I think there is some merit to a lot of what herzog has written over the last couple years about sidedrifting, including this article, but I think his condemnation of the technique is very oversimplified.

Sidedrifting, boondogging, whatever you want to call it, is easy for even novice boat operators and fishermen to accomplish in certain kinds of water (read long and flat). However, it is anything but simple and easy in a lot of the water that holds steelhead consistently. I see people all the time with motors, new boats, etc that run into a fish here and there in long runs that hold spread out fish, but they are either ass-backwards or completely ignoring water that only skilled operators AND fishermen could fish effectively and consistently while under float. There are many runs in certain rivers that I can get people into fish where I wouldn't be nearly as effective if I hadn't spent time previously drift fishing it and knowning where to put the bait and where it needed to end up.

To me, the sidedrifting rant is really a rant about guides and their clients. In my mind, no one can seriously question the skill it takes to consistently put people onto fish while sidedrifting. With that in mind, I cant help but think that herzog's real beef is with people who never learn to "fish" but are able to catch multiple fish under the command of good operators/oarsmen and guides. I suppose that's a legit conversation too, but if it's not about that, then herzog's lost me, because I just dont think side drifting is any easier than any other technique for someone who just goes and buys their first boat and motor.

Herzog makes it sound like any joe schmoe that goes out and buys a boat, motor and a half dozen 9 foot spinning rods puts the fish that much closer to extinction because of how tragically-effective boondogging is. I agree that it is effective, but I disagree that sidedrifting has had that big of an impact on the number of fish caught or fish impacted. The problem is the number of people fishing, not any particular technique. I seriously doubt whether more or less fish would be caught if everyone was anchored casting like drones across the river or drifting like drones down the river holding on to noodle rods. Sidedrifting just changes who catches the fish, in many instances, not the number of fish being caught. Now, maybe that's un-sporting, that's a legit conversation, but I dont think this sidedrifting vs. some other technique has anything to do with the fish unless we are going to talk about how many people are fishing nowadays.

Dom