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

EPISODE SUMMARY

Guest: Blane Chocklett - Owner/Designer at The Chocklett Factory Fly Company (Virginia)

In this episode: Fly fishing innovator Blane Chocklett shares game-changing insights for warm water and cold water fly fishing strategies. Topics include new product launches, rod development partnerships and fly design philosophies focused on realism plus movement.

Key fishing techniques covered: • Game changer platform flies • Craw changer patterns • Helgrammite changer tactics • Moptail changer swimming action • Nymph changer articulated systems

Location focus: Virginia rivers, Tennessee (Holston/Watauga), North Carolina coast, Pennsylvania waters

Target species: Smallmouth bass, trout, cobia, tarpon, redfish, pike

Equipment discussed: TFO Moment rod series, Ahrex hooks, game changer flies, various sinking/floating lines

Key questions answered: • How to match flies to fish behavior vs hatches • When to use realistic vs triggering patterns • What makes articulated flies swim effectively

Best for: Intermediate/advanced anglers interested in streamer fishing, articulated fly design and warm water tactics

Marvin Cash00:00:04

Hey folks, it's Marvin Cash, the host of the articulate fly. We're back with another chocolate factory with the man himself, Blaine Chocolate. Blaine, how are you?

Blane Chocklett00:00:12

I'm good man. How are you doing?

Marvin Cash00:00:13

Just trying to stay out of trouble and stay cool. I imagine it's about the same up in your neck of the woods.

Blane Chocklett00:00:18

Yeah, it's been hot, no doubt about it.

Marvin Cash00:00:20

Glad to not be on the water I'm sure.

Blane Chocklett00:00:24

Yeah. Past few days here has been pretty brutal and storms constantly so definitely not missing dodging those storms every day.

Marvin Cash00:00:33

Yeah. Trying to figure out like where you're not going to get pelted by hail while you're on the side of the river.

Marvin Cash00:00:37

Right?

Blane Chocklett00:00:38

Yep. Electrocuted. All that good stuff. Waving the fly rod in there. It's good. That's a good idea. Yeah.

Marvin Cash00:00:44

So you know, it's been a minute. I think we probably caught up, I don't know, a few weeks, maybe a month on the other side of ty fest.But you've been pretty darn busy on the product front, travel front and all kinds of good stuff.

Blane Chocklett00:00:55

Yeah. Yep. I've pretty much been on the road since mid, mid May. Really Since February I think.Last time I spoke with you I was heading up to TCO up in Boiling Springs and up at State College.Did some tying events there and got to see the team both at both stores and got to see a lot of people I hadn't seen in a long time and shared everything game changer and taught to people how to tie the jerk Changers and the crawl Changers and it was a great event.It was a super good time and after I left that I had a another event down in Tennessee with John down at Tail Waters right, right there on the Holston and it's got a great shop. So anybody any in Tennessee that around that area are going to fish Olson or Wataga, they gotta stop by his shop.He's got an unbelievable fly tie and basically shop. I mean it's. He's got a really nice fly tying area and he's doing it differently.

Marvin Cash00:02:08

Right.

Blane Chocklett00:02:08

And I, I really like that thinking outside the box.And he's got a great coffee shop right next door and a really cool micro brewery and restaurant on the other side of him and you could go hang out, have a coffee or go get some tie and stuff or flies or whatever and then go next door and have a beer and eat some good food maybe see if there's any hatches going on on the ol. So I was impressed with that shot. It Was nice.

Marvin Cash00:02:34

Yeah, he's doing a really good job. And if you don't want to fly fish, they got the bait shop next door too.

