Good Beginners Vise -- Need Recommendation

[ScottP]

I would prefer not to over-spend but poor tools are never a good idea either.

If you're looking for a basic vise that won't fall apart on you, I'd look at a Thompson A; a lot of folks start out on them (me included). Nothing fancy, but it holds the hook, which is what it's supposed to do. Over time, you may (probably will) want to move up to something with more features, at which point you should find a fly shop (or friends) that have a number of different vises you could test drive.

Like PT said, welcome to the forum.

Regards,
Scott