I had a day off today so I decided to give the Skagit a try....and what a day it was!!

I bank fished several spots between Concrete and Marblemount. In total, I managed to catch&release 5 nice dollies and 2 native steelies.

One steely was about 12lbs and the other was a 36 inch buck full of piss and vinegar. It took me 15 mins to land and the damn fish tried every trick in the book to throw the hook. It jumped, ripped line off my reel so fast I thought my reel was gonna explode, raced towards me faster than I could reel , and then when I finally got it in close for a tail grab it went bezerk not once, but 3 separate times. I know I'm not the only one that has lost many a steely when they do the "head-shaking, shake-the-hook swirly move" in the shallow water. When they do that, what else can you do but pray to the fish gods. Anybody who says there is no appreciable difference in size and fighting ability between hatchery and native steelhead needs there head examined.

I thought I would just share my fish story to anybody that needed some good news.

Good luck fishing and keep those lines tight!

One thing I've found effective for the "head shaking, shake-the-hook swirly move" is to give to the fish a little. Don't give them slack by any means, just simply extend your arms and maybe lower the rod tip without losing tension. This also works when a fish is downstream facing you and is on the surface thrashing it's head back in forth (the thought makes me cringe). You're basically just giving them the ol' pump fake.
It's a move that I try to cover with my peeps during the lulls between fish. I can't tell you how many plugs, spoons, drift gear, and pencil lead I've eaten because of this very same move. See ya on the river, Tailwalk.

I believe you are referring to a technique called " bowing to the fish" properly named and almost always critical for staying connected. Good advice!