioned, moisturize hands before shooting shooting video. yours look ok, i've seen really REALLY bad examples. very distracting. it's attention to detail that will raise you above the rest. which camera are you using for this project? i can't hear any audio., could be my setup right now. one thing i've noticed the the use of the camera's mic. it's best to use a lav mic clipped to your shirt, so the sound doesn't fade in and out as the tier's adjusts his body and stretches or moves while speaking and tying. (gotta run, have to shoot photos and video for a news event eric fresno, ca.

I bought this light and it works fine with my Solarez stuffs: http://ebay.to/1RmYIML it was a toss-up between this one and the UltraFire listed above. I went with the light that takes AAA batteries. I have plenty of those around the house. eric fresno, ca.