Flymen Next Generation Shank NGS | Articulated Fly Tying Shank | Triangular Rear Loop | Loop Eye | Extended Wire Tags | 12 Sizes Micro to 80mm | Game Changer & Articulated Flies | Flymen

Next Generation Articulated Fly Tying Shank. Triangular Rear Loop. Loop Eye. Extended Wire Tags (3 Parallel Strands). Unified Design Across All Sizes. 12 Sizes: Micro Tail Shank to 80mm. Game Changer & All Articulated Streamer Applications.

The Flymen Next Generation Shank (NGS) represents a complete redesign of the articulated shank concept with targeted improvements to every functional element of the shank’s construction — the rear loop, the front eye, and the wire tag system — producing a single, unified shank design that works consistently across the full size range from the 6mm Micro Tail Shank to the 80mm for the largest Game Changer and articulated streamer applications. If you tie Game Changer style flies, segmented articulated streamers, or any fly pattern that uses multiple interconnected shanks to produce a swimming, segmented body, the NGS is the shank the system was designed around.

Key Design Improvements Over Previous Shanks

• Triangular Rear Loop — the rear loop of each shank is formed into a triangular shape rather than a round or oval loop; the triangular geometry serves two distinct purposes: first, it pulls the connected shank closer to the previous shank when the loop connection is made, reducing the gap between interconnected segments and producing a tighter, more integrated multi-shank body that flexes and swims as a cohesive unit rather than with looseness between segments; second, the flat sides of the triangle provide a larger, more stable surface for the vise jaws to grip — critically important on the smaller micro-size shanks where a round loop provides almost no secure vise purchase and results in the shank rotating or slipping during tying
• Loop Eye — the front eye of the NGS is formed as a closed loop rather than a ring eye; a loop eye is structurally stronger than a ring eye because the wire doubles back on itself and is secured against the shank body at two points rather than one, eliminating the stress concentration at the eye bend that causes ring eyes to open or fail under the load of large, powerful fish; on a multi-shank articulated streamer being fished for pike, GT, or large striped bass — all of which are capable of extremely high-force strikes and sustained fighting power — the loop eye means the connection between the trailing section and the hook section does not fail under load
• Extended Wire Tags — on standard shank designs, the tag end of the wire is short and creates a step-down at the transition from the wire to the shank body, making it difficult to wrap thread and materials smoothly and evenly along the full shank length; the NGS extends the wire tags to run the full length of the shank body, creating three parallel wire strands side by side along the entire tying surface; three parallel strands produce an even, flat tying platform that thread wraps grip without slipping, that materials bind to uniformly across the full shank length, and that is structurally stronger than a single wire core because thread tension is distributed across three wire contact points rather than one
• Single Unified Design — all NGS sizes from Micro to 80mm share the same triangular rear loop, loop eye, and extended wire tag construction; the functional behavior and tying characteristics are identical across all sizes, meaning the technique you develop on the 10mm carries directly to the 45mm and 80mm without adjustment; particularly valuable for tiers building multi-section Game Changer and segmented streamer patterns where the largest and smallest shanks in the same fly must interconnect consistently and behave predictably throughout the finished fly’s retrieve

Sizes & Pack Quantities

• Micro Tail Shank — 25 per pack
• 6mm Micro — 25 per pack
• 8mm Micro — 25 per pack
• Std Tail Shank — 25 per pack
• 10mm — 25 per pack
• 15mm — 25 per pack
• 20mm — 25 per pack
• 35mm — 25 per pack
• 45mm — 20 per pack
• 55mm — 20 per pack
• 65mm — 16 per pack
• 80mm — 16 per pack

Applications

• Game Changer Style Flies — the primary application the NGS was designed around; Blane Chocklett’s Game Changer uses multiple interconnected shanks of graduated sizes to produce a segmented, fully articulated baitfish fly that swims with a realistic, full-body undulation on the retrieve; the NGS’s triangular rear loop and tight segment-to-segment connection is essential for producing the correct action in a Game Changer construction where the segments need to flex independently but remain tight enough together to move as a connected unit
• Articulated Streamers — any two-section or multi-section articulated streamer that uses a shank-and-trailer construction; the NGS’s loop eye provides the secure front connection point for the rear hook section and the triangular rear loop provides the connection point for a trailing shank or hook; the extended wire tags make the shank body easy to palmer and wrap with materials including craft fur, marabou, saddle hackle, and synthetic materials
• Tail Shanks — the Micro Tail Shank and Std Tail Shank are specifically designed as the final trailing segment in a multi-shank fly, providing a rear connection loop sized and positioned to carry a hook at the correct angle and spacing for the finished fly’s hook gap and hookup rate

Target Applications by Size

• Micro (Tail Shank, 6mm, 8mm) — small articulated streamers, size #10–#4 hooks; small Game Changers for trout, panfish, and light freshwater applications; also used as the smallest segments in a graduated multi-size Game Changer build
• Standard (Tail Shank, 10mm, 15mm, 20mm, 35mm) — the core size range for bass, pike, and freshwater streamer applications; most Game Changer and articulated streamer patterns for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and large trout use the 10–35mm range as the primary shank sizes
• Longer (45mm, 55mm, 65mm, 80mm) — large articulated streamers for pike, musky, GT, tarpon, and striped bass; also used as the largest body segments in oversized Game Changer builds for big-water applications where a full-profile, large baitfish imitation is needed

Specs

• Design: Next Generation Shank (NGS)
• Rear Loop: Triangular (tight segment connection, vise-grip compatible)
• Front Eye: Loop eye (stronger than ring eye)
• Wire Tags: Extended full-length (3 parallel strands)
• Sizes: Micro Tail Shank | 6mm | 8mm | Std Tail Shank | 10mm | 15mm | 20mm | 35mm | 45mm | 55mm | 65mm | 80mm
• Pack Qty: 25 (Micro & Standard) | 20 (45–55mm) | 16 (65–80mm)
• Brand: Flymen Fishing Company

In stock and ready to ship. Select size from the variant menu.