Oak Leaf Worms?

[DARKSTAR]

Someone(an avid ice fisherman) was asking me about Oak Leaf Grubs in our local streams here. Apparently they are quite popular for Perch fishing and are found in the settled leaves in streams and rivers. Is anyone familiar with them? I am trying to figure out what kind of insect they are and if they are terrestrial and just end up in the water when the leaves fall or if they are actually an aquatic insect. The way he was describing them it sounds like a hellgrammite but he insists that that isn't it... Thanks for any help...

[stonefly71]

Might he been talking about crane fly larva as they are quite big?

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To each there own !

[RonMT]

I believe what you are talking about is in fact called an inchworm in the fly fishing arena. Here is a picture of one.
[url=http://www.berkscountyweb.com/Birds/inchworm_1.htm:6f145]http://www.berkscountyweb.com/Birds/inchworm_1.htm[/url:6f145]

And here is a Fly Pattern for the same fly. They are on the leaves and hang over the streams in the summer time and drop into the water were the fish love to feed on them. I have also herd them called Oakworms. I do believe this is what you are looking for. Ron
[url=http://www.flyfishingconnection.com/patterns/flies/143/Inch+Worm:6f145]http://www.flyfishingconnection.com/patterns/flies/143/Inch+Worm[/url:6f145]

[ducksterman]

Strikes me from Ron's link that a good pattern would be to just punch out a foam cylinder from a chartreuse swimming noodle [or the right colored flip flop] and tie it on a hook???

[This message has been edited by ducksterman (edited 01 April 2005).]

[Coach Robb]

I think the deer hair inch worm pattern is to stiff for the fishes mouth.I tie an inch worm using chartruese chenille like a San Jaun worm with a hump( put a twist in the chenille and only tie it in at the front and the back of the scud hook). This works great on Gills in the Fall.

[RonMT]

Coach can you explain why you think the deer hair inchworms are to stiff? I have used them and also many extended body Elk and Deer hair drakes and Damsel flies and find they work very well. I have never seen were they stopped me from hooking a fish? Maybe you got one that had wire in the tail or mono? The ones I tie are just Elk or Deer hair and nothing more. I do like Inchworms tied with foam they float well. But at times the fish like them underwater and then a chenille one will work well. Ron

[Coach Robb]

The one's that I have tied are almost like a stick. Probably over worked or over dressed.The fish seem to hold a softer fly in their mouth longer which helps with my slower reflexs.

i use lots of elk and deer hair for extended bodies, and have never had a problem with it being too stiff. coach robb--perhaps you making too many wraps around the extention?? i can see where this might add stiffness, as i do it on my mallard flank extended bodies to add more stiffness.

[Taxon]

Inchworms are terrestrial moth larvae of family Geometridae. Unlike typical caterpillars, they have functional abdominal prolegs on only their 6th and 10th abdominal segments.

As a result, they have evolved to move by lifting the rear part of their body and forming a half loop of it; lowering and anchoring their abdominal prolegs with hooks called crochets; straightening their body, thereby moving the front of it forward.

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Taxon
[url=http://FlyfishingEntomology.com:b9d13]FlyfishingEntomology.com[/url:b9d13]

[ny angler]

Now being an ice fisherman I have used oak-leaf grubs . They are black and will be almost translucent after being in the water for a while.They are a large grub probably 1/4 inch in diameter and found only in streams that don't dry up and littered with oak leaves .I have been told they are a crane fly larva.Then again when brought up at a FFF meeting I was told I was wrong ... but then again the smart one couldn't prove I was wrong or how he decided I was wrong ... got to love meeting the god of entomology >

[This message has been edited by ny angler (edited 02 April 2005).]