I played "Hookie" today for my birthday and went to the North Toe River in Spruce Pine, NC.  The river was up a little from snow runoff?  Yes, there was still some snow on the mountain sides.  The runoff had the water stained some also but, that didn't bother the trout.  I started the day using my Brown Trout bugger, an egg, and a Rainbow Warrior.  I picked up a few fish but I had to work for them.  I decided to experiment a little and switched from the Rainbow Warrior to a blue pickpocket.  From that point, it was ON!  The blue PP and the egg were getting most of the action.  When I noticed my BT bugger was a little tore up I switched to a cream colored bead head bugger.  That got a lot of action too.  If you're looking for some "Pigs" the North Toe is the place.  I had 6 trout 18" and bigger including 18" Rainbows (2), 19" Rainbow, 19" Brookie, 20" Brookie, and the last fish of the day was a 23-24" Rainbow!  It was getting dark and I figured I couldn't do any better than that! (photo attached)

What worked today for me were a size 8 cream colored bead head bugger, size 12 egg, and a size 16 or 18 blue pickpocket. 

Mike White and I both had a 'Grand Slam' on Wilson Creek today.  Brookie, Brown and lots of Rainbows.  Some of the holes and runs that previously trips had fish stacked up in them were bare today but, there was still trout to be found.  We just had to look a little harder.  Mike was the 'Pig' Master today with a 21" Rainbow and another slightly smaller but FAT Rainbow.  I had a real nice Brookie.  Between us we landed 42 fish on a nice day.

The water is still 38-40 degrees, a little lower than last month and clear.  There's no ice now either.

I landed fsih on my Brown Trout bugger, egg pattern, a Tungsten Rojo Midge, pickpocket, and (of course) Barr Emerger.  Mike was using an Olive bugger, pickpocket, and (after watching me) Barr Emerger.

Gorgeous sunny but breezy day with air temps up to hi 30s and water temps mid 30s.
Water flow 178 cfs level 2.38.  I saw only one other fisherman who left at noon.  Judging from the tracks in the snow I was fishing a lot of water that had not been fished since the last snow.  Caught 3 nice fish including a brute with the snagle jaw of the maturing adult. Two of the fish were in surprisingly fast pocket water in the heads of pools and one was in long deep pool.  Was using beaded nymphs and wd 40s.
The other fisherman reported caught two in the fast water at the head of a pool on Wooly boogers

beaded nymphs and wd 40s.

Small stream that is hatchery supported

I-77 north to Dobson Exit 93