Blane Chocklett00:02:39

Yep, yep. So we had a good event there.We had a private tying clinic for about four or five hours and I saw some clients that I had not seen in probably 20 some years. And that was really cool catching up with those guys.And actually when I say clients, a lot of them were people I've guided in the past, but several of them were just people that business people that came that would come in my fly shop back when I had a fly shop and were talking, you know, mid-90s now, you know, since I saw some of those people and you know, it was good catching up with them.It's good to see that they're, they're still in the fly fishing game and now currently retired and getting to fish more and catching up with those people was great, you know, and I was very appreciative for them to sign up for my, my class and you know, show them what I've been doing over the past 20 plus years since I've seen him. You know, it was good. And then meeting new people. So John had, he had a really good turnout, really enjoyed that.And then after that we went over, had lunch over at the Grill Slash Microbrewery and a lot of the guides after they got off the water came up. Guides I hadn't seen in years because I used to guide down in Tennessee a lot.So I haven't been down there much and got to see quite a few people I hadn't seen in a while and just catching up with them and you know, I'd be. It's kind of funny playing around with them a little bit, just talking about spots on. In places that a lot of people wouldn't know.They're like, well, how do you know about that? I'm like, well, I used to got here man, 20, 30 years ago. So it was just kind of fun doing that stuff. And then got to go to stay at my good buddy Bob.Cheers. Had a shop in Bristol who passed away a few years ago.Was a great client and friend and stay in touch with his, his sons that still have their, their store, Mountain Sports and always cherished my time with Bob and he has this great cabin right on the Holston and it's just good memories being able to finish the day and then go and stay in there that night and hanging out and then headed back home so I could pack again to go to the. On another trip which Was down in North Carolina near the coast, doing a little bit of fishing and got back from there and I think I went.I can't remember where I went, but I ended up going back down to the coastal North Carolina to one of my favorite places in the world, Cape Lookout, and got to spend time down there. Always try to do that every year. It's one of. One of my favorite places in the world, anywhere I've traveled.And then just back on the road again doing more seminars and stuff. But it's kind of the same thing on that, that front.And then trying to manage the fly company and, and all that and gearing up for the fall and hitting the road again doing more seminars and stuff in Indianapolis, moving waters and then going up to the Dakotas and gonna do a. Another fly time event and presentation up at Dakota Angler.I'm looking forward to that and then go and spend some time with my buddies and doing some pike fishing. So I'm looking forward to that. But more than anything, just, you know, just keeping the train on the tracks like always.Yeah, it's definitely no grass growing under my feet, that's for sure.

Marvin Cash00:06:17

Yeah, it's a, it's a faster, sleeker struggle bus, right?

Blane Chocklett00:06:21

It is. Yep, yep. Yeah, I think we've moved forward a little bit. It's been, it's been a really good.It's going to be an unbelievable second half of the year with my, my fly company. God's really blessed me and I, I can't wait to share that with you all here coming up. So.

Marvin Cash00:06:38

Yeah, and so, you know, it's funny, right? So, you know, for kind of warm water folks, for thinking about smallmouth, you've got a bunch of.We'll just say they're not exclusively smallmouth patterns, but you've got, I don't know, a half a dozen new patterns coming out of the chocolate factory pretty soon.

Blane Chocklett00:06:51

Yeah, we do. As a lot of people know, we came out with the, you know, the fly tie inside of the chocolate factory.And so all my silly skins and loco foams and we've got new regular foam stuff that we're coming out. I've been searching for months and finding best foams for, for fly tying and we've got that coming and more body parts.And I've got so many things coming here in the next couple months and I'm really looking forward to fly tying season because we're going to be launching all that stuff in September. More of the brush stuff finally be more readily available. More body parts and and whatnot, like for crabs and shrimp.And of course we have the crawl changer parts and the Helgamite changer parts and we found some cool colors and we'll be able to match a hatch a little bit better on some of those. And I'm super excited about some of the, the 3D printed stuff that we're doing and can't wait to share that with the world here coming up.But we figured we'd wait till the fall to get that out because we have a lot of new flies that are going to be hitting the market. Not new to me, but it'll be new to the market, which I'm super excited about.We just got a new factory online so we're going to be able to produce probably 10 times more than we've ever done. So we're going to be able to have more, more of our standard flies going, but we're going to have all the new stuff.So we had to expand and we, we bit that bullet.So, you know, with, between traveling this year, from basically December till now, I've been sourcing out and working with this, this new tie in basically the new chocolate factory or the second chocolate factory and training them and working with a consultant over there and, and getting all that stuff going. And we finally, after having several iterations of samples coming back and forth, they're finally to, as you know, I'm not going to settle.They're going to be what I want my customers when they're fishing with me. I want people that buy my flies to be able to experience the flies that my customers fish with me on the boat.

