Some personal thoughts on vices

Several times during the year I see posts on various fly-tying forums asking “what vice should I buy? Either novice tiers trying to figure out what they need or others who have experience and want to compare notes and see what’s out there. The answers are often from people who act like evangelists who have discovered a religion. They pound the virtues of a particular brand like it was the only one out there. Some have never seriously tried other brands but speak only of the brand they know, like it was the holy grail.

Lets get real. A vice is a personal thing and as you grow as a tier you may graduate to different brands, although some people land on the right mark with something they like and stay with it for a lifetime. As an example I have a friend who has tied on a Thompson for the last almost 60 years. A testament to a vices durability certainly, but more so a testament to a tier. After all it’s the tier not the vice that produces the fly. A vice is the tool that will make tying easier and gives you the opportunity to view the hook in a static position.

I’ve tied for about 55 now and have a few great models that I love. There are a lot of great brands out there. The trick is to find one that suits you. There is no such thing as the perfect vice for all tiers. It comes down to finding what suites the individual. What will you enjoy working on? I’ve been blessed to watch a few tiers who do stunning Atlantic salmon patterns with no vice at all but in hand, vices are a more recent invention. My grandfather tied winged wet flies in hand a method he taught me when I was a dumb kid in the 60’s and didn’t appreciate it then. Only now I have come to appreciate the methods in the last few years. He tied this way till his passing at a merry 107. Not as fast and with failing eyes but still a fly that would tempt a trout. His last artful creations site quietly at my tying desk to remind me of my roots and mentors tying ways.

I often hear people refer to a single vice as if you would only be allowed to buy “one” in a lifetime. I own a few wonderful brands new and vintage that I treasure and have just ordered another high end one. Comparatively I also have quite a number of fly rods, in Bamboo Fiberglass and graphite. Vices like rods are often designed with a particular purpose. Sometimes they are designed for a particular market or need.

How do you find what you like? Try different vices out. I believe any good fly shop worth it’s salt will let you site with a vice and tie a fly if you are in a serious buying mode. Try before you buy is always good horse sense. Look also to other tiers who might be friends who own brands of vices that you may like the look of, or have heard good things about. Another great place is your local fly tying club. You will find a group of people who are normally free with their knowledge, they often have great fly tying courses. More important to my direction here a lot of different vices that you can look at and watch people tie on, and if the tier agrees let you tie on.

As in all products there is garbage out there. Cheap products that are put out to make a fast buck that will either not last very long. Or worst will frustrate the tier to the point of withdrawing from tying and sometimes quitting altogether. I ran across a gentleman a couple of years ago who I tied with at a local club. His vise an offshore brand I had never heard of, would not hold the fly properly, fixed at the wrong height and angle. Altogether frustrating for him trying to fight with this cheaply made monster. I insisted he sit at mine for a while and what a difference in his attitude. Previously working materials was a chore now it had turned into a joy. There was a new sparkle and vigor to his ties.  I watched as he left at the end of the meeting and tossed his old vice in the trashcan. Probably where it belonged in the first place. A product obviously not designed by someone who needed to use it.  Next meeting he showed up with a new vice, a second hand one but a good solidly built brand, he was one happy tier.

What do you look for in a vice? There are lots of options here. You should first decide whether you want a Pedestal or clamp type (or a both don’t limit yourself). Clamp type vices mount to the edge of a table or workbench via a C-clamp like device. Very nice and solid, they also work great on a campground picnic table or handy two by for if your tying camp side or stream side. There is also a mount for some vices that is like a sharp nail that will drive into a handy log. The pedestal type relies on a weighted metal base that is heavy enough not to move during the motions of tying. They are nice as you can place them anywhere and are quick to set up. All have positive features. Many tiers will purchase both options to make their vices more universal. Or if you’re like me purchase several vices.

