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

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?

I'm good, man. How are you doing?

Oh, you know, I, I might be getting the back seat on the struggle bus with you these days.

You know what? I'm always driving it.

Yeah, well, it's always good to know the driver.

Oh, yeah, yeah. Designated driver, that's me. Yeah. So.

But you know, it's kind of funny. We were, we were able to hang out over the holidays, which was awesome. And I know you've been just kind of cranking on the fly tying stuff.

You want to share with folks, kind of all the new products the Chocolate factory is getting ready to kind of put out in the world.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Here we're gonna launch a few things at Schultz's. We can talk about that in a minute.

But yeah, I've been working past couple months trying to get this going.

We, we're going to expand our tie in side of the chocolate factory and we purchased a bunch of different machines and whatnot to make a lot of this stuff happen.

And you know, I've been setting as, you know, I've been sitting on a lot of products for probably 10 years or so and it's time to let them, let them out. And you know, working on the book with Jay and all, it's. I had to get a lot of this stuff done so I could get them in the book.

So it just, you know, perfect timing, I guess. So what I'm doing is I have one of the first products that are being released.

Obviously we had the shanks come out, but the new products that we're coming out with are.

The first One is the 3D bug wings, which you could tie anything from cicadas to stone flies to damselflies, dragonflies, pretty much whatever you want. Dobson flies. These are 3D printed wings that are, that has the perfect profile silhouette of a, of a, of an insect wing.

I made them in a, in a shape that would kind of mimic anything from like a stonefly to us to a, to a cicada to a, to a dragonfly wing.

I mean, it kind of, you know, I've got them in four or five sizes from extra large down to extra small, where you can tie any, you know, stuff like horse flies or any type of bugs like that, even bee patterns or whatever. They're super cool.

The cool thing about them one is they're 3D printed, very lightweight, very flexible, pretty much indestructible but the cool thing is, is they're hollow.

So instead of having a pretty much a helicopter going on when you're casting, which has kind of always been a, you know, a deterrent of having wings like that, any of the wings that are on the market, you generally will get a little bit of some kind of helicoptering or line twist or spinning or whatnot. These won't do that because they're hollow.

So you basically just have these imprint of the veins of the of in the outline of the wing and everything inside's hollow. So it's pretty aerodynamic. And haven't had any of that line twist, which is. Which is really good. So I'm excited about that.

And just sky's the limit on the fly patterns you can tie with it. So we're going to have that a variety of different colors, from olives to chartreuse to clear to black, orange, you name it.

So that's one of the first things. There's going to be a lot of stuff coming out. They're going to be in line with that.

And I figured out with those wings to get a wing that will actually move and like flutter in the water. You know how I am with movement and how important movement is with me and my patterns and coincided with the realism that I'm always striving for.

So figured out a way to get movement in the wings when they're on the water with current.

And even if you're like twitching the fly, you can get the wings to kind of kind of rebound, kind of like flutter back and forth, which is super cool. Which I think could be a final trigger if you got a fish. Super picky. I mean, I've cut my teeth on giant smallmouth on the new New River.

Super clear, low water, where they come up and nudge the fly, touch the fly, smell the fly, you name it, a lot of times refuse it.

And that's kind of where the evolution of the cicada pattern that created years ago came from, where they stopped eating, you know, poppers and regular bass bugs and stuff, and just had to kind of fine tune it to where you got a more positive result. And this is just kind of added on to hold that whole line of thought. So 3D bug wings.

They'll be available through me and my dealers and eventually through Hairline. So excited to get that out there in the world.

And some of the next items on the menu that are going to be launched here in the next week or two will be. First off will be the Hellgramite body parts gonna have those in small, medium and large.

So I've actually got the kind of anatomically correct body parts that make. So it makes the fly look so much more realistic.

Instead of just punching out circles, actually have tie in parts to where you could fold it over and glue it down and looks more realistic. So that's one of the things that's coming.

That's going to be in, like I said, three sizes and several colors just to make the whole time process much faster, more durable and more realistic. So I think everybody's going to love that. You know, over the years that Hellgramite's probably been one of the most popular and more asked about fly.

So I'm excited to get this out to everybody so they can start time making the whole process of it a lot, a lot quicker then the other things that's coming now after that or along with that is the crawl claws for my. My changer crawl or whatever. It's a realistic looking claw that you can glue to, you know, rabbit strips or whatever.

It's made out of a foam, but it looks just like a crawfish claw. Even has detail like dimples and stuff in it. So super realistic looking.

But I like, I wanted that instead of just having a little, you know, square tab glued to the end of a rabbit strip, I just felt like having it more realistic and having that buoyancy to where that buoyancy is fighting the fighting current and fighting, you know, the, the weight and the bottom of the crayfish helps it stand up much like a ned rig situation.

