Water skeeter = Midge?

[Sammy]

Hey all,

Is what is commonly known as a water skeeter part of the midge family? Do male midges and water skeeters share some similar characteristics?

Often times I'll see these guys skimming across the water in slow pockets and I just can't tell what they are. I have noticed that trout do not seem interested in them. (at least on the rivers I fish)

Sometimes I'll be fishing on the middle fork stan., upper sac, etc.. and there will be millions of tiny bugs flying over the water, landing on it, but I never see fish trying to eat these guys. Are they part of the midge family?

[Darian]

I've always known them as Water Striders. They're in the order Hemiptera. Beyond that, I've never caught a fish on them and don't know anyone else that has either (not for failing to try them, tho....). Personally, I don't think the effort to imitate one is worth it. :-|

[Mike O]

This may be BS, but I remmeber reading somewhere that fish don't really eat them cuz they have a lot of hardened spiky sharp points on them.

And they can jump like no other...saw one jump 3 feet up on the bank one day...then jump back when this kid was done throwing rocks.


Yes...I was the kid

Edit...
Had too look them up. Wiki sez that fish eat them in cases of starvation...they secrete a scent to avoid predation.

Great picture at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maggia_fg26.jpg of a group of them eating a honeybee... Very cool

[KJE]

Don't know if they get eaten, but I was taking a break on the bank of a Sierra river a few years ago when something interesting occurred.

I was watching a good number of flying ants drift by when a water skeeter darted out of the slack water, grabbed one, pulled it over to the bank and started eating lunch.

Until that point I had no idea what they ate.

[fishnbeatsworkin]

According to "The Fish Bum's Guide to Catching Larger Trout" the author says that the reason water striders don't get eaten is because they produce a foul chemical that makes them taste bad.

As far as those little flies hovering over the water, I've seen the same thing on the Feather & also wondered what they were & why the trout weren't going after them. There were hordes of them everywhere, but no fish rising. I'd be interested as well if someone knows what they are

[Ralph]

As far as those little flies hovering over the water, I've seen the same thing on the Feather & also wondered what they were & why the trout weren't going after them. There were hordes of them everywhere, but no fish rising. I'd be interested as well if someone knows what they are

Those are likely midges in mating swarms. If they were hatching the fish would be making splashy rises as they chase the ascending pupae. Midges can spend hours or even days buzzing just above the water and the fish won't be interested. When these same bugs finally get over being shy and start mating and dropping to the water, the fishing will turn on. Many times a female will get gang raped by a bunch of males and they will be on the water in clumps. These clumps are way easier to imitate than the individual midge. Try a Griffith's gnat.

Regarding water striders, the posts have been spot on. They not only "jump" but can fly many miles.

[Ed Wahl]

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Wow, I got a nice little education tonight.

Thanks Sammy for posting this question and everyone else for chiming in with info.

Ed

[Chris Evison]

I think it was Andy Burk who once told me that striders are the 4th bitterest thing in world. Anybody care to try one? Let us know!

[Sammy]

Thanks for the helpful responses.

I'm not going to volunteer to try eating a strider to test for bitterness. However, if the fishing is bad enough and my flask is empty enough, I might give it a whirl.

[Sammy]

This is a video I shot. Can anybody identify the type of bug this is?

http://youtu.be/aW3hqv9UZs4

[JasonB]

Well I'm not a bug expert by any stretch, and with that video it seems kinda hard to get a clear enough view to be certain of exact species. It sure does look familiar though; looks like a great "midge" hatch as far as I can tell. Usually I've done very well when I see a lot of surface activity like that by using a zebra midge (or other midgy things). Usually I have just fished them deep, but sometimes end up getting bit on the upswing at the end of a drift. I've not yet had the pleasure of observing any trout feeding off the surface on them... fwiw
JB

[Sammy]

I havent seen trout feeding on these on the surface either. assumed they were midges. Just seems like an easy target for trout, but I didn't see one fish at the time this was happening

[JasonB]

I havent seen trout feeding on these on the surface either. assumed they were midges. Just seems like an easy target for trout, but I didn't see one fish at the time this was happening

Did you try fishing a midge pattern subsurface as well?

[Sammy]

actually yes and I did catch a few small fish and one 15 inch. (big for what we'd been catching that trip) BUT, I wasn't feeling confidence in what I was fishing. Felt like it could have just been a good spot and a good presentation. I see these hatches every now and then. Next time I will focus on sub surface midge patterns and another none midge pattern to see what happens.