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Chocklett’s Game Changer
Game Changer, Shad Pattern
Tying Instructions
1.Attach the first articulated Fish Spine, the smallest one (10mm), to the vise at the rear bend. These shanks are stainless steel that can be used for both fresh and salt water
2. Attach the thread to the mid section of the spine and wrap the shank piece bringing the tag end of the wire to the mid section of the shank.
3. Tie in a clump of Olive Super Hair to the spine with about one inch of material extending behind the shank. This is the middle of the tail section. Treat the thread wraps with a head cement
4. Attach a clump of White Super Hair above the Olive Clump of Super Hair. Secure with tight thread wraps and secure the wraps with head cement. The material should extend about 1-2 inch behind the shank.
5. Turn the shank upside down and secure another clump of white Super Hair to the base of the tail. You will have a little more room to help splay the tail fibers. Treat the thread wraps with another drop or two of head cement. Trim the tail fibers to the length you prefer.
6. Prepare a piece of Chocklett’s Body wrap by cutting the material in half and attaching one of the sections to the base of the Super Hair tail clumps at the base of the tail. Trim some of the fibers from the tag end to minimize bulk when securing the material.The strands will need to extend towards the end of the tail. You will need about 1-2 inches wrap for this 1st segment.
7. Wrap the Body material forward with tight wraps sweeping the fibers backward toward the tail. Secure the tag end of the wrap just behind the eye of the shank and trim off the tag.
8. Secure with some thread wraps and whip finish. Apply a drop of head cement on the whip finish.
9. Trim the body material close to the base of the tailing fibers to expose the tail. I like to trim the tailing segment early to keep the tailing fibers very visible for the later trimming once the body has been completed. Apply a head cement to the tailing fibers to stiff the fibers and keep them in a vertical splay. You can also trim the tailing fibers to the shape you prefer.
10. Attach the second spine (15mm) through the eye of the first spine and secure the spine to the vise at the rear bend.
11. Secure the tag end of the spine with thread wraps tightening the wire against the spine shank.
12. Attach another section of Chocklett’s Body Wrap to the base of the second spine section. You will need about 2-3 inches wrap for 2nd segment. Trim some of the material from the tag end that is being secured to the shank. This will help keep bulky fibers getting trapped by the thread wraps. Secure the body material as close to the base of the segment as possible as you want the body material to hide the articulated wire connection.
13.Wrap the body material forward with tight wraps to just behind the eye of the second spine section. Sweep the fibers back as you wrap the material forward. Secure with thread wraps and trim off the tag end.
14. Whip Finish and apply a drop or two of head cement to the thread wraps. You do not need to trim the body fibers at this time but brush the fibers back towards the tail with a dubbing brush.
15. Attach the third spine segment (20mm) through the eye of the second spine and secure the thrid spine to the vise at the base of the bend. Secure the spine wire tag end to the shank with thread wraps, closing the gap.
16. Attach a another section of wrap to the base of the third spine. This should be about 3-4 inches of wrap material to cover the 3rd segment.
17. Wrap the material forward sweeping the fibers back toward the tail and secure just behind the eye of the spine.
18. Trim the tag end and whip finish, applying a drop of head cement to the thread wraps.
19. Attach the fourth and final spine (25mm) through the eye of the third segment. Secure the tag end of the spine segment to the shank with thread wraps closing the gap.
20. Attach a piece of Body Wrap at the base of the fourth spine segment. You will need about 4-5 inches of material for the 4th segment.
21. Wrap the material forward, sweeping the fibers back towards the tail. Secure just behind the eye of the spline and apply a whip finish. This will be your fourth and last spine section. Add a drop or two of head cement on the whip finish.
22. Attach your hook to the vise at the bend. I am using a Gamakatsu SC15 1/0 for this size of Gamechanger. It is tin plated and can be used for both Saltwater or Freshwater applications. You want to select a straight eye hook with a wide gap. Bass Hooks work well with this pattern. TMC 8089 in sizes 2 and 6 will be a good choice for smaller patterns using shorter segments.
23. Attach a piece of 25 Lb. test Monoline to the side of the shank. Secure with thread wraps.
24. Attach the four spine body segment to the hook shank by placing the monoline through the eye of the body segment and securing the tag end of the monoline to the top of the hook shank. This should create a vertical loop that is articulated to the spline segments. Secure with thread wraps and trim off the tag end of the monoline.
25. Apply Head Cement to the thread wraps that are securing the monoline
26. Attach a final piece of Body Wrap just in front of the mono loop. This segment will require about 3-4 inches of wrap material. Wrap the material forward sweeping the fibers back to the just behind the eye of the hook.
27. Secure with thread wraps and trim off the tag end. Whip finish and apply a drop or two of head cement to the wraps.
28. Prepare the body for trimming by brushing the fibers back with a dubbing brush. This body will be about 4 inches in length from the end of the tail to the eye of the hook.
29. With Hair Scissors, trim the body fibers to achieve a minnow shaped body. Taper the fibers below the hook shank to allow good hook penetration. Trim the body material close to the base of the tail. Trim the tail to the shape desired. The head cement that was applied to tail earlier will allow you to shape the tail with scissor cuts.
30. Mark or color the body material as desired. I am using Chartpak Markers, applying a sparse coloration for a Shad pattern. You can get very creative within this step using Copic Markers and the Air Brush system that is available with those markers.
