Is there a "major" difference between a green weenie and green caddis larva?

[PaScoGi]

In other words, if you put an inch worm and a green caddis larva side by side, aren't they the same? Maybe a slight difference in brightness of the green color?

I tied up some green caddis larva for the spring and have had great success in using them.

And I heard that summer is a good time to tie up green weenies and fish them. But when I went to you tube to look for patterns, the end result to me looked like (basically) a green caddis larva pattern on a straight hook?

Maybe thickness is the difference?

Regardless, just wondering if I could use a simple green caddis larva I already have in my box as my "inchworm" pattern?

Thanks for any help as always. Not opposed to tying up some green weenies, seems simple enough. Just trying to conserve space in my box.

 

[redietz]

I've never seen any functional difference, although I may tie green weenies a bit larger than I would dedicated caddis larva. Other than that, they're interchangeable as far as I'm concerned.

 

[JerryC]

I've replaced the green weenie/inch worm with a green mop fly. The difference to me would be if I were fishing a green weenie as a caddis larva it would be weighted more often than not with a black bead head. For an inch worm it would be unweighted, so it sinks slowly as the material absorbs water.

 

[troutbert]

Actual green caddis larvae have heads that are dark brown or black. Imitations are usually tied the same.

Inchworms are green the whole length.

Also, some caddis larvae are dark green.

Inchworms are light, bright green.

 

[jifigz]

My weenies definitely look different than my caddis larva. Caddis are tied with dubbing of a dark olive with a brown or black head and a rib of wire and the weenie is the bright green ultra chenille. They both catch a lot of fish and one works when the other doesn't some of the time.

 

[redietz]

Actual green caddis larvae have heads that are dark brown or black. Imitations are usually tied the same.

Inchworms are green the whole length.

Also, some caddis larvae are dark green.

Inchworms are light, bright green.

That's the naturals. The question was about the artificial.

 

[Nocktavius]

Green weenie is tied with a chartreuse vernille or super chenille, it is an attractor pattern first and foremost (I have doubts about it truly imitating an inchworm except in a few cases). My green caddis is more of a match the hatch situation- typically tied in a more subdued shade of olive or dark green and with a dark/natural collar. The caddis body itself is usually dubbed instead of the chenille. Can the trout usually tell the difference? Maybe, maybe not- I fail as a tyer to see the harm in carrying both. (In summer and fall, our fly boxes are heavily skewed in favor of the GW)

 

[HopBack]

My weenies definitely look different than my caddis larva. Caddis are tied with dubbing of a dark olive with a brown or black head and a rib of wire and the weenie is the bright green ultra chenille. They both catch a lot of fish and one works when the other doesn't some of the time.

Same here, and I’ll add that my caddis larva is usually size 14-16 and my weenies are size 8-10 always with a tail. I basically dead drift them the same way you might fish a wooly bugger.

 

[Sylvaneous]

First off, right from the mouths of Don Douple and Lefty Kreh, you can catch fish on any nymph. So there's that. BUT: green caddis are much more straight green, like 'insect green' on the chenille package. Douple would dye white chenille something like "fluorescent chartreuse' (the name on the dye package). THey are, as the bug sits, lighter green, and much, much bigger, although I do see tiny ones lowering from the trees. The standard fishing definition (whatever that is) of chartreuse is closer to an inchworm than the standard fishing definition of green.
Syl

 

[jifigz]

First off, right from the mouths of Don Douple and Lefty Kreh, you can catch fish on any nymph. So there's that. BUT: green caddis are much more straight green, like 'insect green' on the chenille package. Douple would dye white chenille something like "fluorescent chartreuse' (the name on the dye package). THey are, as the bug sits, lighter green, and much, much bigger, although I do see tiny ones lowering from the trees. The standard fishing definition (whatever that is) of chartreuse is closer to an inchworm than the standard fishing definition of green.
Syl

Are you implying they should be chartreuse weenies? Or chartreuse cuties, maybe?

Ha.. Just messing with you. There is no arguing how simple the weenie is to tie and, at some points, just how effective it is.

 

[JerryC]

I have three permanent markers that I use mainly on my foam flies. I have chartreuse, yellow chartreuse and green chartreuse. Yellow chartreuse has a yellowish tinge to it. If I were using chenille this is the color I would use for a green rock worm(green weenie).

This my version of a floating inch worm

 

[PaScoGi]

Thanks all, good stuff!