do ya think they eatem?

[salvelinusfontinalis]

something i have been wondering...do you know if trout eat those water spiders? i think that is what they are called....if not, you know those things that glide or skip across the water? i have never seen trout eat those things. but you think they would. that would be a cool fly to get them on, you really wouldnt need to worry about a drag free drift.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear sal,

I've never seen a fish eat one, even sunnies, river chubs, and killies ignore them and they eat pretty much anything. I think they must taste awful to fish.

Regards,
Tim Murphy

 

[bede]

Water striders live in still water. In streams you see them along the edges where the water is still and very shallow, same type of places you find decaying leaves piled up on the bottom and whatnot.

Not the same places where you would find trout, or really any fish for that matter except perhaps minnows.

I think a predatory fish would eat one give the oppurunity, but I think the oppurunity is rare.

A water strider fly would probably be the last imation a wild trout would take. Think about it, there are mice flies for crissakes. There are flies for trout that trout rarely, if ever, eat in their lifetimes. There is a reason that there is no commercial water strider fly for trout.

 

[RRR]

I caught one of those dudes once to get a close look. I don't know if any of you have or not, but their bodies are hard as a rock. Doubt if you could kill them with a hammer. That's probably one good reason they don't get eaten.

 

[sandfly]

Water Striders give off a aroma in the water to ward off fish, so no fish don't eat them...

 

[beeber2]

Sandfly is correct, they emit some sort of fish repellent. When I see striders, I immediately move on to the next likely spot.

beeber


by sandfly on 2007/5/16 8:11:08

Water Striders give off a aroma in the water to ward off fish, so no fish don't eat them...

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

that pretty interesting. i never knew any of that. so i see a strider fly wouldnt be too good! :-D

 

[MKern]

A buddy and i were wondering the same thing.

Once, when i was younger, I went fishing to chubs in the stream in front of my house and the little f'ers would bite down on my shins if I didn't keep my feet moving. It freaken hurt.