So it also allows a predator, even if you're using it as a shrimp pattern or, or a baby lobster pattern that's standing up, whether it's being rocks or sand or grass or whatever, it just makes it easier for the fish to find it. It's got that more natural look to it where it's more in that defense posture. We also have a carapace that's built into this too.

So you'll get that in the, in the pack with the claws and all. That's kind of built into my pattern. But I mean, it's also will work on someone else's style of a crayfish. So it's not all about my.

My particular crawfish. But I think having that carapace really aids in the overall look at the fly, but also helps keep that.

The hook riding up to where it's not turning down and getting hung up. So that's important with that whole concept and build and platform of the changer Crawl, like I said, also profile, silhouette, movement.

I mean, those are all the major, major triggers built into fish. So if I can get that swim and that realism and that look and looks like a fish, acts like a fisher. In this case, looks like a crayfish.

Acts like a crayfish. Must be a crayfish. So let's eat it. Kind of a deal. So I'm excited for all those.

And there'll be several colors, natural colors, like oranges, browns, tans, grays, olives, all that. So we're gonna be, like I said, we're gonna be launching that within the chocolate factory and dealers here within the next two weeks.

So we'll obviously be launching it at Schultz Outfitters that they're bobbing in the hood in a couple weeks.

So I'm excited to start getting that out and been compiling video and we're going to have a nice little marketing thing with these body parts and showing. I'm really excited about showing how the Hellgramite swims in the water with. With these parts and how realistic it looks and along with the crawfish.

So stay tuned for all that kind of stuff. You'll be seeing a lot more in the. In the very near future with the launches of that. And along with those things, we have a bunch more coming.

I just don't want to premature release those before we get everything dialed in. But we're gonna, we're gonna. We got a lot of cool stuff coming over the next 12, 18 months at the chocolate factory, for sure.

Yeah, it's really neat too. Like, as you're telling the story about it, I mean, I've, you know, helped produce your online classes during COVID on the Hellgrammite changer.

You know, it's amazing.

I kind of think about, you know, just the journey kind of for the average tire who really wants to kind of get into tying these patterns, but, you know, they don't have to go to their garage and cut bolts anymore. Right. Or they don't have to get a punch set and punch out, you know, foam discs.

And so it just makes it so much easier for people to kind of try tying on the changer platform.

Yes. And that was the whole idea, you know, for me, that's why I wanted shanks manufactured instead of me having to having to bend wire.

I get, you know, I lose my inspiration really quick when I have to make stuff before I even sit down to tie. And that was the whole thing with getting the brushes out there.

You know, the last thing I want to do is build brushes and then sit down and tie flies. I want to just sit down, tie the fly, get done. You know, I don't want to have to do all the different things before I even sit down.

By then, I don't even want to do it. So I totally understand that frustration. Times, money, people don't have a lot of time these days.

So if I could help that process, make the process much faster and easier and more enjoyable, then why not do it, you know, so.

Yeah, absolutely.

And of course you're the, you're the three time, you know, three year in a row headliner for Bob in the hood on February 1st and second up at Schultzes. And you know, I know you've got classes and demos and stuff.

You want to kind of give people a feel for, you know, what you'll be tying on Saturday for the, for the demonstration day and kind of what your classes are on Sunday.

Yeah, sure. So my main, my main theme this year is going to be tying a lot of what these new 3D bug wings.

I'll be doing dragonflies and damsels, maybe adoption fly, you know, kind of really sharing the importance of a lot of these overlooked insects up in that part of the world that I've been using for years down here. I think, you know, their summer bass fishing gets low and clear just like it does everywhere else.

And, you know, I think they're definitely getting more dialed into to that whole thing with the, you know, with the different bugs that they've been tying here in recent years for that Lowe's clear summer big bass fishing. And I think this is going to fall in just perfectly into their, their fisheries up there.

So felt like the 3D bug wing sharing the cicada stuff, sharing damsel dragonfly patterns, using it and even Dobson flies to be a big deal. Also going to be doing the hellgramite and the crawfish stuff, showing people how to use the body parts.

And then, you know, Sunday I've got classes first.

Classes just kind of explaining how you use materials to make your flies swim a certain way to kind of gain the most knowledge for the average tire or angler to understand why I use certain materials, where, how and how you shape it well, how that'll affect the swim and how you can manipulate the swim based on how you, where you put materials and how you trim it and you know, if it's narrower, wider, all that kind of stuff. So it's basically building a better buck and maximizing the swim by using the right stuff. So that's pretty much the gist of that first class.

So it's kind of a master class on building Plaza. Swim better and understanding why you achieve that. And then the next class will be something fun, something I haven't really done much in a while.

But I've got a pretty cool frog pattern I designed years ago that Chelsea really liked. And I just thought it'd be something different.

