Have you ever wondered to yourself, "Just what does it take to turn a
early season trout from his cold, dark, rushing lie?" If you have,
you're a lot like the rest of us head-scratching bums who brave the
late February and early March cold to get a chance at the great spring
hatches and some big spring fish.
Well, wonder no more, because there is an answer and it's called
Berry's Super Stone Skwala. A tremendous imitation of the Pacific
Northwest's favorite early springtime bug, the skwala stonefly, in its
nymph life stage, this fly means business. With a gracefully bent
shank, a realistic series of dark wing pads, heavy bead head, and buggy
biot legs, Berry's Super Stone Skwala can turn even the most
bleary-eyed winter-weary trout from the coolest springtime holes.
Specifications:
- This fly pattern was developed by Brian Berry, a long-seasoned Idaho-based fly fishing guide and fly tyer
- Skwala stonefly imitation in the nymph life stage
- Use as either an impressionistic searching fly or as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch
- Drift the fly through different water types; faster riffles and shallower water near the banks of a river with moderate to slow currents are the most productive water types for this fly
- Skwala stoneflies are available to trout during the early season (February – April) in stretches of trout water in Montana and Washington
- Hatches occur consistently and with long duration throughout the daylight hours
- Strikes on skwala stoneflies are often far from subtle because trout must often be prepared to rip these strong clingers from their rocky homes
- When approaching a shallow water environment with a stonefly imitation, be extremely careful not to spook happily feeding trout
- SIZE 10
When and Where to Fish Berry's Super Stone Skwala
This medium to large sized stonefly nymph can be fished as either an
impressionistic fly pattern when searching for trout or as a realistic
imitation when matching the hatch. When searching, fish this fly in
riffles, well defined current seams, areas below faster currents, and
near exposed rocky structure and streamside vegetation. Shallow water
near the river bank will also be productive when fishing a skwala
stonefly hatch, so be sure to survey the scene thoroughly. These nymphs
do not possess strong swimming ability, however, and are often swept
into the main current’s drift – look for these floating specimens in
the main drift as well as shallower, less energetic water near
sheltered areas. Prior to and during emergence, an angler will easily
spot these nymphs crawling from the rocky depths to the shallower water
along the river bank and eventually to the surface of exposed rocks and
vegetation to shed their shucks and hatch into winged adults.
How to Fish Berry's Super Stone Skwala
Fish this fly in a variety of water types; a popular strategy is to
fish these patterns on a dead drift right through the main current –
drifting an emergent or adult skwala stonefly through faster riffles,
current seams, and the slower water just below these areas can yield
excellent results. Stonefly nymphs emerge after crawling to the safety
of the shoreline rather than shedding their nymphal shucks in the
water’s surface film like mayflies. This pre- and during-emergence
behavior renders shallower streamside water quite productive just prior
to and during a skwala stonefly emergence and hatch. Skwala stones make
themselves available on trout water in Montana and Washington
throughout the day during the months of February, March, and April.
When they are active, trout prey on them hungrily and voraciously, so
don’t be surprised when you feel an aggressive take – set the hook
confidently and with care if you happen to be fishing with lighter
leaders and tippet material!
Skwala Stonefly
Skwala stoneflies are large aquatic insects native to stretches of
water in Montana and Washington. The thickest populations of these
olive and olive brown or black stoneflies can be found in the
Bitterroot region of western Montana and throughout trout water in
Washington. The skwala is a crawling stonefly that can often be
mistaken for smaller specimens of the more common and widespread black
stonefly due to its similar physical appearance. Skwalas are active
throughout the day in their native range throughout the early season
months of February, March, and April. The heaviest and most productive
hatches of skwala stoneflies occurs during March when waters tend to
reach and surpass 50 degrees, the ideal hatching temperature for these
bugs. Adult males of the species can be easily identified by their
intriguing lack of wings, and female adults are easily seen darting
above the water’s surface, carefully depositing their eggs in the
surface film. Skwalas have become increasingly popular with die hard
early season fly fishers in Montana and Washington looking to cash in
on a classic mid-afternoon hatch of protein rich skwalas.
Skwala Stonefly Nymph Life Stage
During its nymph and emerger life stages, these crawlers are most
commonly found in the medium to fast water of riffles and higher energy
current seams. Prior to and during a hatch, these large sized olive
colored nymphs can also be found in low energy backwaters, eddys, and
other shallow streamside environments. Skwala stonefly nymphs thrive
among the cool, well-oxygenated water of rocky riffles and these nymphs
are most vulnerable to trout when they are either swept up by strong
currents or when they leave their rocky homes to hatch into winged
adults from the safety of the shoreline. Their swimming ability is
quite weak and these nymphs expose themselves by making adventurous
crawling trips away from safety just before emergence and subsequent
on-land hatching. Skwala stones are an important hatch on many rivers
in Montana and Washington State, and are especially prolific in the
Bitterroot region of Montana.
