B Mac,

Two thoughts on this. First, it's hard to get a good set on any fish straight downstream if it is just stopping the lure, as steelhead are prone to do, instead of chasing and striking, as silvers often do. I've had the same experience with flies. I get them under this circumstance most often by delaying the strike, and actually extend my rod arm toward the fish to create a smidgen of slack, hoping the fish turns or drops back into its lie, and then come back on it hard. The second thought is that this wasn't quite as much a problem back in the fiberglass rod days, since even the butt sections were so much softer than almost any graphite rod today. The rod is so quick, you have to give the fish time to turn or drop to avoid pulling the hook away from the fish.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.