Green Weenie

[mattofcarlisle]

Love the GW. I first started tying 25-28 years ago in western PA. The guy that developed the GW was my mentor. Another pattern that works is the Red Hot - developed by his brother in law. It's basically a GW except using a hot red chenille.


Matt

 

[D-Rock023]

I have some but I'm always hesitant to put it on for some reason, so I haven't fished it yet. It's hard to go agaist something like a pheasant tail I know will catch fish but I'll put it on one of these days. Hope I have the success some of you do with it.

 

[BelAirSteve]

I have the ones I tied when I first started tying, and I never really used it for trout until last fall at Codorus Creek, after a local suggested it. I tied one on and caught two fish in about 6 or 7 drifts.

 

[LetortAngler]

Add a splitshot

 

[KeithS]

Although the GW gets a bad rap, it works. Isn't it the same as fishing a terrestrial in late summer? It has it's seasons / situations.
Or is it that it mimics a worm, much like the maligned San Juan WORM? That one takes a bashing, too.

 

[pcray1231]

It can mimic a lot of things. Some say a grasshopper, others say an inchworm. Both are probably true. Personally, I think it works as an egg fly in many situations.

It gets a bad wrap because it's a general attractor that can imitate a lot of different things, rather than something specific. The SJW, well, that gets a bad wrap because it's a worm, and worms are associated with baitfishermen!

 

[ebroesicke]

yeah, it would be cheating to use a fly that resembles what the fish are feeding on...oh wait...

 

[KeithS]

" yeah, it would be cheating to use a fly that resembles what the fish are feeding on...oh wait... "

EXACTLY.

 

[PhilC]

Just think of it as fancy split shot...I use them as my weight fly and don't feel as bad about losing them

 

[LetortAngler]

Greenie weenies work sometimes dead drifted, but on the swing is where you will take 85% of the fish you catch

 

[jdaddy]

LetortAngler wrote:
Add a splitshot

Nice bump. Welcome to the show.

Green Weenie is everything to eastern fly fishing, particularly around the limestone spring creek areas! Embrace the weenie.

 

[krayfish]

In 30+ years of fly fishing, never had one in my box or on my line. I refuse to "give up" and put on a fly that matches nothing but as someone suggested....represents everything. Wouldn't it be more satisfying to trick a fish on a pattern that mimics a food source? IMO, fishing a GW is like admitting you can't catch on a standard pattern or you don't have enough knowledge to know what to use. If some find that offensive, sorry.

 

[pcray1231]

Have you ever used an Adams? Wulff?

 

[ebroesicke]

or griffiths gnat
wooly bugger
hare's ear nymph
humpy
etc.
?

 

[afishinado]

pcray1231 wrote:
Have you ever used an Adams? Wulff?

An adams is tied the same way as any dark colored mayfly dun and the same for a (white) wulff for light colored duns.

A green weenie is pretty much just chartreuse chenille wrapped around the hook.

I understand what Andy is saying above. There are dozens of other flies I would tie on before a green weenie.

The difference between us that I have no problem if someone fishes GWs. There are nearly as may ways to approach and find pleasure in the sport of fly-fishing as there are fly anglers. The idea is to have fun.

Many anglers just beginning in the sport just want to catch some fish. No problem with that at all.

Some anglers that have fished for a long time specialize in certain things like fishing dries only, or Euro nymphing, or hatch matching, or traditional flies and equipment, or floating very long distances on a big river in a toon, head-hunting risers......

All fun.

 

[troutbert]

Inchworms and green caddis larvae are green worms that trout eat.

And the fly looks like what?

A green worm.

 

[krayfish]

Pcray,
Have I used an Adams? No. A Wulff for trout? No. A White Wulff during the white fly hatch on the Susky? Yes....so I could see it amidst the billion naturals on the water. If there has been a San Juan worm on the line, it's because I took the nephews fishing. Bought them some "cheater" flies so they don't get discouraged too quickly. Hell, I got talked into using a prince nymph for the first time 2 years ago.

Troutbert,
Inchworms are green....but they are a 1/2 inch thick. Same goes for caddis larva. By your logic.....female models are women so all women I see are models.

Just grab a spinning rod and Berkley power bait and be done with it.

 

[redietz]

PhilC wrote:
Just think of it as fancy split shot...I use them as my weight fly and don't feel as bad about losing them

They also function nicely as a sunken strike indicator in clear water. Hang small nymph from it, and there's no need to use a bobber.

 

[pcray1231]

I have things I specialize in. I'd say my "forte" is small stream fishing and hatch matching on larger waters.

That said, I don't limit myself to just that. I may not be a great high stick nympher, but I do it when the conditions call for it. I can enjoy tossing streamers around high and muddy water now and again. I may have little experience fishing huge rivers, but I'm not opposed to it. And I may be a complete newb when it comes to the fly rod in the salt, but I continue to hold it as a possibility and would very much enjoy doing it under the right circumstances.

I'm not a big green weenie guy either. But there's a few in my box and I have used them, and there have been situations where they were deadly. Yes, a green weenie is just chartreuse chenille wrapped around a hook. Nonetheless, by representation, it's somewhat representative of a number of different natural food items, just like the Adams' and Wulff's of the world. SJW, IMO, is in a similar category. And egg flies are actually EXACT matches for natural food items.

These flies are not in the same junk fly category, as say, pellet or bread flies. And even then, I really have nothing against junk flies. It's fishing, we do it for fun, and our adversary has the brain the size of a pea. These flies don't do any more damage to the fish or fishery. Lets not pretend like it's nuclear physics. There's no "proper" or "improper" way to do this.

 

[krayfish]

Pat,

I'm not saying that there's a proper or improper way. If you are newer to fishing and your concern is putting up numbers, the GW might be your bag. On little mountain brooks, those fish will eat anything that floats by due to limited food sources. When you get to a more diverse water, there's more food which = more frustration for anglers. I'll use the sewer (aka Tully) as an example. You might have midges, micro caddis, #18 green caddis, #14 tan caddis and sulphurs on the water at the same time. I find it particularly challenging / rewarding to fish in those situations and try to cast to the fish in the most difficult positions/lie I can find. If you take that to an even larger water (Lehigh or Delaware) the complications are increased 10 fold. If I am stumped and can't catch fish, I will not go the route of the GW. As I stated before, it's like giving up. I'm not crucifying someone for using them but I won't go that route. I'll drive 2 hours, sit on the bank or fish all day and if I can't figure out the fish, I'll go home with a skunk but that rarely happens. Egg patterns in the fall can be deadly but can't say I've gone that route in years other than when I take the little guys out. If they aren't netting fish, they lose interest quickly. I've done my time, put on lots of miles and paid my dues. I prefer to keep it on a more traditional / classic level. I'll use an indi but the flies are meant to mimic a certain insect hatch. I won't go as far as DFG and only fish on top but I do keep it old school minus the silk and bamboo.