The jaws are the important part. Look for a unit with jaws that will fit the kind and size of flies you intend to tie. If you tend to do a lot of very small trout ties from # 18 down to #22 a fine jaw is often needed, whereas large salmon, Steelhead or salt water hooks need a large solid jaw to handle the stress of large hooks and tension on the tie. This is where several vices or changeable jaws are often a better option. Most models are generally made to handle the #10 to #18 sizes.

I’ve tried out pretty much all of the major brands some I liked, some I was indifferent to, others I hated. It is personal choice in the end. A decent vice that does it’s job is what you need. And need is what we are talking about here. A novice tier usually wants a solid basic vice that performs well and works for the occasional tie. Many people tie a few flies and buy the rest. Purchasing those dressed bugs that are perhaps beyond their abilities or patience. Its’ all OK, however you prefer to do it. You may be a mainline tier that just likes to tie, and does a full box compliment. Then also there’s the person who turns out commercial products for sale large or small volume and needs a solid production or perhaps specialty vice. A good rotary model, that will handle all aspects of the materials used and styles tied.

I guess my point in all of this is; do your research look at different products and make an educated not a snap decision. There are lots of reviews out there certainly, not always by experienced tiers, sometimes by the manufactures or the sales guys, and that give skewed reviews. Do your own testing, after all you should enjoy tying, if not go buy your flies.

The Meiser Highlander Rod build

This is a personal exploration of the Meiser Highlander. Though you might like to take this trip with me. I was fortunate to meet Bob Meiser on the water in my quest for Steelhead. The man struck me as an eloquent living testimony to the Spey community. He has a wealth of Information on the sport and the rods he builds and is more than willing to share his vast knowledge. His rods have led the way (in my opinion) for the new venue of the sport to grow from the classic user into a host of new directions including switch rods. I had tried his Highlander out a few years ago and it was the proverbial love at first sight. Meiser Spey rods have become a standard by which many other manufacturers have paced themselves. Talking with other Meiser owners the one thing that stands out is their dedication to the rod. That akin to Hardy reel collectors the rod is already considered in some circles a classic.

I was looking for a rod that I could use here in Alberta on the big Bow River targeting it’s population of large brown and rainbow trout. I’ve acquired some experience in Spey casting as a kid in Ontario we fished many rivers including the Miramichi River among many others with my Dad, but the style fell out of favor with me as I perused what I perceived as “modern” fiberglass rods in the sixties. But now coming full circle I’ve been using a TFO Deer Creek, which has been a great rod to feel out the sport (Mike Kinney and Bob Meiser originally designed this rod for Temple Fork). As I get older the Spey style of casting has stood me well helping me with a tennis elbow (caused by too many years of double hauling) which has since now disappeared. I now wanted a higher end rod to continue my growth in the sport.

After phone calls to Bob Meiser and he made excellent suggestions on the particular blank I would need. If you buy a rod from Bob be sure to call him. He’ll guide you to the proper rod for you and your fishing needs. I ended up choosing the Hylander  12′6  4 pc ~ 4/5/6wt. ~ Fast/Medium Fast Progressive “Trouter”. I was flabbergasted by the wide grain window and delicate presentation of this rod.

I decided on a kit and put in my order. Bob builds some fantgastic rods without question. You can get the full rod in your desired custom fit, a builder kit or ready to wrap where the upper and lower grip is assembled and milled into a custom rod to the users request, you only need to wrap the eyes and finish it. I wanted to build this one from scratch so that I could do my own customizing and end up with a personal statement of a rod. I have built about a dozen rods on blanks and refinished a good many Bamboo.  I received my kit quickly and it was well packed. I was impressed by the quality of the cork and all of the great hardware which seem to exceed my expectations. It also came with a marvelous rod case and sock.

The components where an upper end Reel Seat, Struble in make, done up in pewter. Other reel seat options are available. Meisers own custom frosted Titanium frame stripper guides with SIC hardness ceramic rings in Bronze and  Hard Chrome Snakes and a nice large tip top. I also received perfect options for snake guide placement. Bob was ever present for suggestions by email. Because this was to be a special build for me I was after a classic rod look. And although the cork provided would have been more than enough for a great rod build, I wanted the addition of a little something to set my particular version of the Highlander apart.

