I agree with 99.9% of what he wrote, its to the point that now allot of the guys who fish the Cowlitz river rely on side drifting and that's all they bring to the other rivers they fish. Sure its an effective technique, but there is almost no skill involved in the anglers on the boat, it all comes down to the boat operator and his skill at working the boat at the same speed as the current.
I would much rather be wading on smaller rivers off the beaten path, throwing metal to ultra aggressive steelhead.

Sure you got to cast into the right water, but that's as far as it goes....