The
Articulated Shank™
offers tiers an alternative to using a Waddington shank, a cotter pin or the
“sacrificed hook” method when tying streamer flies that have a single free-swinging stinger hook.
For example: Intruder-style salmon/steelhead flies or Alaska-style articulated leech patterns.
For these types of flies, a single, short shank
stinger hook
(example: Gamakatsu Octopus hook) is
connected with a length of
line
to the end of a straight metal
shank
upon which the fly materials
(feathers, fur, hackle, etc..) are tied. The end result is typically a large streamer with a “free-
swinging” hook at the rear of the fly.
There are many types of
line
used to connect the hook to the shank and these include round mono,
flat mono, fly line backing (dacron) and other brands of fine cable such as “Fireline”, Spider Wire”
etc.... Some lines are very flexible, can be easily knotted and will swing more freely behind the fly.
Other lines may be much stiffer with less movement but are stronger and help to hold the hook in
position at the rear of the fly. Depending on which line you select, you can either knot or tie-in the
end of the line to the Articulated Shank™.
Basic Tying Steps using the Articulated Shank (AS)
1. Put the AS in the vise and use a tight layer of thread wraps to close off the loop.
2. Attach your line-and-stinger hook assembly to the AS using either the tie-in or knotting technique.
3. Add body materials to the AS and build your fly in the normal way.
2. Streamers with free-swinging stinger hooks.
Tie-in Method
You can tie-in stiffer, thicker line by using the same tying techniques as you use today. Simply tie-in
the line along the length of the shank, then double the line back-over and work backwards covering
with thread again.
The loop of the Articulated Shank™ is vertical compared to the Waddington Shank which lays
horizontal. Therefore, we suggest you thread one end of the line through one side of the loop and the
other end of the line through the opposite side so that they “criss-cross” and then tie-in the line on
either side of the shank. Alternatively, simply tie-in the two line ends on either side of the hook-shank.
Either way it forms a nice even connection.
Knot Method
If you are using a flexible line that can be easily knotted, then simply tie the end/s of the line to the
loop of the Articulated Shank™ using your favorite fishing knot such as an improved clinch knot.
If you want some added security, then just tie-in the long tag ends of your knot to the length of the
shank instead of trimming them off.