In casting my rod and a number of other brands owned by friends (loop, loomis etc.) at a few claves I attended, I found that with my style of overhead casting the length of the upper grip did not always suit me. I like a slightly shorter and narrow grip.

I wanted to add some exotic wood but was careful to avoid dampening the action of the rod by carefully planning the placement. The rod blank a four piece is a wonderful translucent grey. Red and green where to be my thread color for the guides. My decision was not to use a standard color preservative on the thread so it would not stand out too much and have a subtle look.

As a rod builder I don’t have a lot of complex tools. No lathe as such. My rod building and wrapping cradle is a pretty simple home built thing but I am good with my hands. You should certainly have confidence in your tools and abilities before starting such a project. The other thing to remember is to do a lot of pre planning and dry runs. Last thing you want to do is leave out a component. Or get something backwards. There are certainly many ways to build a rod. This is just my way right or wrong.

My first step was to mark off where the guides would be. I used one-eighth inch wide strips of masking tape to mark their position. I then “spined” the rod and marked the spine on the tapes with a felt pen. This show me position for the guides. I drilled out the cork rings, Bob supplied 3 kinds of cork. I cut my exotic wood to size. And then drilled it out to fit the exact section of the rod they would sit in to be snug. I then fitted the reel seat and marked the position it would be end up. I did this  with a white china marker, this marker is nice because it rubs off easy and shows up well. Adding tape to the rod butt snuggs up the fit of the reel seat. Once the fit is where I felt it should be, I used two part epoxy to glue up the seat to the blank.

I added my exotic wood in front of the reel seat with epoxy again.  I then added the cork and craft foam to the end of the grip gluing up with good quality carpenters glue then finishing off the last two cork rings with epoxy. I then progressed to the lower grip adding first wood then cork and the combinations to finish the lower grip.

The next part was sitting the glued up rod on my simple wood cradle and then using a moto tool to roughly par down the wood and cork to a rough size a bit larger than my final. Then I used a chunk of arrow shaft to act as a “chuck” for a standard electric drill. Working first with heafy grit then down to finer sandpaper I slowly finished  off the grips. Using a drill press I turned the rod butt separately to match the width of the grip and epoxied it in place.

I like to bind the guides with rubberfly tying leg material on one side of the guide foot or masking tape, a number of other things work well for binding the foot in position before serving on the wraps. Wrapping on the various rod eyes and end wraps completed this step. Lastly I applied an application of spar varnish to the wood and flex coat to the wraps. I still need to run a couple of coats of Minwax to the blank for protection and to even out the shine. I’s not a perfect build but it is for me. Hoping my humble offering does some justice to Bob Meiser’s great custom builds and truly fine rods.

The reel seat epoxied in place with the first wood insert, cork and craft foam in the home made cork press.

a portion of the cork grip glued up with good quality carpenters glue.

here is the glued up grip roughed out with the moto tool

close up of roughed out lower grip with arrow shaft temperarly in place as an area to grip with a chuck in a standard electric drill.

this is the grip after bing sandpapered down to shape. I hold the drill in my lap and the upper rod on my left hand sanding with my right hand.

working area

turning the end grip on a drill press, again I use an old eastman arrow shaft for my glue in piece.

working on my feather insert, I used Jungle cock on this one trimmed with copper thread wraps.

starting the thread wraps on ends of rod ferrels

wrapping various color threads over each other

locking the thread wraps by pulling the end wrap back through about 8 to 10 over wraps I use a piece of mono leader for the pull loop.

holding the eyes with sili leg material and wrapping the eyes with thread. the tape under the eye is to mark the position of the eye.

after pulling out the loop in the thread

this eye was held in place with tape

I have no connection to or work for Meiser rods, I’m just a fan. If any of you would like to see all the beautiful rod Bob Meiser builds or find out more about his rods to order please visit his web site here. Thanks for the help Bob.

