tying without a vise

[Clay]

I know that many flies are tied without a vise. Many of the commercial flies are done in third world counties when minimal tools are present. Yes, I have a couple of vises, but just want to see how they do it without a vise. I'm looking for a video but couldn't find anything on YouTube. Probably how I am doing the search, but can anyone point me to a video that I can watch on my computer on how to tie without a vise.

[Normand]

here is selene dumaine tying a rangley style carrie stevens streamer.

by hand, on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-xwwfgCu-U&eurl=http://www.taoft.fi/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=1839

[William Fitzgerald]

CLAY you will have to go to a tyer in the 30's to get a true no vise tyer. When I learned from my father we didnt have a vise. Now in my 80's I'll have to take it up again for a show. I made dads vise in later years,first with a pin vise and c clamp. then a true cam vise in high school shop class.
The master of no vise tying was Lee Wulff. He never used a vise. Ive sat at his tying desk.still with all the material layed out--no vise. At one show a couple years ago we watched a man tie a Royal Wulff. Dont try that as a first attempt. You use three fingers--thumb first and second finger.

Take at least a large size such as a 8 hook and tie a wollybugger. Cheat a little my starting the thread and half hitch in the rear. I hold the hook in my left hand between the thumb and second finger. With the right hand add the marabou tothe rear holding it down with the first finger ,wrap and half hitch. Tie in the hackle and chenille and half hitch again. Wrap thread to the eye half hitch again wrap chenille half hitch wrap hackle and tie of with a half hitch again for a head. As you can see the secret is holding down the material with you left hand first finger and tying it down with a one wrap simple half hitch each time to hold the material in place while add another part. No your confussed BILL

[Betty Hiner]

Normand,
Thank you!! I've never seen anyone tie without the vise before! Fascinating!

[bugman]

My friend Paul Jones ties without a vise... no tools other than a pair of scisors when he ties... i can bearly tie WITH a vise let alone with just using me hands... he is an interesting feller and lives between arp & tyler... http://www.historicanglingenterprises.com/

[TyroneFly]

My friend Paul Jones ties without a vise... no tools other than a pair of scisors when he ties... i can bearly tie WITH a vise let alone with just using me hands... he is an interesting feller and lives between arp & tyler... http://www.historicanglingenterprises.com/

bugman,

Thanks for the link to your friends website. Very interesting.

[solowookie]

I have a hard enough time with a vise that is nuts

[whatfly]

It is not nuts. But it is merely a novelty. I've seen a lot of people do it but never quite understood the point other than to demonstrate it could be done...

[thorarinna]

Normand, do you have an answer for everything?
Instead of googling things, we can just normand it

Talking about tying without a vise, I'm dreaming of a Nor-Vise but when I see this I get humble and think that I should be happy with what I have.

[eaustin]

The best instruction for tying with no vise can be found in George Kelson's "The Salmon Fly", circa late 1800s. The book may be accessed and downloaded free from google books. Go to google.com then look at the "more" tab, then choose books. Type in George Kelson.

The easiest fly by far to tie with no vise is a Carrie Stevens streamer, as the sides are glued together beforehand. I think the hardest is a #20 dry fly which legend has it Lee Wulff could do. I've always had trouble believing that, as just holding a #20 hook in your left hand is incredibly difficult. It leaves no room to work.

I've done lots of wet flies in hand, and they're not particularly difficult but it's slow going. Here's a shot of some practice ones I did at one point: