Ray,
in smaller streams, look for slots or deeper runs in the riffles and run your flies through there. to be honest, i think it's better for higher, less clear water, but it's true what others have said: the trout will bite 8 feet from your waders as long as you're not tap-dancing in the stream!

i stood on a rock in a foot of water one day and caught 4 fish on four drifts out of one 2 ft. deep run. (never done it again since, but that's not part of the story!)