Marvin Cash00:09:09

Right.

Blane Chocklett00:09:09

So we've got those online. So you know, the helger mites are going to be coming up on the warm water front. The crawl changers are coming. The um, they're being tied right now.So we have thousands of flies that will be hitting here in the next couple weeks. Like literally the next week to two weeks we're going to have those flies coming.The newer bugger changers we've got coming, which are great crossover flies for everything from fresh salt cold to warm water. And the crawls are too.I mean the crawls have fistos all over the planet and caught several different species of, of saltwater fish as well as warm water species. So it's not, it's not all, you know, it's almost a one fly does all.I mean you can imitate shrimp, you can imitate crust, any type of crustacean with it really.And it's, it's one of those things where I'm very excited for that one to hit the market because we have the body parts that go with it, the right sink rates, the flies swim. The way the claws work, it's almost like a, a soft plastic.So it's kind of got this paddle type of fleeing posture and then it stands up in the water at rest and, and has that porpoising swim that I love. Same with the cr, the helgramites that, you know, it's got a jigging action but it also has that realism.But the way it's designed, the way it goes through the water has that porpoising action much like a, an insect would or, you know, so it looks like a hellgramite. Swims like a hellgramite. Gonna be a hellgramite to the fish. So that one's, that one's gonna be super cool.Finally, the leech changers are gonna be available as well, which will cross over. We'll have several sizes from real small to, you know, leeches that are about an inch long to leeches that are 3 inches long.And those are going to be great. I know that's a big deal in the, in the cold water fisheries in the trout world, but it's also great fly for warm water species too.So that, that's another one that's, we've been trying to get that one going and then staying on that cold water front, the nymph changers, those are being tied right now. Got two different samples waiting for the third sample to finally have them dialed in. And once that's done, those will be ready to roll.And we'll have those in several sizes to mimic anything from stone flies to isonicias to, you know, any type of swimming nymphs to even going to, into the smaller mayflies. So we're going to have all kinds of sizes for it.And as I wrote in Fly Fishermen a couple years ago that, you know, we, in the trout world there hasn't been a lot of huge steps forward in recent years, you know, in my opinion. So they've kind of, kind of, it's kind of hard to invent something new there.But the one thing I've always said and the way I do things is that, you know, what's the main thing is with fish and way they eat is it's realism, you know, smashing a hatch. But two is it's the movement and, and that's where the game changer platform came from.And the one thing we've never had is that realistic fly with a realistic movement to it and being able to put that, that changer platform on a lot of these nymphs, it's a big deal. And we'll, we'll offer them in a jig version and, and in a regular nip version with just a regular bead head.So we're going to tackle all that and I think the results will speak for themselves and they'll be available here, like I said, in the next month or so. All this stuff is. No, I've been promising it, but sometimes things take a little bit of time because I'm not going to settle.And we've kind of got to that point where it's, it's happening and it's all happening at once. It's like, you know, the fire hoses is full throttle right now and we're just going to be coming out with new stuff and introducing it to the market.And I think everyone that's been a fan of the Chocolate Factory and that's supporting us, I think they'll be super happy with all the new stuff that we've got coming.

Marvin Cash00:13:28

Yeah. And you got the mocktail changer too, coming out soon. And I know you really like that fly because you really like to swim on it.

