I always have some on hand for just these everyday occasions on-stream. The situations in which black doesn't show up well are when dark backgrounds like hills and trees are the dominant lighting backdrop. This is generally the case when one is float fishing and casting in toward the shore, or when on smaller waters where the sky is rarely reflected, particularly if the hillsides are steep. I don't use black wings all the time, just when the lighting conditions necessitate them. At times this is quite often, for seeing your fly and the fish is a very important aspect of small-fly fishing.
Wind is another normality on western rivers.
Learning to deal with it is a must. You not only must learn to cast in the wind but also learn firsthand how wind affects trout behavior. Most trout don't like rising in the wind, though they make exceptions for certain food items. There are hatches that are nullified by wind, and others that come off just the same, with the trout still taking them. Perhaps the most noticeable food item taken in the wind at least in the public eye are hoppers.