The Sabotage


Tag: blue holographic tinsel
Tail: Golden pheasant crest & tippet
Ribs: Silver oval tinsel & pearl mylar
Body: half purple & half black seal dubbing
Throat: purple hackle
Wing: tented bronze mallard strips
Head: hot orange 


My 2 year old son, Adriano, loves tying flies with me! He usually sits on my lap when we tie together. He's getting pretty good at wrapping thread & hackle, but he loves cutting things with scissors. 
I left this fly on the vise waiting for the varnish to dry. It got Adriano's finishing touch when I wasn't looking!
I just laughed when I saw it. I then repeated to him how dangerous scissors are & that they can only be used when daddy's around. He said ok & asked if we could tie/cut another!
I always try to fish the flies my kids tie & this one was no exception. I tied it on with a few hours left of fishing for Great Lakes steelhead. After I checked if it swam right, I began close & took out a foot or two of line after every swing trying to cover water fast. My target was the half submerged tree that lay on the opposite bank. As the fly  began to swing close to the tree, a hard jerk of the rod & pull from the reel confirmed the commitment of a fish to the fly! A hard fought battle ended with a quick pic & release of this beautiful silver bar fresh from the lake.

The Sabotage produced another hook up soon after, but the fish came unbuttoned after a hard head shake. I unfortunately lost the fly to the tree that sheltered the fish I hooked as I pushed my luck.
I will be tying a few more of these, but will no doubt have to have Adriano's final approval with or without scissors in hand!

Comments

  1. Ben B.2 September 2014 at 18:20

    This is hilarious!! I hope my son finds something more benign to enjoy, like brushing out dubbing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Flyfishing Mitch20 September 2014 at 22:52

    The important thing for me was teaching them about the tools before they began.I do however keep the bodkins or anything sharp out of reach & let them use a dull set of scissors. They love tying & always ask to do it! They now want there own set of tying kits!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tying Atlantic Salmon Flies

Image
Taking a hiatus from tying, can really make you realize how much you can miss it & how it can be a really important part of your life. When one comes to such a realization, it is only natural to ask yourself why "it" is so important to someone. Let's face it, tying flies & fishing is not the end all, but it can be & is a sort of escape from reality or a stress relief from our overwhelming daily duties. Let's call it fly tying yoga! The Art of Tying The beauty of tying, specifically salmon flies, is that the art of tying is what you make it. Like all art, it is subjective. Much like salmon flies. Most salmon flies are not meant to imitate a specific food item like trout flies are intended to do. Salmon do not feed when they are migrating up rivers to spawn.They will take a fly for reasons unknown.Which in part lies some of the mystery & joy of salmon fishing.  You start with a blank canvas, or in this case a hook. You chose & blend your materi
Read more

Scientific Anglers TC Skagit Lines Review

Image
Skagit lines have come a long way in design and efficiency since they were first commercially available. The older, shorter and fatter "beer can" floating level lines made turning over heavy sink tips and large flies easy and they’ve caught a lot of fish since, but they lacked the smoothness and aesthetic of a well cast, tapered spey line. Scientific Anglers has redesigned and improved their Skagit head series from the level lines of past to new, fully tapered heads. Compared to the level lines, tapered ones are more efficient in driving and holding a loop through the air before rolling out for maximum distance.  I tested both of Scientific Anglers’ new Skagit heads. The Floating head and Intermediate head paired well with SA's Third Coast Textured Spey Tips, the industry’s first fully tapered, fully textured, double-density sinking tips. The lines were tested on a recent late fall steelhead outing. Air and water temps were hovering a few degrees above freezing, so a low
Read more

GAELFORCE EQUALIZER G + 15' 10 WEIGHT REVIEW

Image
  I have cast many two-handed rods and reels in hopes of finding what equipment best suits my style of casting and fishing. My two-handed journey seemed to edge towards the rod tapers and reels made or designed in the United Kingdom.  The Brits have always had a knack for producing long lasting, practical fishing gear that gets the job done. Gaelforce is no exception: their rods and lines are of superior quality and will exceed the expectations of the beginner or seasoned professionals. I am a fishing caster, which is to say that I will adapt my casting style to the fishing conditions presented in real time (competition casting isn’t really on my radar, but I do look to these professional casters for inspiration and to see what are the latest trends in equipment and techniques that are pushing the boundaries). Gaelforce two-handed fly rods and lines have garnered a lot of attention among the two-handed competition casting and fishing communities the last few years - some of the top cas
Read more