Blane Chocklett00:13:34

I do. I mean, the mop that, that was in my book and you know, it's.It basically for those that don't understand it, when you add a little mop tail to the back of a game changer platform, it's like adding another two or three articulations. One, one, the way that works is it adds weight in the back of the fly.But also having that, that mop, which I know has been very popular in the trout world and whatnot. You know, the fact that it does suck up water, it does when you start that game changer platform and the motion, it finishes on that tail, right. And.But it gives you an extra couple kicks and it has even more swimming action in it. You know, burning it, stop and go fishing it. However the fish need, need to react to it. It's got a slimmer profile.And if in, you know, one thing I've been going through with, with, you know, looking at the conventional world and looking at what realism and all that stuff is, is one thing you see in the conventional world is a lot of those lures, whether it's soft plastics or, or hard baits, is they have a very slim profile and this fly has that. So the cool thing about it, it's more, it's slimmer, it can represent a bait fish. It could be A snake, it could be an eel, it could be anything.But the big thing is it's got a lot of triggering qualities. And we've talked about that in the past. And that's what it's all about, you know, attracting qualities.It's got, it's got the triggering qualities and it's got, to me, it's, it's more durable.

Marvin Cash00:15:05

Right.

Blane Chocklett00:15:07

And it's, it's a fly that I think is going to be very popular in a lot of, a lot of people's boxes.You know, when we came out with the finesse changers, especially with the chocolate factory, putting that realistic tail in there, you get more of that tighter swim and, and you get that realism of having that profile with the real tail. But to me, you know, it's hard to beat the feathers. And then you put a mop on there, you get that extra swimming action, that slender profile.You're getting a little bit more of that, like it's a little easier to eat. It looks super swimmy. Looks good.So it's got that triggering and attracting thing that I really, really like and not take, not taking anything away from the regular finesses. But when you look at them, right, it's. You gotta look at the water that you fish and how the fish reacting to stuff.And for me, you gotta kind of change based on what the fish want.

Marvin Cash00:15:58

Right.

Blane Chocklett00:15:59

You know, super clear, low water, sometimes super realistic is gonna be the key. And sometimes something that's got more movement and just has that just ir. Irresistible swimming action is what I like.

Marvin Cash00:16:13

Right.

Blane Chocklett00:16:14

So I like to make fish eat that are kind of neutral or even negative. And if you can get a fly that's got all that stuff in it, it's hard to go wrong on that.

Marvin Cash00:16:24

Yeah. And if you weren't busy enough, you've got, you've got a hook coming out with Eric's.And you were involved in the development of a new TFO saltwater rod that dropped within, I don't know, the last week or two.

Marvin Cash00:16:34

Right?

Blane Chocklett00:16:34

Yeah. The new moment rod that been playing around with for past six, eight months at least, probably longer.And I thought it was kind of a, a good name that they came out with with the moment, because, you know, that's what fly fishing is all about, is those moments on the water. And, you know, for me, I thought that was a great name and I really like this rod. It's, it's, it's, it's unique.And, you know, we've talked about it privately and got some articles coming out with fly Fishermen that's going to highlight some of this stuff. But we've, the moment has been a very good, good luck charm for me.You know, I've been on a lot of trips earlier in the season where I had some moments like two record sized fish. I'm not a record. Even though I like catching giant fish.I've never been my record hunter, but I've caught two record size fish this year on that, on that series of rods. And to me, man, you know, that's a good, that's a good sign.It's handled these giant fish and I'm talking big, as big as the species I was targeting get can't tell you everything. Cause that'll kind of ruin it for fly fishermen. But they're as big as those species get.And the fact that I was using those prototypes from TFO and they handled everything perfectly, I'm super excited about them and I think everybody out there will, you know, there's some, a little bit new technology in the way they're, they're building the rods.You know, it's, it's really helped it, it's, it's made them lighter, it's made them faster, it's made them more responsive and you know, you could, you could kind of go on their website now. I think they've let the cat out of the bag. But you can read a little bit about them. I think you'll, I think people, they're looking for a new rod.I think that new, that rod series is if not the best rod we've ever come out with. I think it is, it just kind of hits all those points right. It does everything you need it to do and it's, it's been great. I really enjoy it.It's like I said, it's got good mojo and it's had great mojo on all the trips I've been on. You know, like I said, catching two record, two different species, record size is pretty special.

