new fly

[Guest rich mc]

there is a new fly by blane chocklett called the game changer its made with fish skulls new articulated fish spine. the video shows great action both swimming and diving its on you tube too rich

[Mike G]

FYI

 

 

Interesting. Cute video, very trendy. If I wanted to make one I could make those segments out of stainless wire and use epoxy in lieu of the CCG knocking 75% or more off the materials cost.

 

That's if I wanted to. But first, is anyone having phenomenal luck or just luck on segmented flies?

 

Anybody? Anybody? Buhler?

[mikea]

Um mr. trendy here would like a dozen of these pronto, that is freaking BA!!

[Tom L]

Great actions and very life like. Reminded me of a plastic minnow lure in the 90's which had similar actions.

[Mike G]

Great actions and very life like. Reminded me of a plastic minnow lure in the 90's which had similar actions.

What was that lure? And where is it now?

 

My thought is that it definitely is a fisherman catching fly. But I think your plain old Foxy Craw will smoke it on fish.

[Tom L]

Found it. It was Manjo Minnow.

 

[Mike G]

That's a classic modern soft plastic. Actually it is a whole system including baits, kahle hooks, coils, and weed guard. Wayne's hair is darker than it used to be.

 

They are still going strong. http://banjominnowstore.com/Default.aspx

 

On this page you can see that a lot of the action must be imparted by the angler. I suspect that is the same with this "Game Changer." See The 6 Movements of the Banjo Minnow: http://banjominnowstore.com/Techniques.aspx

 

PS From now on I am calling this the Banjo Fly. Wayne had it first.

[mikea]

I agree it's a gimmick, can I have a dozen gimmicks for "testing"

[Mike G]

mikea, on 15 Jul 2013 - 09:16 AM, said:

I agree it's a gimmick, can I have a dozen gimmicks for "testing"

P T Barnum was right. You haven't even seen the fly first hand. It is not being worked with a fly rod in the video; they are pulling it around with mono in a fish pond or pool. They don't even show it catching a fish. You want how many?

 

It is not available from the usual sources like Rainy, Orvis or Umqua. So this is a custom made fly with a lot of specialized materials and a lot of tying steps. I estimate $10 a copy. $120 plus shipping for a dozen.

 

Or you can get this nice 110 piece kit (42 Minnows)for $20.

 

 

And Wayne shows how to use it on a real fishing pole.

[Mike G]

Found it. It was Manjo Minnow.

 

I am glad you noticed this, Tom. It is amazing how similar the action is. Can you say marketing?

 

The Banjo Minnow infomercial has probably been around for 20 years now. Thanks to Blaine Chocklett; we finally got a fly that looks like a Banjo Minnow.

[Rob G]

Has anyone tried these, looks similar?

 

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishing/Soft-Baits/Unrigged-Plastic-Swimbaits%7C/pc/104793480/c/104772780/sc/104162580/Sebile174-Magic-Swimmer-Soft/1166243.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Funrigged-plastic-swimbaits%2F_%2FN-1100344%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104162580%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104793480%253Bcat104772780&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104793480%3Bcat104772780%3Bcat104162580

 

http://www.basspro.com/Lake-Fork-Trophy-Lures-Boot-Tail-Magic-Shad-Swimbaits/product/12091305214828/

[Mike G]

Has anyone tried these, looks similar?

 

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishing/Soft-Baits/Unrigged-Plastic-Swimbaits|/pc/104793480/c/104772780/sc/104162580/Sebile174-Magic-Swimmer-Soft/1166243.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Funrigged-plastic-swimbaits%2F_%2FN-1100344%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104162580%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%3BMMcat104793480%3Bcat104772780&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104793480%3Bcat104772780%3Bcat104162580

 

http://www.basspro.com/Lake-Fork-Trophy-Lures-Boot-Tail-Magic-Shad-Swimbaits/product/12091305214828/

No, but I use these on my Alabama Rig.

 

 

The special tail design gives a nice fluttering action. At $2.50/10, it is hard to beat the price.

 

Let's reset the bar. Can anyone come up with a flyrod Alabama Rig. ;-)

[Mike G]

Last chance to weigh in on the Banjo Fly-a very complex Shannon Streamer.

 

... But first, is anyone having phenomenal luck or just luck on segmented flies?

Anybody? Anybody? Buhler?

 

 

[Tim A]