Sportsman Cigarettes flies

Shuffling through some drawers the other day I happened on some cigarette packages. These little gems took me back to the mid sixties in Kelowna British Columbia. I started tying back then at a fairly young age. With a new 1962 rotary Universal Vice sitting in front of me I preceded to try to figure out how to tie flies.

Much of my initial tying was done through direct observation of how my Dad did it and a wonderful Scottish neighbor who tied the most fantastic salmon flies. Between the two of them I absorbed a rich history of information. Stories wandered to great waters Good scotch and tying flies. Most kids had a paper rout. I tied flies for the local sporting goods store.

Back then there weren’t fly shops with the massive abundance of materials that we have at our calling as we have today. The fall procured upland birds, waterfowl and big game for materials. The materials where simpler.

Found Books where a luxury but I was passed a few by Whuff and Lessering among others. The local library was a limited source and the web was what you saw along the stream banks filled with mayflies There was also Field and Stream Magazine that I read incessantly till they fell apart.

Dad was a smoker and I discovered to my joy that the back of his Sportsman packages contained beautiful Illustrations of flies. Month by month I waited for him to finish a pack. Dry flies, Wets, streamers all the flies of the day where there. I carefully cut them out and placed them in a Sportsman tobacco tin. Then I pondered the ties and the wondrous materials used in their construction. They where a source of wonder to me back then. I slowly acquired other books and these little gems where put aside. I even had a small book that contained the full series of Sportsman flies which has long since disappeared. I decided to post some of these package backs here to share with you these images.

Thanks for looking and may the trout be feeding where you are.

Famous Quotes About Fishing

“Some act and talk as though casting were the entire art of Fly-fishing, and grade an angler solely by the distance he can cover with his flies. This is a great mistake and pernicious in it’s influence. Casting is but a method of placing a fly before the trout without alarming it, and within its reach. It is merely placing food before a guest. The selection of such food as will suit, and so serving it as to please a fastidious and fickle taste, still remain indispensably necessary to induce its acceptance.”
- Henry P. Wells

“Some fishermen think that any rod they buy and pay for should stand any form of abuse, and if it does not, the rod-maker is blamed and his work decried. The makers know this, and that their reputation for skilled and honest work is as sensitive as that of a woman. ……To such of my readers as wish to buy and do not care to make, I would say that the maker who has a reputation, will do his best to maintain it. If he once turned out good work, competition will force him to do so still. If he has the skill, you may be sure he will use it. No one knows better than he that one bad rod will do him more harm than a hundred first class in every respect will benefit him…..”
- Henry P. Wells

“Unless one can enjoy himself fishing with the fly, even when his efforts are unrewarded, he loses much real pleasure. More than half the intense enjoyment of fly-fishing is derived from the beautiful surroundings, the satisfaction felt from being in the open air, the new lease of life secured thereby, and the many, many pleasant recollections of all one has seen, heard and done.”
- Charles F. Orvis

“It is only the inexperienced and thoughtless who find pleasure in killing fish for the mere sake of killing them. No sportsman does this. “
- W.C. Prime

“When the beginner can cast his fly into his hat, eight times out of ten, at forty feet, he is a fly fisher; and so far as casting is concerned, a good one.”
- James A. Henshal

“When you fish with a flie, if it be possible, let no part of your line touch the water, but your flie only.”
- Isaak Walton

“To him, all good things — trout as well as eternal salvation– come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy.”
- Norman Macean

“And this our life, exempt from public haunt
Finds tongues in trees, and books in running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in everything.
I would not change it.”
- William Shakespeare

“I am haunted by waters.”
- Norman Maclean

“All the charm of the angler’s life would be lost but for these hours of thought and memory. All along the brook, all day on lake or river, while he takes his sport, he thinks. All the long evenings in camp, or cottage, or inn, he tells stories of his own life, hears stories of his friend’s lives, and if alone calls up the magic of memory.”
- W.C. Prime

“Go softly by that river side
Or when you would depart,
You’ll find its every winding tied
And knotted round your heart.”
- Rudyard Kipling

