Muddy water. High flows. What the hell. Rock Creek is up to 2000 CFS which is just blown out. This makes wading the creek pretty tough but not impossible. Fish will tend to move to slower, sloughey side channels to get out of the rapid main flows. The best way to catch these fish is a heavy nymph rig with some split shots in order to get down. 

Bugs are starting to show in a meaningful way. I’ve been seeing BWO’s pretty consistently, along with some March Browns and the occasional Caddis starting to mix in. A few caddis are starting to flutter around too, which is always a welcome sign. It’s not exactly a dry fly bonanza yet, but if you’re paying attention—especially in the afternoons when things warm up—you’ll catch fish slipping into those softer seams and tailouts to pick off bugs. You’ve got to be patient and cover water, but there are definitely shots. X-Cadis, Parachutes, Purple Haze, Beetles, Ants, Last chance Cripple, and Tilt Wing BWO's are all good options when you come up on a rising fish.

That said, nymphing is still the bread and butter right now. With the extra water and a bit of color, getting down is everything. I’ve been running heavier rigs—double bead stones, Pat’s, TJ Hookers—with a smaller dropper like a perdigon or even a worm when things feel a little off. Most of the eats are coming from deeper runs and pocket water where fish can sit comfortably and let the food come to them.

And don’t sleep on streamers. With this bit of color in the water, it’s a great time to move some fish. I’ve had luck fishing bigger stuff—sculpin patterns, Mini Dungeons, even a good old bugger—slow and tight to structure. Think undercut banks, root wads, and those darker, deeper slots. If the sun pops out, a little flash in the pattern doesn’t hurt either.