S8, Ep 3: Fishing Adventures and Fly Innovations: A New Year with Blane Chocklett

Episode Overview

Blane Chocklett joins The Articulate Fly for the first Chocklett Factory of 2026, covering his latest innovations in predator fly design and upcoming event schedule. In this fly fishing podcast episode, Blane discusses his recent Fly Fisherman magazine cover featuring the Jerk Changer, a game-changing articulated streamer designed for trophy predator species including smallmouth bass and musky. The conversation explores Blane's 2025 season highlights, including record-breaking fish on the TFO Moment rod and his emotional Cuba trip honoring the late Flip Pallot. Blane unveils his 2026 product line including new popper and slider heads, finishing heads for streamers, articulated terrestrial patterns and a collaboration with AHREX on Game Changer hooks. He also previews his appearances at Bobbin the Hood in late January and Lefty Kreh's Tie Fest in March, emphasizing the community-focused nature of both events. This episode provides serious predator anglers with insights into cutting-edge fly design, new rigging options and opportunities to learn directly from one of fly fishing's most innovative tiers and designers.

Key Takeaways

1. How the Jerk Changer's unique articulation and triggers make it effective for virtually every predatory fish species from smallmouth to musky.
2. Why Blane's new finishing heads (shovel heads, realistic heads) give streamers different water-pushing actions while remaining lighter and more castable.
3. When to use popper and slider head variations for top water presentations targeting smallmouth, saltwater species and other predators.
4. How Blane's new realistic body parts and support discs allow tiers to match exact baitfish profiles like shad, bunker, glass minnows and chubs.
5. Why events like Bobbin the Hood and Lefty Kreh's Tie Fest offer unique opportunities for intimate learning and celebration of fly fishing legends while supporting conservation through ASGA.

Techniques & Gear Covered

This episode focuses heavily on predator fly design innovations rather than on-water techniques. Blane discusses the Jerk Changer articulated streamer pattern, which differs from the standard Game Changer platform by incorporating additional triggers and articulation points that attract large predatory fish. He mentions fishing the Jerk Changer with the TFO Moment rod and catching trophy smallmouth bass and record-size fish in 2025. The conversation covers upcoming product releases including popper and slider heads for top water fishing, various finishing heads (shovel heads and realistic heads) that create different streamer actions, articulated stonefly and terrestrial patterns using new bug heads and a collaboration with AHREX on Game Changer hooks. Blane also references developing new SA fly lines optimized for casting large articulated patterns. For tiers, he emphasizes modular design kits that allow creation of heads from scratch or use of pre-molded components.

Locations & Species

While this episode is primarily product and event-focused rather than location-specific, Blane mentions his Mad River Musky School. He references his smallmouth bass fishing where the Jerk Changer has proven effective on trophy-size fish. His recent Cuba trip emphasized saltwater species in Caribbean waters, though specific targets aren't detailed in this conversation. The techniques and flies discussed—particularly the Jerk Changer, top water poppers and sliders and articulated streamers—are designed to work across diverse predator fisheries from freshwater bass and musky to saltwater species like tarpon, snook and various predatory gamefish.

FAQ / Key Questions Answered

What makes the Jerk Changer different from the standard Game Changer?

The Jerk Changer incorporates different triggers and articulation than the regular Game Changer platform. Blane developed it to add movement and visual triggers not traditionally found in fly patterns. It has proven effective across virtually all predatory species and was featured in Fly Fisherman magazine after Blane caught multiple bucket-list record-size fish on the pattern in 2025.

What new products is Blane releasing for 2026?

Blane's 2026 product line includes popper and slider heads in multiple variations for top water fishing, finishing heads (shovel heads and realistic heads) that give streamers different actions in the water, new bug heads for articulated stoneflies and terrestrial patterns, realistic body parts and support discs for matching exact baitfish profiles and a collaboration with AHREX on Game Changer hooks. Products will be showcased at Bobbin the Hood and rolled out throughout the year.

What is the atmosphere like at Lefty Kreh's Tie Fest?

Tie Fest is intentionally designed as an intimate, laid-back social gathering rather than a traditional trade show. It's more of a celebration and party atmosphere where attendees can have extended conversations with saltwater fly fishing legends, hear roundtable stories about how mentors like Lefty Kreh and Flip Pallot influenced the sport, watch instructional demos and participate in conservation fundraising for ASGA. The event takes place March 21 at Carter Andrews' property in Vero Beach.

How can fly tiers customize Blane's new finishing heads?

Blane's new products are designed with modularity in mind—tiers can purchase pre-molded heads for convenience or use component kits to build heads from scratch. This "made it myself" option maintains the satisfaction of complete DIY construction while still benefiting from Blane's engineered shapes and forms. The kits include realistic body parts that shape flies to match exact baitfish profiles, allowing tiers to dial in specific forage like shad, bunker, glass minnows or chubs.

Related Content

S2, Ep 114 - All Things Game Changer with Blane Chocklett

S7, Ep 61 - The Chocklett Factory Unleashed: New Flies and Other Goodies with Blane Chocklett

S7, Ep 9 - Inside The Chocklett Factory: New Fly Tying Products, Bobbin and More with Blane Chocklett

S7, Ep 73 - The Chocklett Factory: Sneak Peek at New Products

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