Best time of year.

   A lot of the streams in and around the Shenandoah Valley are in pretty good conditions right now. They are still low, but better than two weeks ago. They are still quite clear though to you're going to need to downsize your tippet. Before the front came last week, I've had luck with 22/24 Zebra Midge in black, red, and green. With these minuscule flies, I find that using a high-floating dry, like a Royal Wulff or Humpy sized around 12/10 or so takes the place of a traditional strike indicator (its a bobber, don't lie to yourself). On streams where fish are high-pressured or are finicky, using a Thingamabobber can send trout scurrying for cover. I like using the New Zealand style indicators that land more gently if I'm using an indicator at all. Why would you use 6x and 7x and then throw a giant bobber out there? Kind of counter intuitive.

   Another productive Fly is an egg fly. I'll like to use "sucker spawn" or a single egg. Orange and peach seem to be the best colors. I'll use an egg as a tip fly and then use a natural nymph below that. 

   DGIF have stocked many of the local streams, so get out before the Powerbait crowd pull them all out. The Brook trout are spawning right now so most people with the slightest sense of morals stay out of the mountains and leave them alone.