On February 18, 2021, thanks to the excellent preparation and guidance of our presenter, Jack Baggette, we tied a version of Blaine Chocklett’s Game Changer fly. As a bonus we were able to test our flies in the water to see how they perform using a fly tester tank.
Blaine Chocklett’s Game Changer allows you to fish a fly that mimics the movement of actual baitfish. The swimming action is incredible and it has been proven to be an effective redfish fly. This fly can be tied in many different colors and sizes, limited only by one’s imagination.
Suggested Materials List:
- Thread: 3/0 or 140 denier
- Hook: Gamakatsu B10S, #2/0
- Articulated Fish Spines – 1 tail shank, 5-10mm fish spines
- Body: Chocklett’s Finesse Body Chenille
- Tail: Select Marabou feathers
- Eyes: Holographic stick-on eyes
- Body to Hook: Nylon coated SS leader wire – 20 lb.
Start by putting a tail shank in the vise and wrap a thread base, stopping at the back.
Tie in a tuft or two of marabou feather to form the tail section. Tie in the tip of a length of chenille on the tail shank.
Wrap chenille forward to the shank eye with tight wraps, stroking fibers back at every turn. Whip finish and trim the chenille down to create a taper toward the back of the fly.
Next, attach the first 10mm fish spine through the eye of the tail shank and put into the vise as shown. Wrap a thread base to cover the shank and “close the loop.”
Tie in chenille onto the fish spine and start wrapping the chenille forward to the eye of the shank.
Use tight wraps, stroking the fibers back at every turn to point to the rear of the fly.
Whip finish, glue and carefully trim the chenille on this first body section (and subsequent section) to create a gentle taper toward the back of the fly.
Tip: Do this by holding the section in fingers and cut the top and bottom from front-to-back. On the sides, cut from back-to-front to create an ideal tapered bait fish profile.
Attach the next fish spine through the eye of the previous fish spine and repeat the same steps (5-8) for another four shanks.
Place your hook in the vise, then attach the completed body and tail section by tying in a wire loop onto the hook.
Tie in chenille and wrap forward to the eye of the hook to create the shoulders and head of the fly. Tie off. Trim the entire fly head, body, and tail section to desired shape.
To complete the fly, secure the eyes onto the head using super or UV glue. Now go catch a big fish!
Just a comment on size. Remember, we are attempting to match the prey fish eat. If a mud minnow, they are two and half to four inches long and have fairly slender bodies. We all tend to tie too large. The tails especially dwarfed the real thing on some of our attempts. The size and shape of body is the same- our mud minnows do not look like Cuban cigars. The body is more like your little finger. I know, the commercial versions were fatter. Keep that in mind when giving the haircut. Try other styles of tails as well as body materials and see what works best in the test tank. I know the dubbing loop and brush styles will do well. – Jack
Remember, we meet on the 3rd Thursday of the month at the Port Royal Sound Foundation classroom from 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm. All are welcome. The club is in a position to help beginners with materials and tools to complete the featured fly.