Fly of The Week - Week 5 March 4 thru March 10 - Skwala Dry

[JohnScott]

Got to start somewhere ....



.... and then get lucky to catch a live one ....



.... to use for a model ....



.... with the fishies' point of view in mind ....



A lot of folks will never have the opportunity to fish this hatch, which makes its appearance any day now on a good number of freestone creeks and rivers in the West. It is the first good size stonefly of the year ( with the adult measuring around .65 to .75 inches ) and brings out a hatch of rafts and drift boats to rival the hatch of skwalas.

Because the skwala has a somewhat limited range and is a stranger to many fly anglers, it is a bigger challenge, perhaps, than most FOTWs. Thus the models. It will be interesting to see what you all will do with this one.

John

P.S. I haven't fished the FEB Skwala yet, but I do have a high level of confidence in this yet unproven pattern since it is based on several other FEB flies which have been very productive.

[ScottP]

Bullet Head Skwala

• Hook: Dai Riki 280 #8
• Thread: Danville Flat Wax Yellow
• Egg Sac: 2mm foam black (folded)
• Body: Furry Foam olive
• Rib: tying thread
• Underwing: landscape fabric (trimmed to shape)
• Head/wing: Deer Hair olive (tied bullethead style; trimmed underneath)
• Legs: Sili Legs Olive/black flake
• Indicator: 2mm foam yellow

No first hand experience with this fly, but John was kind enough to test drive it with some success. Thanks to Larry (sagefisher) and John for some photos of flies and actual bugs; helped a lot.


Regards,
Scott

[JohnScott]

Oh, yeah .... about that recipe thing.



Hook - TMC 2312 size 14
Body - one strand olive and one strand stone brown antron furled
Legs - Montana Fly Co. small speckled brown centipede legs
Wing - deer hair died dark brown
Head - dark brown deer hair tied bullethead style

John

[Byron haugh]

Nothing like making it a challenging insect!!!!
I like both of the ones above.

[JohnScott]

Here is Scott's bullethead skwala in action - on the Lochsa on 5-23-11 during runoff a couple weeks before the runoff peaked and when the river was really ripping. I think it got taken as a golden stone, but it did get taken.



John

P.S. This is what "really ripping" looks like ...

[rainbowchaser]

I think I should have just passed on this week but I researched the bug and came up with a fly that would probably catch at least some fish. I don't think I would ever tie another like it. The dubbed body is definitely too slender and the yellow hackle dominates instead of suggesting the yellow markings on the insect. Some kind of yarn is probably what's needed. The grey antron underwing is supposed to suggest the transparency of the real wing. The overwing appears to be too heavy. The moose mane tails can be omitted. They disappear in the wing. The only thing that came out about as I intended was the black antron egg sack. I decided against trying for an improved version as I don't need a box full of flies for a hatch that I'll never fish.

[JohnScott]

Nothing like making it a challenging insect!!!!....

Thought you would be up to the challenge of creating a skwala dry of your own, Byron, especially since this weekly FOTW thing was your idea.

You do still have a couple days.

John

[Byron haugh]

Never seen the particular hatch (at least that I am aware of) and never tried to tie one. But, tried one this morning. Sometimes, you just don't tie what you want to tie - I looked at examples on the web and they were all over the place on material, color, etc.
Anyway, enjoy chuckling at this: