Zambi:

I agree with StlhdH20, they will whack hardware with reckless abandon...

That said, if you want to chase some on the Skagit, keep in mind the min. retention size is 20". I tried to eat one last fall...tastes like dog food..so best thing is to release them all gently (no matter the size), IMHO.

The ones I've been seeing in the Skagit lately are smaller fish than I saw last fall/winter, most in the 12"-14" category. I don't target them (hence, I won't be fishing till late Sept. when the Coho start to come in), and if I catch a few incidentally while chasing steelhead or Coho then they just get released.

They do give a good battle for a few min., and would be fun on a bug rod.

Mike