This has been talked about many times but it never hurts to revisit this issue.  The skwala season is here and with it will come crowds.  There are a handful of basic rules of the river that if everyone followed would allow us all to get along and enjoy our fishing. First one is boat prep. It would seem obvious that you should prep your boat and gear off to the side of the ramp out of the way of other vehicles trying to pass by or get to the ramp themselves.  There are people out there that like to prep there boat on the ramp and spread all their gear out like a yard sale taking up the launch for 20 minutes. Once you get your boat in the water, move it away from the ramp so others have room to launch.  Once the boat is in, park your car in an area that allows others to maneuver in and out of the ramp.  All these rules apply on your way out of the water as well. Pull your boat out away from the ramp and gear down after.

River etiquette is also important. Pay attention to bank fisherman.  If you are in a boat and can avoid the area they are fishing, then do so. If not, reel up and push by.  Check your rear view mirror. If you have someone tailgating you then pull over and let them pass.  If you are making an effort to pass another boat DO NOT pull in front and start fishing right after you make your pass.  On small rivers it is a good rule to make sure the other boat is completely out of site before fishing again.  On big rivers give them plenty of space and hit the other side but don’t pull in on the same bank they are fishing right after you make a pass.  Another one of my favorite moves people make is what we call the rubber neck.  This one mostly applies to smaller rivers.  When you see a boat anchored downstream and the people are turning around watching (rubber necking) you approach, then right before you get there they pull anchor and push out in front of you.  Don’t be that guy, let them pass.  If you have some pet peeves, let us know so we can add them.

Skwala season is here and with it will be folks from all over the country to fish this spring stonefly.  You can’t blame anyone for wanting to get out and enjoy the spring weather and this great hatch. The skwala hatch is very unique in that it is a large bug (#10) but the fishing can be actually technical. Most people associate stonefly hatches with the golden and salmon fly hatches where the water is up and the fish feed with reckless abandon.  Not the case for the skwala. The water is typically low in the spring and the pressure is high, making bug selection and presentation very critical.  

A decent brown caught on a skwala dry on St Pats day

While there are definitely days where there are plenty of easy targets, there are far more fish (the big ones) tucked in log jams, spring fed side channels, and shallow flat water that demand a precise drift and realistic fly. Also, fish tend to hold in slightly different water in early spring than they do in mid summer so the obvious water isn’t always productive.  Most of us fly anglers enjoy these challenging situations as it makes success more enjoyable. This is probably why this hatch gets alot of attention.  So if the fish aren’t eating your fly, try a different pattern and keep stroking the sweet spot.  Enjoy!!

Spring fishing is definitely here. Dries, streamers, nymphs, or whatever.  A veriety of tactics will work on most rivers.  The Root, Clark Fork, & Mo will offer the most consistant dry fly fishing.  Not much snow in the hills so flows should remain stable through April.  The Root gets most of the attention this time of year so picking a float can be tricky if you want to avoid the floatilla. We are already looking at 10 -15 boats per stretch. The lower and upper C-fork and Blackfoot can be a good way to avoid the parade but are not always as consistent with the dry fly.

Streamer brown from the Bitterrfork of the Jefferfoot 3/2/10

If you’re not out fishing this spring you should be.  With our current snow conditions it’s going to be a great spring & early summer so get out and enjoy.