The Green Weenie

[redietz]

outsider wrote:
Because of the shape, proportion, and some times the color, one could say they looked like transistors.

And one would be wrong, because they look like resistors.

I don't, however, doubt that they were called transistors.

 

[jifigz]

Back to the OP topic, the green weenie is a fish catching machine. It will and can work year round but shines in late spring through summer and into autumn for me. It will take any kind of trout from any kind of trout water. The place they have shined for me the most are for wild browns in Limestoners or the larger "limestone influenced" creeks of central PA. Often times there is no other reason to tie anything else on during certain parts of the year. So yes, I definitely carry and fish them. Once the dead of winter hits I can assure you that a weenie will basically never be my starting fly. During those times I'm much more likely to fish brassies, zebra midges, or a streamer. Experience and confidence will teach you when to trust it most.

On a side note, I've never caught anything on a "red weenie" and I've tried.

 

[PennKev]

outsider wrote:

At that time period, some fly tying suppliers sold small diameter cork cylinders. My mentor showed me how to make very durable, high floating ants out of them. Basically cut 2 short pieces, poke a hole through them with a needle, then string mono through them. Burn the ends of the mono. Paint them black, wrap small black hackle between them after tying them to the hook at the middle. I still have some of them in fly boxes.

Mcmurray Ants . A good pattern and arguably a precursor of modern foam flies, at least in form and function. Foam is just easier and quicker to tie with and you end up with a very similar result.

 

[redietz]

jifigz wrote:
It will take any kind of trout from any kind of trout water.

My experience is that their effectiveness varies widely from stream to stream. There are streams where it would seem the the only thing more effective would be using explosives, and streams where I can't buy a fish on one.

I was out in Montana about ten years ago, floating the Beaverhead with a guide when I opened a box of flies, and had this conversation:

Guide: "You must be from Pennsylvania".

Me:"Sorta, why?"

Guide: "You've got green weenies in that box. Every single guy I've guided that has them has been from Pennsylvania. They all insist on using them, and I've never seen a single fish caught on one."

 

[jifigz]

redietz wrote:

jifigz wrote:
It will take any kind of trout from any kind of trout water.

My experience is that their effectiveness varies widely from stream to stream. There are streams where it would seem the the only thing more effective would be using explosives, and streams where I can't buy a fish on one.

I was out in Montana about ten years ago, floating the Beaverhead with a guide when I opened a box of flies, and had this conversation:

Guide: "You must be from Pennsylvania".

Me:"Sorta, why?"

Guide: "You've got green weenies in that box. Every single guy I've guided that has them has been from Pennsylvania. They all insist on using them, and I've never seen a single fish caught on one."

.

I've no experience fishing western trout waters. I will rephrase my post. I have caught every kind of trout in Pennsylvania from every type of trout water in Pennsylvania on a green weenie. There you go 😉

 

[redietz]

jifigz wrote:

I've no experience fishing western trout waters. I will rephrase my post. I have caught every kind of trout in Pennsylvania from every type of trout water in Pennsylvania on a green weenie. There you go 😉

That was just an example. There are several freestones in MD & PA that I don't seem have caught with them, when other flies were working, and at a time of year when they were working great in other streams.

 

[JeffK]

In the "you never know" category I have had great luck with Green Weenies in PA and NYS, but have struggled to catch a fish on them in NJ or VA. Have caught plenty of trout on a "Red Hot" in NJ, but few in PA. Who knows how fishing Mojo works. When everything else was spooking fish in low clear water of fall in central NYS I would use an unweighted Green Weenie with the loop tail, as Charlie Meck showed me. It would seductively flutter as it slowly sunk and some days every fish in a pool would attack it.

I think Corkers were molded from a composite cork material - seems to be a better way for mass production and the shapes seem more molded than turned or shaped. My attempts to duplicate them have been to punch out a cylinder from a cork and file it to shape. Never really got the same results, but maybe I will make a stab at in when I am bored.

I've tried duplicating the old cork bodied bass flies made by Heddon or South Bend and they were a lot of work. No wonder foam took over. However, they last for years, so maybe it is worth it.

 

[afishinado]

As far as my go-to flies, I can say I've probably caught more fish on hares ears, pheasant tails than any other flies in my box.

One reason is I use them more often than most other flies, but there is a reason for that (refer back to the first sentence^)

 

[jifigz]

redietz wrote:

jifigz wrote:

I've no experience fishing western trout waters. I will rephrase my post. I have caught every kind of trout in Pennsylvania from every type of trout water in Pennsylvania on a green weenie. There you go 😉

That was just an example. There are several freestones in MD & PA that I don't seem have caught with them, when other flies were working, and at a time of year when they were working great in other streams.

Well of course....that is fishing. Being a great fisherman involves knowing when to change flies, what to have confidence in under certain circumstances, and how to adapt and always (or nearly always) catch fish. There is no fly that always works. Maybe you fished those streams sporadically and on days when that wasn't a pattern that was well received? That doesn't mean that that fly doesn't work there on other days. What makes a fly great, however, is that if often works in a variety of situations and conditions and that is without a doubt the green weenie.

 

[geebee]

i have never been able to catch any fish on green weenies, not even freshly stocked ones.

 

[JerryC]

I've caught a few trout on the Green Weenie, but it's produced many more pan fish for me. I still have a couple in my box, size 16 through 20. All the larger ones have been replaced with mini-mop flies. Floating ones for the inch worm hatch. I always thought the Green Weenie is a fair imitation of a green rock worm.

 

[Prospector]

troutbert wrote:

JeffK wrote:
Troutbert,

Here is a great article on corkers, which were a favorite back in the day. I have a stash of just a few now and a card of the Japanese beetle pattern. I have never been able to duplicate them successfully.

The bottom row of the catalog page figure has the transistor patterns, which seemed to be whatever some bored painters made after a long day. Caught fish though and floated forever. I know matching-the-hatch is a better way to fly fish in the long run, but just trying crazy flies was a lot of fun. Junk flies to me bring back some of the fun of "solving the problem" by being a little different and trading "secret flies" with others. Who doesn't like drifting a dry fly matching the hatch over rising fish? But the 90% of the time when something isn't happening is a great time to play around.

http://flyanglersonline.com/features/oldflies/part246.php

Thanks for the link to the interesting article.

I remember Corkers. But I didn't know that some were made to look like transistors.

I haven't seen Corkers in anyone's fly box, or heard anyone discuss those for many years.

Has anyone tied cork-bodied flies? I wonder how they shaped the cork bodies?

It might be interesting to tie some flies with cork bodies, but otherwise dressed like a Letort grasshopper or cricket, or a Stimulator, with hackle palmered over the cork.

I carry about 30 cork bugs with me at all times.

 

[Prospector]

JeffK wrote:
Troutbert,

Here is a great article on corkers, which were a favorite back in the day. I have a stash of just a few now and a card of the Japanese beetle pattern. I have never been able to duplicate them successfully.

The bottom row of the catalog page figure has the transistor patterns, which seemed to be whatever some bored painters made after a long day. Caught fish though and floated forever. I know matching-the-hatch is a better way to fly fish in the long run, but just trying crazy flies was a lot of fun. Junk flies to me bring back some of the fun of "solving the problem" by being a little different and trading "secret flies" with others. Who doesn't like drifting a dry fly matching the hatch over rising fish? But the 90% of the time when something isn't happening is a great time to play around.

http://flyanglersonline.com/features/oldflies/part246.php

JeffK, Thanks for sharing the article. I’ve never painted any like the transistor colors shown in that picture. Which ones of that group were most effective?

 

[JeffK]

I liked the terrestrial ones - grasshoppers, crickets, ants, beetles. Seemed simpler, longer floating and more long lasting than most ties. I also had good luck with the transistors in "Hail Mary" mode. Never knew why or when they worked - but they often did.

Just checked my stash and I have 8 left. A hopper, 2 ants, a transistor, and 4 caddis. I think I have the caddis left because I didn't fish them much. The other 4 are more like what I used.

Wanted to try the inchworm, but never found one. My floating inch worm is tied with chartreuse deer hair, chartreuse thread and a short 16 hook. Tie the hair in facing forward at eye, tie a bullet head, and spiral thread back to create a segmented, extended body. Tie off at rear and cut hair flush. Works great and I used it often when fish were fussy in a trico spinner fall. However, I think a Corker version would take a lot more chewing than a deer hair body.

 

[JeffK]

As to transistor colors, my sole survivor is brown with red spots, but I don't remember any color preferences. I just picked them out randomly from a bin and remember red, black and yellow bodies mostly. But my memory my be faulty after all the years.

 

[troutbert]

Prospector wrote:

troutbert wrote:

JeffK wrote:
Troutbert,

Here is a great article on corkers, which were a favorite back in the day. I have a stash of just a few now and a card of the Japanese beetle pattern. I have never been able to duplicate them successfully.

The bottom row of the catalog page figure has the transistor patterns, which seemed to be whatever some bored painters made after a long day. Caught fish though and floated forever. I know matching-the-hatch is a better way to fly fish in the long run, but just trying crazy flies was a lot of fun. Junk flies to me bring back some of the fun of "solving the problem" by being a little different and trading "secret flies" with others. Who doesn't like drifting a dry fly matching the hatch over rising fish? But the 90% of the time when something isn't happening is a great time to play around.

http://flyanglersonline.com/features/oldflies/part246.php

Thanks for the link to the interesting article.

I remember Corkers. But I didn't know that some were made to look like transistors.

I haven't seen Corkers in anyone's fly box, or heard anyone discuss those for many years.