This is a tad embarrassing to admit, but the Banjo Minnow is what really got me into fishing. The marketing worked on my then-10-year-old brain, and I begged my parents to order the original kit every time that commercial played when I watched the ESPN lineup of fishing shows (Jimmy Houston, Shaw Grigsby, Hank Parker, Bill Dance, etc). Finally they got me the kit. I was fascinated and totally convinced that every cast was going to catch me a bass. You see, before this plastic miracle, I had only fished a few days a year with my dad, with bait, for bluegills. I had never caught a bass nor any fish on an artificial lure. Once I obtained the Banjo Minnow, I discovered a long, fishy creek across the street from my parents' house. Although the Banjo didn't catch any fish in that creek, I found that this creek was loaded with chubs to 13", yellow bullhead, green sunfish, pumpkinseeds, and in some stretches, carp to 36". I spent every afternoon and weekend exploring that suburban creek, often worrying my mom because I wouldn't come home until after dark. I caught my biggest bullhead in that creek, my biggest creek chub, my first few dozen carp, and, importantly, my first bass--a 10" largemouth. I threw my first fly casts in that creek with a Plfueger 5/6 kit my parents' gifted me one Christmas. I fished everywhere I could after that, subscribed to in-fisherman and field & stream, and even wrote a 5th grade assignment on walleye stocking programs (I had not yet even caught a walleye). Over time, and tons of reading and fishing, I learned to use various natural baits and artificials, having fun with friends at new waters (as we all do and did), but I long left the Banjo Minnow behind. Still, I always had the 5" Chartruese & silver fleck Banjo in my soft plastics case. And one cold November night on the Ohio River, over a decade since the excitement of opening up my first lure kit, I stared into my tackle box for something to thread on my 3/8oz jig that the fish might see in the faint light below the enormous dam. I found the 5" chartreuse Banjo Minnow and slid it over the hook sideways, so it would look like an injured, undulating fish. A cast and drop to the bottom of the whirlpooling 15-foot-deep waters found a hungry 10lb+ hybrid striped bass. What an amazing fight. And at age 23, thirteen years after starting my foray into the world of artificial lures, the Banjo Minnow and I had finally caught a fish together. I even managed 3 more hybrids between 8-10lbs on the next few casts. After 4 giant hybrids, the Banjo was unusable. But after a (hi)story like that, would I dare write a negative review?

--

By the way, the original Banjo Minnow did not have the articulated slits in the body. It was simply a very soft plastic with a realistic molding of fins, eyes, and a scale pattern. The eyes were part of the mold, not add-on 3D eyes like the newer versions. And the original colors were way better

[Tim A]

[Mike G]

Outstanding story Tim. You could call it The Magic Lure. I have several of those magic lures in my collection, and some like yours even caught fish. My own story started way earlier in the late 50s and still goes on. The first magic lure was the Flatfish. In that pre-infomercial period they still had their ways to sell lures. In the 30s Charles Helin started with a good lure and used outstanding marketing to sell millions boasting about sales in millions just like McDonalds would do 30-40 years later. He hooked us with a "catalog" that consisted of articles and pictures that proved how great the lure was. It came in a mind boggling array of sizes and colors. It still does. What other lure comes in 14 sizes and over 150 colors. The F2 is one inch long; the T60 is six inches long. It used to be a widely used trout, bass, and pike lure, but lately it is used mostly in the Northwest for sea run salmon and trout. Like you I do not use it much anymore. But I keep my collection of about 40 Flatfish right next to my Banjo Minnow kit, Roland Martin Helicopters, Zip Baits, and Flying Lures.

 

Now,that reminds me that I want to see a fly that dives backwards like the Flying Lure.

[Tom L]

The Banjo Minnows and the Flying Lures were my dream lures back then, but couldn't afford them and still has not owned them. Those infomercials sure got in your head.

[Rob G]

Mike,

While we're reminiscing, when I was a real little boy, my mother like so many others, used to collect S & H Green stamps. And one time I convinced her to redeem a book of those things on a box of lures and one killer lure in that set was an orange Flatfish. I actually caught a nice largemouth on that thing before I eventually hung it up and lost it. I was so proud that I had caught a decent bass on something other than my dad's live bait. Ha

[Mike G]

Hah! around 1970 Mom's Plaid Stamps got me a nice Shakespeare 9 weight. Another game changing story. If it had been a 5 wt I would still be fly fishing for trout.

 

I still have the miracle U20 Flatfish that made me a believer in Helin's Myths. A picture and story will come. Perhaps I can tie the fly version now that we have all the artificial materials that were just a dream in the 50s and 60s. Of course my uncle Bob, a true fly fisherman and tyer at the time would never dream of using Sparkle Fur on his flies though he may of had nightmares about it.

[Mike G]

The Banjo Minnows and the Flying Lures were my dream lures back then, but couldn't afford them and still has not owned them. Those infomercials sure got in your head.

 

You can't go through life without owning at one of each of these. Pmail me an address and I will send you one of each ready to fish-no choice of size or color. Besides, if anyone can, you can probably create a Flying Fly--the first and only fly that glides backwards on the pause.

[Rob G]

Perhaps I can tie the fly version now that we have all the artificial materials

 

Todd's wiggle minnow is close to the ole flatfish and if you get it just right, it has a similar action.

 

 

[Mike G]

 

Todd's wiggle minnow is close to the ole flatfish and if you get it just right, it has a similar action.

 

 

 

Say the wiggle minnow is a Bass Oreno which fits with the Red/White paint job.

 

 

The Wiggle Bug is the Flatfish. Lefty recommends it for Largemouths though it is easy to see a Smallmouth smacking it.

[Rob G]

You're right Mike, that Wiggle Bug is definitely more like a flat fish. I wonder how true it would run if there was any current?

[Tim A]

 

You can't go through life without owning at one of each of these. Pmail me an address and I will send you one of each ready to fish-no choice of size or color. Besides, if anyone can, you can probably create a Flying Fly--the first and only fly that glides backwards on the pause.

 

Tom, if you email Mike G in the next 10 minutes, he'll DOUBLE your order. Now that's a deal.

[Mike G]

 

Tom, if you email Mike G in the next 10 minutes, he'll DOUBLE your order. Now that's a deal.

 

Tim,

 

Too late! We sealed the deal yesterday. But I appreciate your marketing approach.

 

You have promise just like the young Popiel with his Pocket Fisherman. Here's a tip. Whatever bait you are selling, say that it is so effective that the state of Minnesota Senate is considering outlawing it.