“Here comes the trout that must be caught with tickling.”
- William Shakespeare

“If fishing is like religion, then flyfishing is high church.”
- Tom Brokaw

“Fly fishing may be a very pleasant amusement; but angling or float fishing I can only compare to a stick and a string, with a worm at one end and a fool at the other.”
- Samuel Johnson

“It’s better to be the fisherman than the rower.”
- Joan Wulff

“As much fun as I have shopping and dreaming in the winter, it’s always better when spring comes and I’m back out on the neighborhood streams, fishing with real fishermen. These people, by and large, are not catalog models. Many of them dress in camo and are untidily bearded. Some have huge pot bellies and some sport scab-like patches on their waders. Most scramble clumsily out of battered pickup trucks to whack ‘em with beadhead nymphs. This is where I belong.”
- Douglas R. Butler

“The first desideratum is to find time to go fishing. There is a rub in the case of most of us. We are so tied down to the pursuit of the essential dollar that we lose the best and most innocent pleasures that this old earth affords. Time flies so fast after youth is past that we cannot accomplish one-half the many things we have in mind, or indeed one-half our duties. The only safe and sensible plan is to make other things give way to essentials, and the first of these is fly-fishing.”
-Theodore Gordon

Buggering up

Well, it was a fairly busy winter. Between lots of commercial tying and attending to family, I haven’t had a chance to tie for myself.  Launched into tying some buggers and intruders to tempt some of the big browns here on the Bow River.

Equipment Care

Just some thoughts on equipment care…
With spring approaching – the season will soon be here before we know it, writing a bit about equipment maintenance was perhaps appropriate. I normally go through equipment care in the days of winter when snow hits the window of my studio and it’s a good time for such pursuits as tying flies and sorting out equipment. Those Chinook days are too important on the water when the midges hatch.

While on the water last summer I sat and watched a fellow fly fisher hook a nice brown. He played the fish to about a rod’s length of the shore. The brown (a nice fish) turned and parted his leader like spiders web. The disappointment on the man’s face was more than evident. He walked up the bank and sat beside me. We chatted a while and I asked to see his leader. I took it in my hands and asked what weight it was. He showed me the 3X spool. I took the leader in my hands and I popped it apart many times without effort. He told me it was about 5 years old and I found out it was exposed to the sun on the back window of his car. A lesson learned. Leaders need changing; they do age, watch for of fuzzy bits and kinks. Run it through your fingers, it should not feel rough. If you want to be sure run it through some cotton ball material. The cotton will stick to rough patches. Cut or discard. UV light is deadly on leader material. When not in use stor in a dark container for longer life.

Check out those vests, empty them of the precious cargo that we all carry but seldom need. Look for holes and frays that may loose you that thermometer etc. Perhaps it’s time to consign it to the wash if it has become too “seasoned”. An old timer who I fished with swore against the yearly wash not wanting to rinse out the luck. Mind you he could have used a yearly good luck wash himself. Do you need everything in there? Is it time for a new vest or is a fishing bag or is a waist pack in your future.

Inspect those waders; look at the seams for any tell tail signs of trouble. I give these a good rinse after every adventure on the water to rid them of grease and mud and extend their life. A once a year wash with soap and water or baking soda removes smells. A wader bag is a good Idea for traveling protection.

Wading boots can also use some care. Scrub the bottoms to restore the felt, or sole, it may be a good time to add some cleats or screws for added traction. How are the laces, do they need replacing? Another good thing is to give your boots and laces good hit of mink oil or other such preservative on the seams and leather (heavy on the seams). Sure adds to the life of a wading boot.

Reels need regular lubrication. It makes a big difference in performance. Be sure to use a good quality reel grease and oil. Follow your manufacturers advice on lubrication. Some companies, like ROSS have reels that are self lubed and adding oil can void a warranty. Clean the old grease and oil from your reel and reapply on a regular bi yearly basis. Grit and sand into moving parts can reduce the life of your reel. Also watch your reel line guard for wear which may damage line. A cheap reel may have sharp edges or projections that will damage line or have space between the reel body or arbor that will catch and pinch line. Don’t store your fly reel on the dash of a vehicle in the hot sun. Most insect repellents are MURDER on fly lines, they are equally destructive to rod finishes. Use the back of the hands to spread repellent to the neck and face. I rebuilt a rod for a client that had a couple of polymer guides melt from repellent.

