One of the interesting features of this insect is that it really doesn’t like to fly. When observing a Skwala adult you will notice that a majority of the time they lean more towards scurrying frantically from place to place without even twitching their wings.  

When the hatch is really on you can expect to see very splashy and aggressive takes from the fish because the insects will even scurry across the surface of the water in order to lay their eggs. This means that you can fish the adult similarly to any other dry fly, but skating a Skwala across a long run in never a bad call.  Similar to swinging a wet fly, skating a dry fly allows you to systematically cover a large body of water, making sure not to miss any section that could be holding that monster fish.  When skating a Skwala it’s important to keep your rod tip at eye level and to add a constant twitch as to keep the fly on the surface. 

Where To Fish?

One of the best known fisheries for the Skwala stonefly is the Yuba River in between Parks Bar and Englebright Reservoir. This section of water is known for its hard fighting, healthy rainbows and this is one of the few times of year where even the big fish will be looking up for their next meal.  Another colder option for amazing Skwala fishing would be the Truckee river, where I would mostly focus on fishing the nymph stage with the occasional switch to a Skwala dry. Many of California’s mountain streams like the Truckee and Feather have Skwala Stones. 

Our Favorite Skwala Adult Patterns