Swala Stones?

[wildnative]

http://www.worleybuggerflyco.com/insectidentifa/black_skwala_stonefly.htm

When you guys see a Skwala Stone is this what you are seeing?

[JayMorr]

Here is a better representation of it:

http://www.utahonthefly.com/entomology/stonefly/littleyellow.htm


They usually start coming off more in April and May. Hope that helps.



JayMorr

[ByteMe]

I saw one, and only one, of those Sunday on the MP.

[F/V Gulf Ventur]

Yep, those are the ones. I saw more than a few before the snow storm. On a few different rivers......

[Cary]

Swala stone? only when one flies in my open mouth.

Yummm *burp*

[Grizz]

I've taken note of all the cripple stone-fly adults this year. Anyone else notice this? I wonder if the Pseudo summer the last couple of weeks messed up their emergence………a little premature fer sure. I’ve seen a lot with un-developed wings & bodies, the nymph shucks are smaller than other years. 70 today, 39 tomorrow & 65 the day after yesterday…..;-) weird weather, angry skies……

peace

[F/V Gulf Ventur]

I only saw a few that were "normal".

[wildnative]

Swala stone? only when one flies in my open mouth.

Yummm *burp*

I don't mind swala them stones, it's when I pass them that it gets painful!!

[Marty]

I know I am going to get hammered on this one but there are no skawla’s in the Provo River drainage. Yes they look just like one and come from the same family but they are not skawla’s. The bugs you are seeing on the Provo are more than likely a Perlodinae or a Brachypteryinae. The early or winter stoneflies never develop mature wings. Some of the early stones only have half a wing. They are not cripples they just never fly. I have seen them hatch with 2 feet of snow on the bank. This week I saw two different adult stones both had egg sacks, one had full wings and the other had the short wing. One had a thick body and one was very thin. When ever I see a stone or two and a very aggressive rise I will switch to a black stone dry and give the fish a few casts. I have had some great days during this hatch, you just have to be in the right place at the right time.

I don’t have a problem with calling the early stones skawla’s its no different than calling all the early mayflies BWO’s. I guess for me insect identification is kind of a lost part of fly fishing and I hate to see it fading away.

[FishOn!]

I don’t have a problem with calling the early stones skawla’s its no different than calling all the early mayflies BWO’s. I guess for me insect identification is kind of a lost part of fly fishing and I hate to see it fading away.

I'm very curious, are not all the early mayflies Baetis? If not, what is the scientific and common name for them? I really want to get into entomology more. When I first started fly fishing I had a good habit of picking up a few rocks on the river and looking what is underneath. I got lazy, but I need to get back in the habit of seeing whats below. I need to get myself something I can seine (<----spelling?) the river with too. Hey, this is getting me excited...gotta put some flava flave into your normal routine to break the monotony, even though any fishing routine never is monotonous =)

[nightfish]

FishOn, if you want to increase your bug knowledge, there are a couple of great opportunities coming up.

Saturday April 7th is the Salmonfly Relocation day on the Blacksmith Fork & Logan rivers in Cache Valley. That project is led by Dr. Mark Vinson of the USU BugLab. Vinson is one of the premiere aquatic entomologists in the country, and is very open to questions. Plus, it's just cool to play with the big bugs.

Saturday May 19th is the Wasatch Fly Tying & Fly Fishing Expo. There will be entomology clinics you can sign up for.

As for different types of "Baetis", here's what is available in some Cache Valley waters (courtesy of Dr. Vinson):

Ephemeroptera
Baetidae
Acentrella
Baetis
Baetis bicaudatus
Baetis tricaudatus
Callibaetis
Diphetor hageni
Fallceon quilleri


I hope that clears things up ;)

[Marty]

There are more but the three most common baetis on the Provo are bicaudatus, tricaudatus, and Diphetor hageni. Just look for the number of tails and the shape of the hind wing.

Sounds like the great gig up north, I wish I could attend.

[nightfish]

Just an FYI, the forum software pulled my indents on the bug list. For clarification, Ephemeroptera is not a type of baetis, but rather the ORDER that baetis fall under. Likewise, Baetidae is the FAMILY under which the individual GENUS are listed.

[ByteMe]

I know I am going to get hammered on this one but there are no skawla’s in the Provo River drainage.

According to this study, which looked at the Macroinvertebrates in the Provo down more in the Urban areas, it shows that there are Skwala (Skwala americana) in the Provo. Although, uncommon that far down river.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/r8354j5461x4w046/fulltext.pdf

"Among the Ephemeroptera, Baetis tricaudatus Dodds was the most common species at all sites, comprising 96% of all mayflies collected. It was the only mayfly at the downstream sites. Other species commonly collected at the upstream sites were Ephemerella inermis Eaton and Heptagenia solitaria McDunnough, although few of these mayflies were collected after the first year study. Common Plecoptera at the upstream sites were Pteronarcys Californica Newport, Pteronarcella badia (Hagen), Isoperla fulva Claassen, and Hesperoperla pacifica (Banks). Uncommon species included Skwala americana (Klapalek) and Claassenia sabulosa (Banks). Stoneflies were rare at the downstream sites in Surber samples."

[Grizz]

The ones I've been seeing were not on the Provo.

What are the larger ones (1-1/2" - 2" long) on the Provo (above Deer Creek)? They alomost look like a Golden with the their light olive under-belly..........

peace

[wildnative]

I'm interested in the Skwala that hatch on the Yakima in Washington state and the ones that hatch on the Bitteroot in Montana. I've done several internet searches but not finding the exact info I want. Anyone know of a detailed book or site I can hit?

[Marty]

WN
http://www.yakimariverangler.com/yakima/Bugs/stoneflies.htm

[Taxon]

WN-

The above link Marty provided is a good one. Bruce Skotland really knows the Yakima River entomology. After you have digested the Skwala information the link contains, if you should have any remaining questions, I would be happy to attempt answering them.

Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com (http://www.FlyfishingEntomology.com)

[F/V Gulf Ventur]

More information

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/insects/sfly/index.htm
Stoneflies of the United States

[wildnative]

Thanks.
Good links.
That's why I love you.