The local stocked trout streams and delayed harvest areas are currently high and discolored from the snow runoff. I expect them to be clear and fishable by the first of the week.
Stocked Trout Streams Fishing Tip once the levels drop:
Big Stoney Creek west of Edinburg, Back Creek, and Passage Creek all have good midge hatches now and many of the large trout are feeding well upon them. The flies I mentioned last week are very effective. For drys, I like the Mr. Rapidan Midge size 18 and 20, the Griffith Gnat size 16 & 18, the Murray's Bronze Stonefly Dry size 18 and Murray's Little Dark Stonefly Dry size 18. Good flies for those trout feeding on the natural emerging midges are the Mr. Rapidan Olive Soft Hackle size 16, Copper John Zebra size 16 & 18, and Copper John Black size 16.
Since we are fishing small flies on 7X leaders to large selective trout I would like to share some of the fine points I find helpful.
When I'm fishing dry midges I dress the whole leader with S.A. Fly Floatant. I also cut a 1/8 inch of S.A. Indicator and slide it onto my compound Knotted Tapered Leader 4 feet up from the fly. I use this to help me locate my small dry fly on the stream (not as a strike indicator). The trout feeding on small natural midges are very particular how our dry flies float on the stream. They will not take our dry flies if they are dragging unnaturally so I use a Puddle Cast or a Lazy S Slack line presentation.
When I am fishing a dry midge or an emerging midge I set the hook with a slip strike in order to protect the 7X leader. With this strike I hook even the largest trout solidly and do not break the 7X tippet. As soon as I hook the trout I quickly crank in all of the slack line and "put the trout on the reel." This prevents the slack line from becoming wrapped around something and breaking the leader. By keeping my reels set on the lightest drag setting and positioning myself so I'm fighting the trout upstream I can land the largest trout easily. When I'm fishing a large trout I keep the rod pointed 45 degrees to the side parallel to the stream. This way if I find myself with the rod tip pointing straight up when fighting a large trout the fish often dives straight to the stream bottom where he can easily wrap the tippet around something and break free.