31. Attach a couple of 8-10mm Living Eyes with UV Clear Fly Finish behind the eye of the hook. These eyes utilize a realistic holographic technology that act as a trigger agent to the pattern. A UV light is needed to cure the finish that is holding the eyes to the body material.
32. With a five segment articulated body that is four inches long, the shape and coloration of the body, and the realistic holographic eyes, this pattern will be sure to attract large predatory fish looking for a substantial meal.
| Materials
to Order Material, click the link |
|
|---|---|
| Hook | Daiichi 2720 1/0 |
| Thread | Veevus GSP 150 denier, White |
| Shanks | 4 Articulated Fish Spine Shanks, (10mm, 15mm, 20mm, & 25mm) |
| Eyes | 10MM Fish Skull Living Eyes |
| Body | Pearl White Chocklett Body Wrap |
| Tail | Super Hair, White and Olive |
| Coloration | Copic Sketch Markers |
Chocklett’s Game Changer
The Chocklett’s Game Changer is an articulated streamer pattern designed by Blane Chocklett of Virginia. Blane is a fishing guide of over 20 years and owner of New Angle Fishing Company. He is also an innovative fly tier that has brought many new concepts and materials to the fly tying community. Blane is probably best known for the Gummy Minnow with the use of Siliskin that he also created.
Articulated Wire Spines
With Chocklett’s Game Changer, Blane collaborated with Flymen Fishing Company to develop the articulated wire spines that give his patterns very lifelike movement. His patterns are a crossover between swim bait lures and streamer flies. By using very lightweight materials, Blane is able to make this transition to fly rods and offer a type of pattern that provides a unique baitfish imitation.
Chocklett’s Game Changer is constructed using a series of wire shanks of varying sizes. Usually, the Game Changer has four sizes of shanks (10mm, 15mm, 20mm, 25mm) as well as the hook. A tail is often attached to the smallest shank segment using any straight synthetic fibers or hackle fibers. The body can be constructed in many ways using materials such as Deer Hair, Marabou, or a synthetic material such as Minnow Wrap or Polar Fiber.
Chocklett’s Body Wrap
A new material marketed by Hareline Dubbin called Chocklett’s Body Wrap provides a nice material that is dense enough to hide the shank junctions. These materials can be trimmed to form the desired body shape. The material can be colored using Marking pens or an Air Brush system. Finally a high quality 3D eye is glued to the body material. Fish-Skull Living Eyes are recommended by Blane.
The Game Changer streamer is excellent pattern for large Brown Trout that hide under cuts along streambanks. This is a good pattern for the East Walker and Owens River. Chocklett’s Game Changer can be used not only for large Sierran trout but also for Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass. Blane uses this pattern extensively for Pike, Musky, and Stripers.
Heavy Streamer
Patterns using the Game Changer Articulated Shank Starter pack are about 5 inches in length. You will need to use a heavier fly rod of at least a 6wt to get the proper power to handle this fly. And, you will need to develop retrieval techniques using your rod tip as well as hand to get the proper action. With practice, you can get this pattern to dance, dart, and swim.
Use the smaller segments to achieve a smaller size Chocklett’s Game Changer. Two 10mm and a 15mm segment with a TMC 8089 #6 will produce a nice 2 inch size streamer that can be tossed by a 4 wt rod. Try a Sacramento Perch pattern on Crowley Lake or the minnow pattern on most small streams.
Variations
Game Changer 1 (Sacramento Perch Fry)
| Hook | TMC 8089 #6 |
| Thread | Veevus GSP 150 denier, White |
| Shanks | 3 Articulated Fish Spine Shanks, (2-10mm, 1-15mm) |
| Eyes | 5mm Fish Skull Living Eyes |
| Body | Gamechanger Chenille Pearl and Olive |
| Tail | Super Hair, White |
| Coloration | Copic Sketch Markers |
Game Changer 2 (Minnow)
| Hook | TMC 8089 #6 |
| Thread | Veevus GSP 150 denier, White |
| Shanks | 3 Articulated Fish Spine Shanks, (2-10mm, 1-15mm) |
| Eyes | 5mm Fish Skull Living Eyes |
| Body | Pearl White Chocklett Body Wrap |
| Tail | Super Hair, White and Olive |
| Coloration | Copic Sketch Markers |
Game Changer 3 (Rainbow Trout)
| Hook | Daiichi 2720 1/0 |
| Thread | Veevus GSP 150 denier, White |
| Shanks | 4 Articulated Fish Spine Shanks, (10mm, 15mm, 20mm, & 25mm) |
| Eyes | 10MM Fish Skull Living Eyes |
| Body | Pearl White Chocklett Body Wrap |
| Tail | Super Hair, White and Olive |
| Coloration | Copic Sketch Markers |
Game Changer 4 (Brown Trout)
| Hook | Daiichi 2720 1/0 |
| Thread | Veevus GSP 150 denier, White |
| Shanks | 4 Articulated Fish Spine Shanks, (10mm, 15mm, 20mm, & 25mm) |
| Eyes | 10MM Fish Skull Living Eyes |
| Body | Yellow Chocklett Body Wrap |
| Tail | Golden Olive Bugger Hackle |
| Coloration | Copic Sketch Markers |