Tie large, articulated streamers to catch river, lake, and sea monsters.

Co-developed with Blane Chocklett

Blane Chocklett is one of the fly fishing industry’s most forward-thinking and innovative fly tyers. His beefed-up version of the Articulated Shank is optimized for strength with heavy-gauge, stainless steel wire, and has extended length with oversized loops for bigger hooks.

Quantity per pack: 28 mm (20); 40 mm (16); 80 mm (12)

• Features
• How to use
• FAQs

• Oversized loops
  Give the eye of the fly enough room to use a heavy-duty bite tippet, and creates space for bigger hooks (6/0 or 7/0) to move freely on the back loop.

  Extended loop length
  Allows you to tie them down further along the shank, which adds strength to the loop and helps prevent bigger fish pulling out the loop during an extended fight.

  Stainless steel
  For use in saltwater streamers.
  
  Part of the Flymen Big Game Fly Solution
  Combine with 10 mm or 15 mm Living Eyes and #10 or #15 Fish-Masks for ultimate big game flies.
  
  Big Game Shank Comparison Chart

  The Articulated Shank Family 

• Typically most flies will be single hook flies on a single shank with the hook positioned towards the back of the fly.

  1. Put your hook in the vise and tie the tail section of the fly.

  2. Attach the shank and tie the body and head section of the fly. To do this, thread the hook (back section) onto the back loop of the shank.

  3. Put the shank in your vise held in place by the back loop. Attach your tying thread to the shank and lay a strong thread base along the entire length of the shank. In the process you will be closing the back loop with your thread. We suggest you use a strong Gel Spun or Kevlar thread and make the thread base as thick and strong as possible.

  4. Cover and seal the thread base with a layer of Super Glue, epoxy or Clear Cure Goo to add strength.
  
  Basic Tying Steps for Chocklett's Articulated Big Game Shank

• Q: What are the typical Big Game species that anglers are now targeting with fly rods?

  A: One of the most exciting developments in modern fly fishing is that our equipment (fly rods, reels, line, tippet and larger flies) now enable anglers to target almost any fish species previously considered nearly impossible to land with a fly rod. Even marlin and sailfish are now regularly being targeted and caught using fly rods!

  Generally in freshwater, the Big Game Shank will be used for tying large flies to target predator species such as musky, pike, peacock bass, golden dorado, tiger fish and larger lake trout.

  Generally in saltwater, the Big Game Shank will be used for tying large flies to target predator species such as barracuda, striped bass, roosterfish , or Spanish mackerel, and offshore species such tuna, sailfish, and mahi-mahi, just to name a few.

  Q: What size hooks can be used with the Big Game Shanks?

  A:  The Big Game Shank uses a heavier gauge (thickness/diameter) wire which means that the diameter of the hook eye needs to be slightly bigger in order to fit on the shank. The eye diameter will vary between different hooks, but generally most hooks from size #1 up to 7/0 will fit comfortably.

  Q: Why does the Big Game Shank have extended length, with oversized front and back loops?

  A:  We have extended the length of the wire loops as much as possible so they can be tied down further along the shank. This adds strength to the loop and helps prevents a bigger fish pulling out the loop during an extended fight. The Big Game Shank has larger, oversized loops so the eye of the fly has enough room to use a heavy-duty bite tippet. In addition, the larger loop creates space for bigger hooks (6/0 or 7/0) to move freely on the back loop.

  Q: Will the Big Game Shank fit the Fish-Skull Baitfish Heads?

  A:  Yes, the large Baitfish Heads can be used with the Big Game Shank.

  Q: Can multiple shanks be daisy-chained together to tie longer and more articulated flies?

  A:  Yes, this is an increasingly popular method of tying extra-large articulated streamers. The fly can be constructed in several different segments using a shank for each section.