RiverBum

  The skwala belongs to the family of stoneflies. Come spring, it is among the first ones to hatch. These bugs are known for their smaller, dark bodies and they crawl onto brushy areas and banks to hatch. All stoneflies go through incomplete metamorphosis, with three life stages: egg, nymph, and adult. When the skwala stonefly starts moving, that’s your cue to use big dry flies. Fishing with a skwala dry fly can provide anglers lots of opportunities and a great experience, whether you’re looking into streamer fishing or nymphing.   Early spring is the best time to nymph a small olive nymph pattern when the skwala fly starts to hatch. When you start to see trout rising, nymphs crawling on rocks, or fresh empty shucks on banks, you may want to start using a good skwala dry fly pattern. At RiverBum , we carry a great selection of flies you can use, such as Britten Jay’s Skwala Stone, which is designed to attract trout. It’s a good high floating fly for a hopper dropper rig, too.

  Stoneflies pack a large protein punch for trout.    These large insects are an important part of a trout’s diet.    The prime habitat for these nymphs is at the rocky bottom of the faster-moving areas of a river, as they require well-oxygenated and clean water to thrive.    The presence of stoneflies is normally a good indication of water quality.   Stoneflies go through an incomplete metamorphosis; depending on their species, they can spend up to three years as nymphs before becoming an adult. When they hatch, mature nymphs crawl along the bottom of the river to the shore, then crawl out of the water to shoreline vegetation or exposed rocks. When they move to the shore, they easily get swept off the bottom where they become easy prey. Adult stoneflies emerge from their old nymphal shuck to fly off eventually, with the purpose of finding a mate.   When using stonefly nymphs, make sure that they resemble actual stoneflies in that stage with their prominent two tails, two wingc