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Big Cutts and Skwalas

Sean Visintainer - 03/23/19

Idaho Cutthroat

Skwalas

Big cutts and skwalas, yes please! It's slowly starting to become that time of the year where the lethargic cutthroat begins to wake up and take notice of insects drifting by whether subsurface or in the film.

Kenyon from the shop and fishing pal Jesse were up on the Coeur d'Alene River this week for a little sunshine and R&R from the long winter. They were happy to report that there were some adult skwalas out. I had reports from a friend who fished last weekend who said he had saw some nemoura stones which are a slightly smaller cousin of the skwala, often times a skwalas pattern will work for the nemoura, or vice versa when fish are keyed in on the surface bugs.

The guys didn't have luck with dries that day and said fishing was actually very tough the first five hours of the day, but late afternoon brought success with indicator rigs. The olive variegated Pat's rubber legs have been the best producers. I wouldn't leave home without them, some peacock stones, san juans or squirmies, and some beadhead patterns to represent bwo's.

Streamer fishing has also been picking up with warmer temps. Patterns like the Rusty Trombone, Goldie Articulated, Sculpzillas, Mini Loop Sculpins and other patterns that are sculpin like or have some level of flash to them.

Dry fly fishing should start to ramp up over the next five days as the warming trend continues. Woohoo!


Skwalas
Photo by Jesse Retan


Idaho Westslope Cutthroat
Photo by Jesse Retan