Since I've been up there quite a few, quite a few times, I thought I'd kind of share something a little different. Along with my mouse pattern with the, you know, I think that's a super deadly fly. Especially their knife fishing that they have up there.

I've got that deadly, those deadly feet on that, that changer mouse.

We got these little, basically these little micro little blades, spinner blades for the feet on barrel swivels and man that thing just swims just like a, those little feet spinning behind the fly. Man, it looks, it's just pretty, it's pretty deadly. Some people may not think that's true fly, but you know what, you know, I'm not here to judge.

So if it catches them, who cares? And if it's castable and enjoyable to cast and why not do it? You know, it's. The fly platform itself is more of a fly than like a popper or anything.

So I mean you have to have a lot of time ability to be able to tie this thing. So it's got a not like your pre formed something and it's, you know, just painting it. It's.

You actually have to have do some tie in here with both patterns. So I'm excited to show that. And so that's pretty much what that'll be.

And you know, a lot of that involves a lot of my materials, like my foams that I invented years ago and my silly skin and live skin and all that.

So it's, it's just going to be able to highlight stuff I've playing around with 20, 25 years ago and something that would be new to people there or in other places. It's that I've been playing around with forever. So I'm excited to share that because you know, we talked about doing it.

You know, it's kind of excited to kind of come back to doing some of that because I've got some new ideas for those patterns.

And so with, especially with what Chase is doing, he's got some cool patterns that we're going to be coming out with with the Chocolate Factory and stuff and like to adapt some of his ideas to some of my patterns and excited for him and excited for the future, the Chocolate Factory, and excited to be able to share this stuff, starting at Bobbin and Hood, you know, in two weeks. Yeah.

Very, very neat. And then you've convinced Schultze to come down south and partner up with the Virginia Trophy God guys for a smallmouth school.

Yeah. Yep. You know, with the success that I've had with the. The Muskie School, with Mad River, I felt like, why not?

I mean, you know, I've kind of cut my teeth smallmouth bass fish. And that was my first really, you know, other than trial. I mean, I was kind of known for smallmouth, and Schultze's kind of the man.

It's kind of got the smallmouth bass thing cornered up there, so I figured, why not us join together? We don't ever get a chance to fish together much. And he's actually never really had a chance to spend a lot of time down here smallmouth fishing.

So one, get him down here. See that? And, you know, he understands smallmouth, so we'll be able to share a lot of what his knowledge is up in his part of the world.

Share some of my knowledge down here in the south, and, you know, how our river's a little bit different. And combining both of those, I think it's going to be a great master class for students that sign up, and then three days guided fishing with.

With Schultze and I, and. And then the Virginia Trophy Guides. So it's a really good deal.

We got this giant house set up for everybody where we'll do the master class with one day with tie in Chelsea, and I'll be tying some bugs and talking about lines and, you know, fishing within the seasons and seasonal changes and adapting to that. And I think it's going to be a really cool class. Not a lot of people would be able to really see or experience.

And Chelsea and I thought it'd be a great idea to kind of combine that and. And I'm looking forward to it. That's going to be March 20 through 24, so if anybody's interested that's listening to this, let me know.

We only have seven spots available, and I think we have a couple that's booked already, so may only have a couple spots left. So. But I think it's going to be a great class. It's going to be a good time fishing, getting on the water.

It's right there during that pre spawn where you got a chance to catch your biggest fish of the year, so. Which I know you've experienced. We caught some.

We caught a big fish with you a couple years ago and I think you as you know, I mean you can may not catch a bunch of fish during that time of year, but once you get are going to be good ones.

Yeah, it was pretty amazing day we caught that donkey within sight of the car. It's pretty crazy.

Yep. Yeah. Yeah.

Once you can get them into those, those pre spawn spots and they're going to be pretty much in those places and just start targeting those spots and you start getting them. So it can be pretty amazing at times and that's a good time to do it and that's kind of why we're doing it then, you know, it's.

It's because you got to use a bunch of different tactics and different types of lines. So it's a good learning curve for people. So not to mention they can catch a fish of a lifetime too. So.

Yeah, absolutely. And so, you know, if folks want to kind of keep up with your adventures on the water at the vice with the chocolate factory, where should they go?

They could go to my, my website, Blaine Chocolate fishing or they can go to Instagram Blaine Chocolate fishing or Facebook to pretty much it or they can. They can get any link from there to contact me or private message me or whatnot.

So yeah, so after that I'm, you know, I'm gonna be doing some travel and doing some different, different places. Gotta go Cape Cod and do a, do a kind of a tie in demo whatnot. I'll be hitting the road quite a bit too, so gotta.

Well, I'm pretty busy next couple weeks and then hit the road running hitting in the spring, man, so.

Well, there you go. Well, listen, I'm looking forward to hanging out with you again up in Michigan. I'll see you soon. Tight lines, everybody.

All right, buddy.