They are the dominant species in the PNW. They are displacing the Spotted owl, so they say. Always good to have owls around. They keep the rodent population in check. They are not shy.
10ft rod. Overlined I.e. if it’s a 5wt throw a 6wt. Roll casting is very effective in these situations with the over lining it really helps. That and practice.
Yeah it gets hammered. But once you got things figured out you know where to find them. I’ve literally spent a couple hours with a fish every cast. Also they just got it down to that level. As they drop it more, more fish will push up.