Game changer

[fishinwrench]

2 hours ago, FishnDave said:

I haven't tried the bulkhead streamers yet, but did tie a couple.

Gamechangers in all types and colors and sizes have worked extremely well for Largemouth Bass.

Like this Feather GameChanger:

It's caught a bunch of nice bass for me, up to 21.5" (the one on the right is that fish...damaged jaw, obviously it had been caught and mistreated before):

Here's a moptail Gamechanger...pretty good action:

It caught this 18.5" Smallmouth in Iowa:

    

Nice work, Man !    👍 

I'm almost ashamed to say it, because I've been doing it so long, but I still haven't caught a bass much over 4# on the fly.      I am going to try real hard to get a 5-6 this spring.   

[tjm]

4#+ seems like a trophy smallmouth  in my creek, but I stopped weighing them years ago. They all go back any way.

[FishnDave]

3 hours ago, Flysmallie said:

They are simple, just repetitive on the steps. But like Wrench I have flies I would rather fish. I don't know if they are better or I just have more confidence in them. I think the most productive fly is the one you like to fish. 

Exactly.  Not complicated, just very time consuming.  Each segment is like a separate fly...I've spent AN HOUR on just one of these more than once.  Depending on materials used, some don't take nearly that long, but its still a time investment. 

They are one of my favorite patterns for Largemouth Bass, along with big topwater flies.

They aren't my favorite for anything else yet....however, I've caught at least 9 freshwater species on them: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Black Crappie, Brown Trout, Black Bullhead, Channel Catfish, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish.

[Ham]

16 minutes ago, FishnDave said:

Exactly.  Not complicated, just very time consuming.  Each segment is like a separate fly...I've spent AN HOUR on just one of these more than once.  Depending on materials used, some don't take nearly that long, but its still a time investment. 

They are one of my favorite patterns for Largemouth Bass, along with big topwater flies.

They aren't my favorite for anything else yet....however, I've caught at least 9 freshwater species on them: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Black Crappie, Brown Trout, Black Bullhead, Channel Catfish, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish.

Now you're just rubbing it in

[tjm]

  

26 minutes ago, FishnDave said:

Exactly.  Not complicated, just very time consuming.

 

Your definition of complicated and mine are not the same. Tie one in 3-6 minutes, I'll start getting interested.  about the fifteen  minute mark, I'd scrap it hook and all.

[FishnDave]

16 minutes ago, tjm said:

Your definition of complicated and mine are not the same. Tie one in 3-6 minutes, I'll start getting interested.

Oh, I totally hear you.  I also like simple patterns...fast to tie, fish well, don't cry if one gets lost or falls apart from catching so many fish. 

Gamechangers are actually really fun to fish, though.  The first You can swim them or fish them like a jerk bait.

Its hard to argue with the fish...the darn things are always right!  The very first time I tried one, it blew me away with how many bass it caught.  I visited other waters and repeated that success.  I was sold.  Now, the disclaimer...much like flyfishing in general, it isn't always the best tool for the job.

Tying them takes some practice.  I've tied plenty of shoddy ones, but they still caught fish.  But don't feel like you gotta tie them!  You can buy them from certain places...and sometimes they cost about the same as what it would cost you to buy all the materials on your own to tie.  I wouldn't recommend the Umpqua version.  That thing is too stiff, it darts, but doesn't swim.  Onion Creek Fly Company makes some good ones (https://onioncreekflycompany.com/collections/flys), and the Flymen Fishing Company (https://flymenfishingcompany.com/collections/the-blane-chocklett-signature-fly-collection).  Orvis also sells the Flymen ones,  I think.

[Flysmallie]

1 hour ago, tjm said:

  

 

Your definition of complicated and mine are not the same. Tie one in 3-6 minutes, I'll start getting interested.  about the fifteen  minute mark, I'd scrap it hook and all.

There’s a difference in complicated and time consumption. 

[fishinwrench]

I don't know about anyone else, but I absolutely hate working with Chocklett's "minnow body wrap".  That stuff sucks!

Hareline has some stuff called "Frizzle Chenille" that makes way better Gamechanger's up to a size 1/0

If you're still using that stupid Chocklett body wrap, just go ahead and thank me now. 

[FishnDave]

On 3/5/2021 at 8:58 PM, fishinwrench said:

I don't know about anyone else, but I absolutely hate working with Chocklett's "minnow body wrap".  That stuff sucks!

Hareline has some stuff called "Frizzle Chenille" that makes way better Gamechanger's up to a size 1/0

If you're still using that stupid Chocklett body wrap, just go ahead and thank me now. 

I agree.  I don't care for that either, and got better results with the Frizzle Chenille.  Get the biggest frizzle chenille you can...I think there's a 3/4"?  I got one pack that was super thick and awesome, like 2 strands of it twisted together it seemed like, ....When I got low on that material, I bought more of the same stuff.  It wasn't as thick.  Still good, but not AS good.  I even wrote the company (Hareline) and told them I wondered if the 2nd one I got could have been a mislabelled package.  They sent me more (and that sweet rubber tying pad in the picture I posted with the Feather Gamechanger), but it was still like the 2nd pack. Seems the first pack was an anomaly.

[fishinwrench]

1 hour ago, FishnDave said:

I agree.  I don't care for that either, and got better results with the Frizzle Chenille.  Get the biggest frizzle chenille you can...I think there's a 3/4"?  I got one pack that was super thick and awesome, like 2 strands of it twisted together it seemed like, ....When I got low on that material, I bought more of the same stuff.  It wasn't as thick.  Still good, but not AS good.  I even wrote the company (Hareline) and told them I wondered if the 2nd one I got could have been a mislabelled package.  They sent me more (and that sweet rubber tying pad in the picture I posted with the Feather Gamechanger), but it was still like the 2nd pack. Seems the first pack was an anomaly.

I have noticed that with all of that kinda stuff (cactus chenille, palmer chenille, eztaz, ect.). 

It comes partially unwound during packaging I think.   Tie it in and then twist it up like a dubbing loop until it "tightens" back up.  Double it over if you have to.