Marvin Cash00:18:59

Very, very neat. Where does it sort of fit in the universe of the, you know, TFO's other saltwater rods? I mean what was it designed specifically to do?

Blane Chocklett00:19:06

Well to, to be honest, it's, it's, it's going to be. It's more of an updated version of the rod that Flippin and I came worked on for.I guess I don't know how long it's been now, but it's probably been almost 10 years ago.

Marvin Cash00:19:23

Right.

Blane Chocklett00:19:23

So a 2X, it's kind of an updated version of that. And you know, we've got some New stuff on it that makes it, like I said, makes it faster than that rod. It's recovers better.You know, it's for the, it's, you know, for me it's, it's kind of one of those rods where, you know, you get these super fast rods out there that's not, not for everyone.I think this rod kind of fits into that where I think this rod, it kind of kept the tradition of TFO where it's, it's a rod that anybody can pick up and cast well, you know, so they didn't get it too fast, but it's faster and it's got, it's got more butt to it. So it, it kind of falls into a lot of the, the check the box stuff.

Marvin Cash00:20:08

Right.

Blane Chocklett00:20:09

So some of this technology, you know, talking with Nick, we're probably, when my ride comes up to be redone, we're going to use a lot of this technology on that. So we'll see, we'll see what happens in the future.But now that, I mean, this rod is, is done a lot of good things and it handles big flies well, handles sinking lines well, intermediates floating lines. It's accurate, like I said, it's quick and it recovers quickly and you can put the heat on them and, and stop giant fish.So I think, you know, I'm still getting chance to try some of the different line sizes.

Marvin Cash00:20:47

Right.

Blane Chocklett00:20:48

So. But so far so good with them. I've really enjoyed them.

Marvin Cash00:20:52

Very, very neat. So tell me a little bit about the hook you've got coming out with ax.

Blane Chocklett00:20:55

Yeah, so the, the Arex hooks, I've been working with Mo over there at arecs and we've been trying to get this hook thing going for a while.And my whole concept on it is I don't want to give too much away, but you know, we've always been working with, you know, different hooks on the game changer platform to make them work for what we're trying to do. And I told him that.And you know, a lot of times, you know, the hook diameter's too thick and, and the gap's not big enough and they're not strong enough for this or whatever or they're too heavy, you know, so all those things are problems when you're designing flies and you want them for specific things and for my platform and for any really the way this thing's going to end up. And I got the latest samples on them and I'm super excited about it. I'm going to be testing the strength and stuff on it.And you know, I've sent, just sent some up to my buddy Larry Dahlberg and he's got one of these professional hook testing deals and, and he, he's going to give his input. I always cherish what Dahlberg's got to say and I'm super excited about it. So we'll test, we'll test this latest sample out.Tied some flies on it, get it out there and some big fish hopefully and put the heat on them. And I'll share a couple of these hooks with some friends across the country and let them do some testing for me as well.And hopefully within the next month or two, I'll get to give them the go ahead and we'll, we'll have these, have these ready.You know, and the cool thing about it is they're going to have the hook gap that we want, the strength that we want, the diameter that we want for good penetration without compromising strength. So there's all these little, you know, check this box off, Check this box off. And I'm wanting to treat it just like I do my flies.So, you know, we're, we're working on that, but I'm not, we're not going to let it go until I'm satisfied. And that's why we're going to be, you know, research and development, get it out there.I'll be going down to the bay here in the next, next month or so, in between work trips or seminar trips and testing them on cobia, doing some tarpon stuff, doing some giant red fishing and, and whatnot.So we're gonna put it to the test and see how they do and max out some drags and fly lines and rods and try to, try to break the hook, see what happens. And so that's part of the process, right?So you, you might get the, you might get the gap size you want, you might get the length of the shank that you want and you get the diameters of the. But they may not all three together, right? So that's part of that process.And coming out with the game changer hooks with, with arcs is going to be amazing, I think. I mean it's, it's cool to have a hook under your name. And working with bows, I think is an amazing person.And the whole team over at a Rex, they're great people and reliable and honest and that's what it's all about. And that's what I've always wanted to be with.Teaming up with all these great companies I work with and sponsor me and help me out through these years. And it's, it's all about that. Creating relationships, trust, more family oriented.

