What Fish Eat
Aquatic insects make up the majority of a fish's diet. The four key insect orders (listed first and not including Streamers or Terrestrials) that emerge from streams and lakes are:
Small but Abundant
Often overlooked by the angler, the family of non-biting midges is the most diverse and abundant single family of aquatic insects. With over 1000 species in North America, midges out number some of the aquatic orders. Non-biting midges often account for as much as 50% of the species present in a community of freshwater invertebrates. It's possible for the abundance of midges to reach 50,000 larve per square meter in the deep water of a lake.
One of my favorite wilderness animals is the chironomid midge...
a combination of utility and beauty few organisms rival. Chironomid
larvae live in tubes in lake-bottom ooze: they spin webs in the tubes
and pump water through by undulating their bodies. Millions of
larvae reduce the stagnation of deep, cold water, oxygenate the mud,
and circulate nutrients for use by other organisms. After months
of this worthy toil, the larvae pupate and go to heaven, so to
speak, emerging from floating pupal cases as tiny, diaphanous flies
that swarm above lakes every evening in the millions--throngs
that catch the light, billow in the breeze, and otherwise behave as
prettily as falling snow.
The Klamath Knot by David Rains Wallace
Midge Larva
| Pattern Name | Color | Hook Size | Thumbnail Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brassie | Copper Body | # 20 | 
|
| WD40 | Olive Green Body | # 20 | 
|
Midge Pupa
| Pattern Name | Color | Hook Size | Thumbnail Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chan's Chironomid Pupa | Black Body / Silver Ribbing | # 20 | |
| Serendipity | Red Body | # 20 |
Midge Adult
| Pattern Name | Color | Hook Size | Thumbnail Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parachute Adams | Gray Body | # 16 | 
|
| Griffiths Gnat | Dark Green Body | # 20 | |
| Renegade | Dark Green Body | # 16 | 
|
Photo of October Caddisfly by P. Michael Carl © The Ecological Angler
