A Dedicated Vise for Tube Flies

This past winter found me taking a fly tying class on tube flies.Yes after my start of commercial tying in 1994 I was taking a class again.Having a new found excitement for tube flies for swinging.While in class I was using a Eumer tube fly adapter for my vise.Yes Eumer is a good company but there is always better.Being one who Tye's with thread control it seemed that when cranking down with thread on the tube the tube would spin on the mandrel.It really didn't set well with me.
Well after that class I was in search of a dedicated vise for tying tube flies.After a very short search of the internet I found what I was looking for.A product from http://www.offthehooktube.com/. Bob's tube fly vise has some features that any tyer will like.First off the head of the vise moves out away from your tying table for relaxing while tying,sitting in an office chair.Like some other vises the head rotates 360 degress horizontaly but one thing unique is that it rotates 360 degress veritcally.This feature allows the tyer to melt tube liner to tubes with out having to hold the fly.
Another feature of Bob's vice is the jaws' strength. The jaws will take and hold micro tube liner. I mean really hold the liner. I inserted micro tube liner into the jaws and was able to take and pick up the vice and shake it like a puppy with a new toy. Not quite as fierce, but hopefully you get the idea of how strong this vice is. I also got a tapered mandrel from Bob. So far I have not had any problems with this vice, and have been greatly satisfied with this Michigan made product. I feel that you will also be satisfied with this vice.For more info visit Bob Braendle's website http://www.offthehooktube.

My Fit of the Month

Sorry folks for not blogging as much as I should be.I have been really busy as of lately.But I would like to tell you a little bit about a couple of companies I've been dealing with.First of we'll start will "don't care a-gonia". A couple of years ago while working in a fly shop I purchased a great divide boat bag.Thought it would be great for in the boat.It looked water proof until one night when it rained and was left in the boat.I had three inches of water in the boat and Three inches in the bag that was zipped up.Hmmmm not right I thought to myself.So I contacted the company and they said to return it but right now they were out of stock.So I wait because I am in the middle of fishing season to return this bag.Please bear in mind I keep all my flies,tippet,leaders,etc. in this bag.It's like a brief case for a guide when in the boat. So I ship the product back to "don't care a-gonia" in December.Well to day I call them up and find out That I will not be getting a replacement bag until Mid-May that's right Mid-May.My thoughts are like what the &^%$.So I asked if I could get a refund And because I didn't have the receipt for it I could only get a gift card for their products.Now this leaves me with two problems one I don't like gear all over in my boat boxes.Second is that general trout season opens in less than a month and I need to be organized.
So here's where company two comes to play.After ranting my honest opinion to company one I call company two "Simms" I ask for the cost of a large boat bag and they give me the price and also say their in stock.I ask how long it will take to arrive to my home in Michigan.The customer rep. tells me you should have it with in a week.Bet right now you can hear what I said to them.That's right ship it!Now here's another story about company two.I had a guide buddy who returned a pair of Simms waders he had.They were leaking badly after several years of use and Simms rebuilt his waders.Now that's customer service my fellow fishers.