Whilst bass fishing the South Branch Potomac toward Moorefield in Hardy County, a glance down through the clear water revealed a golden trout in this otherwise warmish water. Startled, it was muttered, “How’d that thing get here?” The youngster being paddled quickly responded, “It swam.”

Truer words were never spoken. It’s for that reason that we never know what we’re going to run into out there. Point being, stocked and other trout must quickly move from here to there to find a niche with all the ingredients for survival. So just fishing the stocking days or stocking points alone is going to seriously hamper your success.

There is an unwritten rule about finding and seeking your own brook trout streams as opposed to asking where they are. It’s kind of like you should always be helpful, but you don’t have to reveal your favorite hole or brookie stream.

For another point, trout can be as ferocious as they can be finicky. Fish for the finicky times and the ferocious feeding times will take care of themselves. Lighter lines and smaller, slow-fished baits are a plus, especially during colder temperatures and high water times.

Keep experimenting with different baits and presentations. If the fish aren’t biting, there’s an old saying: “You’re going to have to eat it for them.” You do that by getting it to pass all but right into their mouth. Likewise, if you’re not hanging up and snagging, you’re probably not doing it right.

Along those lines, a senior streamside fly-fishing lady once rendered some sage advice. Upon telling her of all the unsuccessful trials, tribulations, leader and fly changes, she quickly offered the following: “It sounds like you’re doing it right.” That was taken as a compliment.

Conversely, the bass guys come armed for bear with several rods locked and loaded with different baits. Though one rod is plenty for trout, a smorgasbord of baits should always be carried along. This doesn’t mean you can’t have your favorites. A selection of trout spinners or other artificials like small jigs, salmon eggs, mealworms and garden worms can all easily fit in a small fishing bag.

Minnow fishing is becoming a lost art. Don’t rule it out. For certain low-flow times of the year, you may be challenged to catch anything but on a fly. If that’s what it takes, do it. If you can bait-fish, you can fly-fish. Again, it’s not about being elite, it’s about what catches fish.

Biologist Shingleton also beams with pride at the average trout stocking size in relation to some other states. In fishing, size does matter with 12-inch fish now the average stock size early in the stocking season, which gradually increases toward 13 to 14 inches all the way through May.

Shingleton also provided the prior year’s hatchery and trout production rundown that anglers can expect a sequel to. How does 1.2 million trout each averaging two-thirds of a pound sound?

That’s what you can expect from the combined output of eight hatchery or rearing sources. The popular rainbow variety makes up nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of the fish numbers. Brook trout are the next closest at 24 percent of the total, with brownies and the West Virginia annual favorite “golden” varieties rounding it out at 6 percent apiece.