My First vise was one like in “Host Ray’s” first picture. It was a cheapo kit that my grandmother bought for me after my grand dad had passed away and I found and old black and white manual that he had. I still have the old manual but I don’t know what happened to the vise. I don’t believe I caught anything on the flies I made from that kit, unless I tipped the fly with a chunk of night crawler. 
I made my own bobbin out of a piece of plywood, a brass tube and a sewing machine bobbin.
Roy
My first vise was a pair of vise-grip pliers held in a bench vise.
Then I graduated to an x-acto knife handle.
Now, I make vises from everything from old wrenches to can openers.
I enjoy turning junk into very servicable fly-tying vises.
Ed
My first vise was cobbled together from two 1960’s-era Herters Thompson-style vises. It was held to the tabletop with an actual C-clamp. One of the original vises was my father’s, the other my uncle’s. Tools were similar-vintage scissors, hackle pliers, and tweezers. My bodkin I made out of a piece of scrap cocobolo.
I’ve since owned two other vises, and I’m about to pick up two more I think. They tend to multiply when you’re not looking.
First vice and materials was from Two-Guys in PA sometimes around Xmas of 82.
First book was also Xmas 82 T. Hellekson “Popular Fly Patterns”
I have enjoyed different rods and lines and reels but I never bought another book on fly patterns except one for salt and one for salmon in the 00 century. Until I can tie all the patterns in my first book, I will wait to move on. So far, so good, and I am quite happy with the results.
Hi All,
Friends at work loaned me two books on tying, which I read cover to cover pretty much before ever tying a fly. One loaned a few catalogs, and the best thing I did was phone Hook and Hackle and visit with Bob, who was very patient, and got me started in the right direction on tools and materials.
I bought a cheap vise, sissors, bodkin, hackle pliars, bobbin, and threader from him. Materials were chennile, some inexpensive half necks (Keough that were very good quality by the way), a few inexpensive Keough saddles, hares mask, some dubbing, 25 packs of Mustad hooks, thread, head cement, and maybe a few other things.
My dubbing twister was made from a piece of #12 copper wire, and I still use it. It is in a crook shape and actually works pretty well.
The vise looked fairly nice, but was not very good quality. Still, it was good enough to be a good learner vise for me, and am glad that I bought it and learned to tie on it before it finally bit the dust.
I still use the sissors, at least part of the time, and the bodkin. My main vise is an old Thompson A from Ebay.
Regards,
Gandolf
My first vise was a Price Vise. I keep it set up on the bookshelf next to my fly tying desk.
Mine was a Cabela’s kit vise. Similar to the Thompson Model A. Then I graduated to a Dan Vise. Haven’t had any need to upgrade further.
Well, I got my first vise at the age of 13 from my father for Christmas along with a bobbin and pair of scissors. I remember at the time I opened it, kindof looked at it funny and wondered why my dad gave it to me. Dad always gave us strange gifts, like for example, when I was 10 I got the annual collector coins from the Canadian Mint and when I was 16 I got a torque wrench. I knew what it was because the uncle of one of my friends tied flies and my friend had brought in a vise and some feathers for craft day (I was making Reader’s Digest Santa Clauses and thought that flies were more cool).
Anyway, it was a Sunrise vise, a bobbin (not ceramic) with round brass piece for thumb and scissors. I still have it all, I tied on the vise for 15 years and it is shot, but my 7 year old used it when he started tying at age 5 and now my 5 year old ties on it (gotta get him another one, he is complaining about the hook moving). I still use the bobbin, and have the scissors but they are completely shot.
The first consited of a worm hook, material was thread from my mom’s sewing kit for the body and black hair from my Cocker Spaniel for the wing.
Dwight
I learned on my dad’s vise and equipment, then I got a Kit from Herters for Christmas when I was 6 (in the 60s). Been tying ever since.
Bass Pro Shops starter tying kit my Dad had sitting in the gun cabinet. It works!