Inspect your fly line. They’re not cheap. Care of your lines will extend their life. I normally clean about every couple of months, daily when I fish oily waters. Your line tends to pick up any surface oils on the water. Grit will then stick to the line and can damage the fly line and your guides. Fill a sink with warm water and a bit of mild dishwasher liquid. A double kitchen sink is great for this. Fill the second sink with warm water. Peel off about ten feet of line at a time and wash it in your hands with a soft cloth then run it through the rinse. Don’t do all the line at once, as it’s a recipe for tangles. Treating and cleaning a floating line will not only extend it’s life but also make it run through the guides faster for longer casts with more control. Regular cleaning gives line a new life. A cleaning and super light coat of Mucilin or some sort of floatent will give it a bit of protection. Another great product is Albolene, a cosmetic cream for dry skin. It has long been used as a fly floatant and line greaser. You should be able to find it at pharmacies. It does an excellent job of floating the line. I use it for fly floatant. Line dressings are not as popular as they where at one time. Great for floating a leader also.

I have several fly lines that are over 20 years old that still look and cast great I have also had several brands disintegrate after a couple of seasons. What to look for is cracking or fracturing on the line. Look also for wear or discoloration. The appearance of small radial cracks in the finish coating will offer the first visual clue that a fly line is reaching the end of its useful life. Water will then leach into the line and break it down severely. It depends what type of fishing you do. If you lake fish or tend to go to soft bank situations your line will last longer. Fishing rocky streams like the Bow River subjects your line to a lot of bangs and scrapes. Try to avoid stepping on your line.

The tip section of a dirty tapered line will begin sinking first – an indication that it should be cleaned. Keep your floating fly line clean, In normal use, even on clean water, dirt slime, grease will stick to the surface of line, adding weight that kill the natural buoyancy built into the line. Fishing some rivers I will clean line after every outing (Along with my rod and waders). The tip section of a tapered line will begin sinking first because it contains a thinner coating of the buoyant finishing material than does the larger diameter body.

Turning to your rod, check your guides for wear, are any loose? A good washing of the entire rod with soap and water and an application of furniture wax will make it look great and protect it. If your cork handle is starting to get grimy and slippery wish it with cleanser and a cloth or a pad for washing pots brings it back quick. Although sandpaper will give it a new cork finish, it will reduce the diameter of the handle. Check rod guides for wear (keep them clean also) and smooth sharp areas that will scuff or cut the surface of a fly line. If there is wear have the guides replaced or replace the rod. I have a 30 year old rod that I have replaced the guides on 3 times. Turning to those important flies. Perhaps it’s time to thin some down the flock and add other patterns. Remove all the flies from your boxes, it’s a great opportunity to reorganize. Clean those fly boxes with soap and water. Sharpen those hooks. An old trick to revitalize flies that have become matted and squashed is steaming. First you need a source of steam. A tea kettle will do. Hold the fly by the hook curve with long tweezers or needle nose pliers. Remember steam cooks things like skin so be careful. It’s amazing to see the fly suddenly return to its original shape under a bit of steam. It may take a bit of time but it’s worth the effort.

I remember a client that I had tied a number of nice looking salmon flies for when I lived in BC. He put them in a baggie and they had rested at the bottom of his luggage. When he brought them back from the fishing trip, they where badly squashed and looked nothing like their former glory. He sent them to me to fix and a quick steaming brought them back to about 95% quality. He was positive I had retied the lot, I could never convince him otherwise.

With the cost of equipment these days it’s worth the upkeep. Ah well, I’ve rattled on here but perhaps someone will find these tips of value.

Keep well,
See you on the water.