A bit of this, that and the other!

Its  been a frustrating time for me of late due to a  bout of sciatica.

I've not been fit enough to get out and about with my rod and reel.

However I'm spent my free time at my new vice tying this that and the other, with the my summer trip to the Outer Hebrides in mind! 

Ive really enjoyed using my new vice which has so many advantages over my old regent!

Pictured here is a dozen colourful examples of my recent vice work!  Which I hope you enjoy! 

My condition is improving and I hope to get out and about in the next week or so!

In the meantime I'll just keep on keepin' on! 

New Vice!

For over a year or so Ive been contemplating on upgrading my 20 year old regent vice.

The jaws on my regent have been playing up a bit as there seemed to be a fault of some sort as they were very stiff and seizing up on the odd occasion. Still very usable though.

I considered replacing the regent with another as I really like the simplicity of mounting the hook in the spring lever action jaws.

However after much thought I decided to opt for a rotary vice and all its advantages.

Budget played a part as I really was tempted  by the vices in the £500 bracket however I just couldnt justify that cost so in the end I opted for the Wolff Indiana Atlas vice.

First impressions are encouraging. its certainly a solid  piece of kit and beautifully designed and engineered.

I have to admit that I found mounting the hook a bit fiddly, having to adjust the jaws etc. However I seem to have it set now to suit the size of hooks I'll be most commonly using.

I've tied a few flies with it now and found it to have many advantages over my old regent.

The obvious benefit of the rotary function goes without saying. Its fantastic for winding on tinsel bodies and ribs as well as for ease of tilting the jaws upside down for tying in beard hackles and generally all round inspection of the fly..

In conclusion I'm very pleased with my new vice. It was quite strange using a new style of vice after all these years. 

I felt a tinge of sadness when I put my old regent away in the cupboard as it has served me well for over 20 years however I'm really looking forward to using the new Atlas vice now!

Bug Fluff!

The number of syntheitic and  natural dubbing suppliers these days in the fly tying world is bewildering. 

However I would like to highlight and bring to your attention a new kid on the block in the person of wonderful flytyer John Ferguson from Dalmellington in Ayrshire,  who is the man behind the recent dubbing enterprise called Bug Fluff..

John's dubbing is carefully selected and  prepared from natural hare fur and comes in various shades in handy plastic boxes.

I have found it ideal for preparing bodies on some loch style wets as well as forming bodies on small emerger patterns. However I find it most useful for tying various nymphs.

The natural spikiness of the hare fur is really suited for the nymph bodies and thoraxes.

So if you are in the market for hare dubbing give John a call at bug Fluff and I'm sure he will be more than happy to help you out.