Has anyone tied cork-bodied flies? I wonder how they shaped the cork bodies?

It might be interesting to tie some flies with cork bodies, but otherwise dressed like a Letort grasshopper or cricket, or a Stimulator, with hackle palmered over the cork.

I carry about 30 cork bugs with me at all times.

Do you make them? Is there any place to buy them?

 

[troutbert]

JeffK wrote:
I liked the terrestrial ones - grasshoppers, crickets, ants, beetles. Seemed simpler, longer floating and more long lasting than most ties. I also had good luck with the transistors in "Hail Mary" mode. Never knew why or when they worked - but they often did.

I think they are taking ALL of those corkers for terrestrial insects hitting the water. They are reacting to that splat or plop. The paint job is probably most irrelevant.

Deer hair bugs/beetles are also "plop" patterns that are very effective. Same idea.

When the trout are really keyed in on inchworms, they behave the same way. Even if you are using a chenille inchworm pattern, which is not designed to float, the trout often attack it right on the drop.

 

[Prospector]

JeffK wrote:
I liked the terrestrial ones - grasshoppers, crickets, ants, beetles. Seemed simpler, longer floating and more long lasting than most ties. I also had good luck with the transistors in "Hail Mary" mode. Never knew why or when they worked - but they often did.

Just checked my stash and I have 8 left. A hopper, 2 ants, a transistor, and 4 caddis. I think I have the caddis left because I didn't fish them much. The other 4 are more like what I used.

Wanted to try the inchworm, but never found one. My floating inch worm is tied with chartreuse deer hair, chartreuse thread and a short 16 hook. Tie the hair in facing forward at eye, tie a bullet head, and spiral thread back to create a segmented, extended body. Tie off at rear and cut hair flush. Works great and I used it often when fish were fussy in a trico spinner fall. However, I think a Corker version would take a lot more chewing than a deer hair body.

Thanks for your recollection of the best transistor colors. I also tie the deer hair inch worm as you described and some other variations to match different ones we see in NCPA. We are waiting for one to return that has something like an 18 year cycle. Last time they were around there were so many falling that every fish ate the imitation.

 

[Prospector]

troutbert wrote:

Prospector wrote:

troutbert wrote:

JeffK wrote:
Troutbert,

Here is a great article on corkers, which were a favorite back in the day. I have a stash of just a few now and a card of the Japanese beetle pattern. I have never been able to duplicate them successfully.

The bottom row of the catalog page figure has the transistor patterns, which seemed to be whatever some bored painters made after a long day. Caught fish though and floated forever. I know matching-the-hatch is a better way to fly fish in the long run, but just trying crazy flies was a lot of fun. Junk flies to me bring back some of the fun of "solving the problem" by being a little different and trading "secret flies" with others. Who doesn't like drifting a dry fly matching the hatch over rising fish? But the 90% of the time when something isn't happening is a great time to play around.

http://flyanglersonline.com/features/oldflies/part246.php

Thanks for the link to the interesting article.

I remember Corkers. But I didn't know that some were made to look like transistors.

I haven't seen Corkers in anyone's fly box, or heard anyone discuss those for many years.

Has anyone tied cork-bodied flies? I wonder how they shaped the cork bodies?

It might be interesting to tie some flies with cork bodies, but otherwise dressed like a Letort grasshopper or cricket, or a Stimulator, with hackle palmered over the cork.

I carry about 30 cork bugs with me at all times.

Do you make them? Is there any place to buy them?

Yes I make them with materials left over from years gone by. No one sells it now. My father is a master at making them, I’m not as good as him. Certain colors do work better. The late Bob Runk gave us a tip on a strange color back in the 80s that works well too. The design is linked to his background as a chemist.

You mentioned the sinking inch worm being effective. In NCPA we see some green inchworms that sink when they hit the water and other ones that float. When I see one at streamside I test them to see which type is around and I pick the fly that matches the behavior of the natural.

 

[RLeep2]

There's some memories there... I knew Bob Runk, not well, but saw him often when I was involved with state TU stuff in the 80's and on into the 90's. Bob was a good guy..

Somewhere in the blizzard that passes for my fly tying area, I still have an envelope of 30-40 3/16" diameter (I think they are..) by 1 1/2 inch balsa cylinders that I used to poke a needle up through a pair of them , one longer than the other, then mount them on a piece of 12 lb. Stren and seal them in place with a hot needle. Space them out right and lash them on a #14 dry fly hook and put a turn of black hackle on the waist and made the old McMurray Ant. At first, I would paint them with black Testors, but after a while I just started using a black laundry marker. I caught a pile of fish in PA and North Carolina on them.

I may have to find them and make a few. I think they're in the 3rd drawer on the left hand side of my cubbyhole, probably under the dove feathers and Chukar skin my buddy gave me. At least that's where I hope they are. I don't really know..🙂