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Skwala Stonefly Dry
Tied by Don Kelly |
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Abdomen Hackle: Cree or brown dry fly hackle
Thorax Hackle: Dark Olive Squirrel Brite or similar coarse bright
dubbing
Over Wing: Dun elk hair
Middle Wing: Dun Flysheet or matched duck wing quill sections
Under Wing: Dun Z-Lon or Antron
Rib: Fine gold wire
Thread: Olive 6/0
Body: Olive Antron, Hairton or similar bright dubbing
Tail: Olive Z-Lon or Antron
Hook: Tiemco 200R, 3XL curved nymph, sizes 10-12
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| Tying Instructions |
The Skwala Stonefly is one of the best kept secrets in western Montana.
Or at least it used to be a secret until a few years ago. The
Bitterroot, Lower Clark's Fork, and Blackfoot rivers all offer
pre-runoff surface action with this fly in March and April. The rivers
are low and uncrowded and the trout are eager to rise to this large fly
after dining on midges all winter. Many anglers prefer to use nymph
imitations of this insect but I prefer to fish on the surface.
- Attach the thread just behind the eye of the hook and wrap back to
bend and then forward to the 60% mark of the shank to provide for a
thread base. This is the tail tie in point.
- Tie in the tail and wrap back to just above the barb. Take two wraps
of thread under the tail to prop it up and bring the thread forward to
above the barb. Cut the tail short, about one hook gape.
- Tie in the rib and abdomen hackle with the convex or shiny side of
the hackle facing forward.
- Dub the body to 60% mark of the shank. Palmer abdomen hackle and wrap
the rib to where the dubbing ends. Tie everything off.
- Tie in the under wing of Z-Lon. Cut the under wing so that it extends
to the end of the hook, just short of the end of the tail.
- Tie in the precut flysheet, or matched duck wing quill sections,
middle wing so it just covers the Z-Lon under wing. The middle wing
should also terminate at the end of the hook. Clean up and smooth out
the wing tie in area with thread.
- Tamp a medium amount of elk hair in a hair stacker to even out the
tips and tie in this upper wing so that it extends to just short of the
flysheet middle wing. Smooth out the tie in area with thread and add a
drop of cement to help hold everything together.
- Tie in the thorax hackle with concave or dull side facing forward.
Dub the thorax area with the coarse dubbing up to the eye, palmer the
thorax hackle forward and tie off. Whip finish and cement head.
The Skwala Stonefly Dry is a cross between the Kaufmann Dry Stimulator
and LaFontaine's Double Wing. I use flysheet, a generic term for
artificial wing material, and a wing cutter for the middle wing to save
time. Properly prepared and trimmed matched duck wing quill sections
will work just as well or better but take more time. Also I prefer to
use hackle with furnace stripes, the kind with dark brown portions next
to the stem, for abdomen hackle. It provides better segmentations.
Finally, I heavily hackle this fly due to the use of a nymph hook. To
overcome this problem, I trim the bottom of both hackles to the hook
gape to ensure proper flotation and visibility to the trout. Give it a
try. Throw the fly into the slack water close to the bank and hold on
to your rod. The strikes can be savage. |
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