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3. Do trout eat Striders?

I was fishing on this private pond that was made from a diversion of Beaver Creek by the southeast corner of the Pecos Wilderness in New Mexico. Previous trips I did very well with parachute adam's and royal wolff's. I wasn't getting any bites and then noticed all the water striders in the water. I had read that trout don't often go for striders (don't know if true or not). I have never seen a "strider" pattern in any terrestrial section of flies. I put a black foam beetle on and the first cast I caught a 14" inch brown. The very next cast I caught the biggest rainbow I've ever caught in this area. He fought me so hard it bent the hook on the fly. So it seems to me that trout go after striders and I say this because the foam beetle I used had four legs coming off of it and it somewhat looked like a strider. Why are there no strider patterns, or is there and I just haven't found it yet?
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Hi Ryan-

I believe the reason you have never seen a water strider pattern is because: a) water striders are so adept at avoiding being taken by fish that the fish learn early on that chasing them is a waste of time, and b): because fly tiers don't waste their time tying flies that are not productive. It is also said that water striders have an extremely bitter taste, but I have never been tempted to verify that for myself. :-)

Yeah I’ve seen a ton of them on the Neversink and never have I seen a trout go after one

Yes, I think it's just a coincidence that there were water striders there and fish were taking a beetle. Trout love beetles, and seem to go for them everywhere. A lot of protein in a fat beetle, vs. a slim mayfly.

No trout don't eat Sliders. People do though.

Suggest readers use their favorite browser and do a search using "the effects of trout on water striders in streams & pools", I was surprised to find that an objective study was made on this topic.