About the Tyer: Brian Berry
In addition to tying fantastic flies for Umpqua Feather Merchants,
Brian Berry spends his time guiding clients out of the legendary Teton
Valley Lodge, which he owns with his brothers, Randy and Matt. Life in
the Rocky Mountains has been good to Brian and has allowed him to chase
his passion for fly fishing. Fly tying came with the territory of his
guiding business and Brian has excelled in the craft. One of his more
well known and well loved fly patterns is the Super Stone, an excellent
stonefly nymph imitation available in a range of productive colors.
Brian's love of fly fishing shines clearly in his work on and off the
water, and the angling community is better for it.
Leland on Umpqua
In
1972 a man named Dennis Black and his fly tying skills found themselves
in high demand. Mr. Black, then a professional production fly tyer, was
famous in the industry for his unsurpassed skill and speed with
whipping up tremendously beautiful and precisely constructed flies. It
wasn’t long until this young fly tying superstar realized that he ought
to take his consistent approach to quality to the next level. Shortly
after this realization, a small army of fly tyers had banded together
to support Mr. Black’s vision. With the likes of Dave Whitlock, Jack
Dennis, and Andy Puyans, Mr. Black was officially in business.
Dennis
Black’s new company Umpqua Feather Merchants quickly extended its reach
and fly production capabilities with expansion into India, Sri Lanka,
and Thailand, where the world’s first and full blown “fly tying
factories” were built. Since those early days, only the highest
standard of excellence has marked Umpqua and this commitment to quality
and efficiency continues to spur the company forward. Dennis Black’s
innovative vision for “fly production” has truly revolutionized how the
fly industry operates and has ultimately made the majority of
production flies better. From the first “royalty system” for rewarding
the most creative professional fly tyers to streamlining production
systems and offering a range of other products, Umpqua Feather
Merchants just seems to “do it all.”
Today, Umpqua Feather
Merchants is without a doubt the world’s best and most prolific
supplier of hand tied fly fishing flies as well as fly tying hooks and
materials, and they recently got better! Umpqua’s brand new, state of
the art headquarters in Louisville, Colorado marks another paradigm
shift in the way fly tying business is done. From its vast warehouse to
its specially designed inventory management and tracking system, Umpqua
is poised to continue its energetic trajectory and lead the way for the
next generation of flies and fly tyers.
Umpqua on Umpqua
"As
you may or may not know, we're the largest producer of quality
hand-tied flies in the world. We also make available through your local
fly shop a wide array of the finest fly-tying hackle and Tiemco hooks.
At
Umpqua we offer everything the angler needs to a have a first class
fishing experience. (Everything that is, but the water and the fish.)"
Umpqua on Dennis Black and the “Obvious Quest”
“The
idea first took shape in the hands of our founder, Dennis Black, back
in 1972. As a fast and facile professional fly tyer, Dennis was known
for his skill and speed at producing hundreds of dozens of flies each
year for the larger mail order houses. But he was also quick to realize
how fast the demand for excellent flies would outstrip the abilities of
cottage industry types like him.
The Obvious Quest: To create
excellent flies in sufficient supply – without sinking his standards.
In response, Dennis developed (with characteristic care) a methodical
plan: First, he enlisted the tying expertise of the likes of Dave
Whitlock, Jack Dennis, Andy Puyans and others, to help him set the
standard of excellence for Umpqua flies.
Next, Dennis
established the first of what would eventually be five separate
fly-tying “factories,” first in India, then in Sri Lanka, and finally
in Thailand. The primary focus at each of these factories was on
producing the very best fishing flies possible, constructed of the very
best materials available. From the beginning, the quantity of flies
produced was secondary to the quality and excellence of each fly
pattern. These high standards were assured by the personal involvement
of the fly designers themselves, and by the ever-increasing skill,
imagination and creativity of the Umpqua production fly tiers. Today,
you will find no flies more skillfully tied than those available from
Umpqua Feather Merchants.
Finally, Dennis created a system of
royalty payments, to reward professional tyers like Whitlock, Lefty
Kreh, Randall Kaufman, Larry Dahlberg, and Bob Popovics for uniquely
good patterns.
The Result: Today, Umpqua produces umpteen
thousand dozen flies, from micro-scopic midge imitations to the huge
patterns favored by marlin and sailfish. And the "Umpquality" – you’ll
see for yourself.”