This fly is a good representation of the Skwala Stonefly Nymph that hatches on the Bow River in early April. This fly pattern can be used for most any stonefly nymph by simply modifying the colours and size. Fishing this fly in the shallow water riffles just before a calm hole is deadly in April as the water begins to warm.
Fly Tying Video Instructions for Skwala Nymph
Materials
Size 8-10 2XL wet fly hook
#70 Ultra Olive Tying Thread
Olive Hareline Dubbing for entire body
Dark Green Goose Biots for the tail
1/8" Brown/Red Midge Flex for full back and wing case
Medium Copper Wire for Ribbing
Brown Grizzly Soft Hackle for legs
Tying Instructions
Pinch the barb and tie in a good base with the tying thread. Twist on a pinch of Hareline Dubbin Olive to the tying thread.
Create a small bump of dubbing just above the barb of the hook. This will be used to keep the tail biots nicely separated.
Tie in the goose biots on either side of the hook. Use the dubbing bump to force the biots out to obtain the "V" shape.
Attach a strip of brown/red midge flex for the full back of the nymph.
Attach the copper wire ribbing. Twist dubbing onto the tying thread to form a noodle of dubbing.
Form the abdomen and take it to the 1/2 way point on the hook shank.
Pull the midge flex forward and secure it in place on the top of the abdomen. Wrap the ribbing forward. You should attempt to receive 6-7 wraps of ribbing.
Select a brown grizzly soft hackle with barbs that about 1/2 the length of the hook shank. Strip the quill above and below a section of the feather that is the length of the thorax.
Attach the feather quill for the legs. Tie in the feather convex up with the shorter barbs to the back. Create another noodle of dubbing for the thorax.
Form a thick thorax. Make it about twice the diameter of the abdomen. Tie the dubbing off leaving plently of room to finish off the fly.
Pull the leg hackle over the top of the thorax and secure it in place.
Pull the midge flex forward over the legs to form the wing case and tie in a nice head.
A view of the fly from below. Notice the nice taper and the bold olive colour of the underbody.
Carefully apply a thin coating of head cement over the entire full back. Do not get the cement in the budding.
