You see, state hatchery trucks keep running even when rivers are high and all but unfishable. Guarantees are risky in fishing, but I'm comfortable saying that the Roanoke River, which was stocked in Salem and Roanoke late last week, is still full of trout. When the water finally abates, the river should offer some pretty good trout fishing. High water also can help solve another problem. When water is low, stocked trout often are concentrated in specific holes.
High water helps spread the fish around.
Fishing might not be as easy, but it's more satisfying. At least I hope we do. Make a phone call to a riverside tackle shop, or, better yet, check out the stream flow on the Internet. The U.S. Geological Survey's web site is a great resource for tracking flow levels of rivers and larger creeks in Virginia. Consider the watershed.