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!!

Jason Lanier
Latest posts by Jason Lanier (see all)