The Advantages of Keeping a Stream Log
According to my stream log throughout 2018, the mountain trout streams in Virginia held very good water levels. However, we did not have any powerful rock-rolling floods, even in the spring.
The beautiful little yellow stonefly nymphs live in the slow leaf jams in the back eddies on the sides of the streams and in the thick moss that coats many of the boulders below the water line. The protection this natural cover provided for the little yellow stonefly nymphs led us to expect we would have good hatches of them in 2019. As I am writing this, after fishing yesterday, I can honestly say I have never seen as heavy a hatch of little yellow stoneflies as we have now. Many pools had numerous trout rising to take the naturals. I would catch a few trout, then just sit and admire the rising trout further up in the pool. I put my rod down and got out the camera to photograph the adult flies resting on the moss covered trees beside me.
By observing nature and keeping a stream log, one can often predict future angling conditions