Aquatic Fish Food - Food for Thought

Aquatic Fish Food Food For Thought

Food for Thought... If you plan on tying flies it is a good idea to know all the insect parts and proportions. They are often imitated in fly patterns. Why not pick an insect and see if you can plan your own unique fly?	Use various materials to mimic insect parts.
Food for Thought... Often a glass bead or some fine silver wrap is used when tying a pupa larva fly. What is this trying to imitate?	The air bubble that the pupae trap to help them rise to the surface.
Food for Thought... The midge larva is often called a bloodworm. Why do you think that is?	The bloodworm is often reddish in colour because they have hemoglobin in their system. Humans have hemoglobin in their blood too. It helps absorb and carry oxygen. It is what gives our blood the bright red colour. It also gives the chironomid larva the colour and the name "bloodworm".
Food for Thought... Trout love eating chironomid pupae, even though they are small and a lot are needed for a meal. Why do you think trout love them so much?	When chironomids hatch, they often all hatch at the same time, so there are lots of them in the lake at once. They are also nutritious and do not swim, so they make an easy meal.
Food for Thought… On lake bottoms, the Caddisfly larva can easily stay safe in its protective casing. But on stream and riverbeds, they may be knocked free by the current. How could you use this information when fly fishing?	Mimic the protective casings when there are abundant larva in the lake or river.
Food for Thought ... Fish often swat at the caddis adult and drown it before it comes back to eat it. Why do you think that the fish does this rather than just gulping it down right away?	When there is a hatch, there is too much food for the fish to capture right away. By drowning the insects, the fish can come back later to feed.
Food for Thought... Scud colouring changes depending on the environment. Why would they tend to be light-coloured when weed growth in the lake is low?	There is less chlorophyll in their diet, so they stay light in color. Also their colouring may change to match their surroundings for camouflage
Food for Thought… Fish far prefer eating Waterboatmen to other members of the Corixidae family of insects. Why would this be?	Because they are easier to catch.
Food for Thought… The use of gasoline boat engines on lakes will reduce Mayfly populations. This has only a small affect on the fish in British Columbia, because they do not appear to be an important food source for fish here. But what other effects might it have?	Mayfly may be important food for other species, such as birds. When their numbers drop, the birds may need to go elsewhere to feed, or feed on different insects.


Back