It's true, some clarity in the water does increase my confidence. But I'm amazed at how well fish see in turbid water. I've caught them with only 10" visibility at times. I figured out a few years ago that the main reason I prefer 3 or 4' of clarity is because it's so much easier wading when I can see where I'm putting my feet. Doing the Braille shuffle over and between the stones makes for a laborious day of stream wading. All that said, the best fish of the day came downriver where the water lost a foot or more of visibility than where we began. If I ever figure out this steelhead game, I'll be sure to write a book.