I'm a bank fisherman during most of the steelhead season and have watched a lot of boats go by.
I have rarely experienced any inconsiderate boaters on Olympic Peninsula rivers. Regardless of the river size they usually just ship the oars and drift on by putting baits/plugs/whatever again after they have cleared my water. This works very well. Thanks to all boaters who handle it this way.
On some Puget Sound rivers my experience has not been nearly as civilized. I have seen jet boaters back plugs down through the water i'm fishing, hookup, land the fish and then slam the gas to the jet and plow right back up through the drift. These guys have no thanks coming -- and do receive a glaring stare.
This is an issue that needs to be addressed however because we are in the next few years experience:
A. An increase of angling pressure (bank & boat) due to the increase in population that we know is going to happen.
B. An overall decrease in habitat and access and river bank which will be the result of "A".
While this population increase is going to be primarily in the Puget Sound basin, it will spill over to the Olympic Peninsula, Southwest Washington, etc., because more and more anglers -- and guides -- will move into these less traveled areas in an effort to find better fishing conditions.
This is not a complaint. I'm just stating the facts and the need to address this critical issue sooner rather than later.

Les Johnson