Good price?

George Cleveland wrote:


Jeez, my old (20 years+) $14 Indian manufactured Sunrise A vise was still
holding hooks just fine last time I used it.

I replaced it with a better vise, mainly for more room to work on small flies,
but it was always a functional tool.

g.c.

Mine still is. Somehow I don't see myself spending 100 usd plus on a
hook holder, the Indian Regal imitations work just fine. But, as always,
ymmv.

--
Herman, chapati anyone?

Hi Ernie,

Those very old ( but not worn out or beat to death) Pflueger Medallist fly
reels and Thompson A vises are real gems. They were built in the USA so well
that they could last for ever. I have some old Pfluegers in different sizes
that I have used for years and would never get rid of for sentimental
reasons.

I use to buy special machined brass drag discs for Pflueger Medallist fly
reels from Herman Voss in Pompano Beach, Florida. We replaced the plastic
drag discs with these brass ones that made the drag on these old reels much
smoother. We also had counter balances for the reels that made them smoother
at high RPMs associated with bonefishing and steelheading years ago. The
real old Medallists had steel drag disc but were only for right hand crank
anglers.

I just hate to see people miss informed because they don't know things have
changed in some areas. Sadly some fly anglers that could fish circles around
me are not up to date with what is available in the fly fishing market today
and what are the best values. Some do know though.

I am not interested in feeding everyone a bunch of BS. I am interested in
giving people some straight information because I am in a place were I see
and have seen enough to know what is going on in the fly fishing tackle
industry today. The other reality is that less that way less 1% of the
people that read this will ever shop at my store which OK too.

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA
www.kiene.com

"Ernie" NO_ wrote in message
m...

Bill,
What you say is true about most things made overseas these days. I am
fortunate enough to have a vintage Thompson Vise and Some Medallist Reels.
I found some good things at the flea market. I bought a very old reel for
$5 that had a sticky bunch of line on it. The line turned out to be silk
and after cleaning and treating it was like new. I love to use it on an
old
bamboo rod I got at the flea market for $12. There is nothing quite like
fishing up a trout stream with bamboo and silk. It is magical and really
takes me back.
Ernie

"Bill Kiene" wrote in message
. ..
Boy, I know this will stir up some stuff............

Like the Pflueger Medallist fly reel (I am an old fan of these), the
Thompson A vise (I am an old fan of these too) was the big deal many
years
ago. Today both the Medallist fly reel and the Thompson A or Pro vise
are
not built like they use to be 30 to 40 years ago.

Our gray haired veteran fly tying instructor told me that the new
Thompson
A
or Pro vise no longer hold a hook well. The fact is they don't use the
same
metal they uses 30 or 40 years ago when they were made famous. We still
carry them but the low end Griffin vises @ ~$35US (made in the USA) are
a
better value.

If you can find an old Medallist reel or old Thompson vise that has not
been
used up, it is a good thing. It is the new stuff that is now not a good
thing. If the Thompson A vise or Pflueger Medallist fly reel where the
same
quality as they were 40 years ago, they would have to be over $100, not
$35.

Don't buy vises made in Indian either. They are worse than the new
Thompson
A or Pro. It is all about the metal they use.

I am always interested in what low end (under $50US) vises actually hold
a
hook and hold up too. What do you think?

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA
www.kiene.com

Bill,
I had an old 44 cal. muzzle loader I made and half of a lead ball I cast
for it was just right to balance the reel on my old Medallist. A quick
spray with black paint and a little epoxy to glue it to the spool and I had
a balanced reel.
Ernie

"Bill Kiene" wrote in message
Hi Ernie,
We also had counter balances for the reels that made them smoother
at high RPMs associated with bonefishing and steelheading years ago.
Bill Kiene