I got a chance to read a recent article in the Tacoma paper about "fly fishing" for steelhead on the Olympic Peninsula.
Link to TNT Article
Here are some quotes.
"I could see it was a steelhead, bringing a smile to my face. I also
noticed something amiss – I had foul hooked the fish in the tail. That
explained why the fairly small fish was putting up such a fight....I was now 0-for-2."
"Fancy flies aren’t always necessary to catch steelhead. A plastic bead and a bare hook often do just as well."
You decide whether this type of article is good for steelhead, the pressure on the West End rivers, or gives an accurate picture of fly fishing for winter steelhead.