When I was a Kid Many moons ago , the Sockeye salmon in a local Creek would lie in the shelter of a cutbank in the Shade , We would sit in the water up to our waists reach under the bank and wait till we felt one , You'd slowly run your hand down the belly ,which never spooked them suprisingly enough , back to the thinest spot at the tail and grab on . It was cold as heck and lots of times You had to quit and go warm by the fire , but it was still more successful than fishing for them . I don't think I'd want to noodle a big ole gater by mistake .