The skwala is the Western fly fisher’s first true dry-fly hatch of the year.

The salmonfly is the iconic Rocky Mountain hatch — a 2–3 inch dark stonefly whose emergence triggers some of the year’s most aggressive trout feeding.

Nemouras (and the nemourid family generally) are small dark stoneflies that emerge in early spring, often a few weeks ahead of the skwala.

The golden stone is the salmonfly’s smaller cousin. Adults sport a yellow-tan to golden-amber body with darker wings, roughly 1 to 1.5 inches long.