Bill, you mentioned that, in your opinion, 6 and 8 lb line was irresponsible. But you never did recommend a specific poundage that is responsible for the peninsula, and under what season and/or range of conditions it is appropriate. For both summer and winter-runs I use different "ranges" of line sizes for steelhead angling. The range during the summer is 4 to 10 lb leaders, and during the winter it is 8 to 15 lb leaders. For arguments' sake, I'll focus on the winter range, because in all honesty, you can count the number of native peninsula summer-runs I've landed on one hand over the past five years. I use a 2/0 Gamakatsu and 12 lb Maxima UG under most winter conditions. Occasionally I'll rig-up with a 3/0 and 15 lb leader, and occasionally I'll use a #1 hook and 8 lb leader. These gear choices are purely dictated by river conditions, not my quest to have "fun," so to speak. For me, the fun is the entire experience: from reading the river, making a proper presentation, the hook-up, the fight, then a native's release.

The occasions when I use 8 or 15 lb leaders are rare. I use 3/0 hooks and 15 lb leaders under extremely heavy flows and turbidity. This is tied with a very sloppy rag or rag/spin-n-glo combo. Conversely, I use 8lb leaders when the peninsula's rivers are low and clear, like all of last week. No, it does not matter if I'm in a boat or a maggot for the day, because I get out and beach all natives prior to release anyway. What it boils down to is that many factors go into a successfully releasing a native. So dissing an angler because he/she uses a certain line size, without accounting for that person's skill level or the river conditions, is feather-ruffling. I don't consider myself a "Master." But, personally, I can say that it takes about the same amount of time for me to land a comparable nate while I'm using 8lb leader in low clear water or 15lb leader during heavy flows.

Bill, I will concede, though, that using 6 or 8lb in heavy flows would probably result in a protracted fight, despite angler skill; a selfish act during March and April on the peninsula.