George,

To Betty's point, I suspect that the input you'll get will be somewhat biased as there are a number of "favorite" vises out there. You might check online to see if there are any fly fishing clubs in your area of Texas as a starting place. Many clubs have monthly meetings where members bring their fly tying equipment to swap ideas, materials, and flies. Perhaps you could get some more direct input and get to try a couple of differnt models that way.

Like you, I started with an inexpensive vise, since I didn't want to spend too much mony on something I may not enjoy doing long term. Well, it turned out that I really enjoy tying, so my next vise was a Regal. I liked the Regal vise because it holds the hook very well and you don’t have to adjust the jaws when switching hook sizes. The Regal worked great as long as I didn't tie on tiny (size 18 or smaller) hooks. With the very small hooks, I tend to try to place the hook near the tip of the jaws to give myself as much access to the hook as possible. The very strong, spring-loaded clamping action used with the Regal can spit out tiny hooks like little bullets if they are too close to the tips of the jaws. When the hook shoots out, it causes the jaws to snap shut, which can cause the jaws to chip and they have to be replaced. As I became more comfortable with tying, I wanted to try a vise with rotary capabilities, so I bought a Dyna-King Barracuda. This is also a very high quality vise that will last a lifetime, but I found the rotary feature cumbersome to use because the shank of the hook wasn't easily aligned with the rotary hub on the vise. Still on the hunt for a rotary vise, I tried a a Nor-Vise and I stopped looking. All that said, there are plenty of people a whole lot more talented a fly tying than I am that will swear by any number of other brands and models.

Good luck in your search and if at all possible get some bench time with a few of the brands you’re interested in before you make your purchase. Remember, you said you want this to be the last vise you ever have to buy so pick carefully.

Jim Smith