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Baetis

Tiny Baetis mayflies are perhaps the most commonly encountered and imitated by anglers on all American trout streams due to their great abundance, widespread distribution, and trout-friendly emergence habits.

Stream photos

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Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

Giant Water Bug Genus Belostoma (Toebiter)

Genus Range

source

Specimens of the Giant Water Bug Genus Belostoma

2 Adults

Belostoma flumineum Giant Water Bug Adult

13 Pictures

Belostoma flumineum (Electric Light Bug) Giant Water Bug Adult

I'm glad I finally got one of these Belostoma water bugs under my good camera. I had been hoping to get one in my kick-net samples for a while with no luck, but I ended up finding this one drifting midstream just below the surface while I fished. I have frequently seen water scorpions do that, too, and I'm beginning to suspect that is a common situation travel for these large Hemiptera bugs, and perhaps the way trout are used to seeing them.

Collected April 24, 2007 from the West Branch of Owego Creek in New York

Added by Troutnut on April 24, 2007

Belostoma flumineum Giant Water Bug Adult

4 Pictures

I haven't seen the imitation of these things stressed, but in August 2003 on one of my favorite rivers the largest brown trout I kept had stomachs full of these things.

Collected January 13, 2004 from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

Added by Troutnut on January 25, 2006

Discussions of Belostoma

Anyone else find these to be important?

2 replies

Posted by Troutnut on Jul 26, 2006 in the species Belostoma flumineum

Last reply on Oct 9, 2006 by GONZO

Back when I was just starting to learn to fly fish and still kept quite a few fish, I autopsied the stomachs of a couple 17-19 inch brown trout in August and found them packed with these Belostoma flumineum bugs.

I haven't tied a reasonable imitation yet, but if those fish (from a few miles apart on the same river) were so fond of them an imitation is probably a great idea. It would be good to figure out where and when these things are important.

None of the fly fishing literatue I've seen has dealt with them at all, except for mentioning their existence in passing.

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