Peter Charles wrote

(Jonathan Cook) wrote:

JR wrote:

our steelhead here tend to be much less leader shy
(especially to swung flies) than yours can be. This is true even in
clear
water. Are PNW fish more aggressive? dumber? who knows.....

Warmer water.

I'd say you hit the nail on the head . . . .

I don't think so. Standard tippet size for summer steelhead fishing in
Oregon is 8 to 12 lb (generally 0X to 3X, depending on the brand), but the
traditional leader for winter fishing, with sink tips, is a short (4-5 ft)
Maxima leader, ending in 12 lb (.013") or 15 lb (.015") tippet. Folks
rarely go thinner in winter.

JR