Marvin Cash00:24:19

Right.

Blane Chocklett00:24:20

And like minded. So this hook is going to be great.It's going to be unique because the biggest problem in fly tying is I have this concept with it and I don't want to give too much away. But one of the biggest problems, very similar to way fly lines and rods work. I mean no line is equal depending on manufacturer and stuff.And you know, one, a one ought hook from each company is not equal.

Marvin Cash00:24:47

Right.

Blane Chocklett00:24:47

So if you have a one out hook for a fly, it may not be the same for X brand as this, this brand. And for me, the way we're going to try to attack that is put it more like shank length and shank gap, right.From, from the point of the hook to the, to the, to the, to where the shank, the top of the shank and, and be able to have them in millimeters so people understand what they're buying. And for me I put it in the system with the game changer platform.But the way the hooks look and the way the platform just being a tire my whole life and knowing Bobby Popovics and Lefty and Pler and Dahlberg and all these guys and knowing what fits on a hook and different, you know, every hook's not equal.

Marvin Cash00:25:33

Right.

Blane Chocklett00:25:34

And the other way this is going to work is we're going to sell them in millimeters.Like example, like if you're using a 15 millimeter shank, we'll have a hook that's going to be equal to that with the right gap for the right materials that you're putting on it kind of a deal. So. Well, that'll be explained when you go to buy the hook.Instead of seeing 1 alt, 2 alt, 3 alt, size 1, whatever, it's going to be this, this shank millimeter and this gap millimeter.

Marvin Cash00:26:01

Right.

Blane Chocklett00:26:02

So it'll be a lot more easier for people to understand and know what they want and all that for this, for the style fly.Even if they don't have them in the, in the shops that near them and if they're ordering online, it's going to make it easier for them to decide what, what hook's going to work for the fly that they're using. Whether it's a game changer or a deceiver or, or beast fly or whatever.

Marvin Cash00:26:26

Right.

Blane Chocklett00:26:26

So that in short, not giving it too much away, but I don't want to let that cat out of the bag.But I'm super excited about it and I know Mo is and, and the whole AX team and I think the, the shops that I've told and talked to about it, they're excited about it as well. And it's just going to be. Make the, the whole tying platform better and easier for. For all of us.

Marvin Cash00:26:51

Well, very, very cool. So you've been slightly busy.If folks want to keep track of, you know, your, your adventures on the road at the Vice Chocolate factory, all that kind of good stuff. Where should they go?

Blane Chocklett00:27:02

They can hit me up on Instagram, message me there, can always email me. We're going to have a new email address and got a new website we're working on. But right now you can just email.Email me@BCHocolatecomcast.net or hit me up on Instagram or Facebook or whatever at this point. And plain chocolate fishing, you can get reached me there. You could always reach out on our, our, our website that we have right now.So those are kind of the ways. And you can send smoke signals, whatever you want. So.

Marvin Cash00:27:39

Well, there you go. Well, I, you know, we both were doing the family thing over the fourth, so we didn't get to up, but hopefully our paths will cross. Maybe Labor Day.I'll be back in the Old Dominion.

Blane Chocklett00:27:50

Yep. Hope to see you catch up and maybe grill something.

Marvin Cash00:27:54

Yeah, there you go. We'll do the reverse sear on the Traeger.

Blane Chocklett00:27:56

Right? There you go.

Marvin Cash00:27:57

Yeah. So folks, as I say, this time of year, first of all, stay cool. But you owe it to yourself to get out there and catch a few tight lines, everybody.Tight lines. Blaine.

Blane Chocklett00:28:06

Thanks. You too.