Stocked Trout Streams Fly Fishing Report - January 26, 2019

Update January 26--The local streams such as Big Stoney Creek in Edinburg and Passage Creek in Fort Valley are full but fishable.  Passage Creek was just recently stocked.  

After the streams return to normal levels you can still get some great action on cress bugs and shrimp patterns as I discussed last week. Here is a tip if you are going to be fishing a larger trout stream--say 20 feet or wider. The warmest water is going to be downstream on the side of the stream from which the spring enters. This rich green weed-growth in the stream and around the spring on the bank is indicative of large concentrations of cress bug and shrimp and warmer water during the winter.

When I fish these wide streams below the springs I enter the stream on the side opposite of the spring and straight across from it. I cast my Shenk's Cress Bug across stream so it lands right below the spring. After it sinks deeply I swim it slowly back across the stream bottom with a short twitching action. By wading slowly down the stream and pausing every several feet to repeat this tactic I usually catch some large trout. I can usually depend on this being productive for at least 200 feet downstream from the spring.

Both the Bullpasture and the lower part of Big Stoney Creek provide this fishing during the winter.