The question here is not gear or fly but what had been tradition on steelhead rivers all through the NW and BC for many, many years before the recent change over the last 5 or 6 years.
From what Ive gathered from talking to the old timers and they were the ones that taught me about the tradition of moving through a run. That even before there were many flyfishermen on the rivers and gear was the norm that everyone moved through the run. Make a cast or two bounce the bottom and move down a few feet to cover more water. In this way you had a better chance of finding a steelhead sitting in its holding water and you gave the opportunity for others to fish at the same time. So what I'm saying here is the moving thing is not a recent flyfishing thing but one of tradition to all steelhead fishermen that have fished before us for the sport and enjoyment of it. As this tradition fades away in an era of me, me amd more me I try not to get discouraged as I'm meeting more and more guys and gals in thier twenties who fish gear or fly who do believe in the tradition and understand that steelhead fishing is sport and certain rules make for an orderly day and a more challenging day on the river.
Unless your a meat hunter I can't understand why someone would hog a spot where they were catching fish, as much as I like catching I enjoy watching friends and strangers alike hooking and fighting a fish, just makes the day a lot nicer for more people doing the same thing you are out to do.
Try moving sometime and letting someone come down behind you you might meet someone new that you would want to fish with again or enjoy a good conversation with at the end of the run.
As for Blue Creek and places like that I figure your out to kill if you fish a spot like that. Not saying that is wrong to kill hatchery fish, I do, but it just does not feel like sport fishing to me. And I hope most of us Steelhead fisherpeople here on this site are more into the sport than the killing
Latter
Land Tuna