How far is half-a-mile?

I've chase them from the UFZ to the lake and darn close to the Canadian border .

  Not to judge but any one that usually has to chase them that far the fish usually bites with his back or with his tail. I know there a few out there that fight like that but the majority I have seen people chasing that far the hook is rarely in its mouth. I'm sure I'm opening the flood gates but that's my 2 cents for the Salmon River.

Last year, I chased one from Clint's rock down to the end of the wall in the petting zoo.  At 64 that is as far as I go, after that, I'm tying up a new rig!
 
The UFZ guy needing his camera would definitely be making a contribution to the local municipality if the wardens had been around.  I think it is time to put together a board with a hole cut out for the person's face, of a guy with a big fish (maybe multiple boards, salmon, steellie, and brown), like on the boardwalk at Atlantic City, so everyone can have the giant fish souvenir photos to take home, they are about that meaningful anymore what with 1/0 one material "flies" and the need to carry a food scale to weigh your flies and....  Could put it down by the ramp in Altmar, lots of room for a line there, "Step right up, you pays your money, you takes your chances, get your picture with the trophy leviathan, and a little cupie doll for the missus....." 
 
As to HT's chase, I have an old friend who was out trolling about 8 miles offshore and the engine quit.  He hooked his stringer to the front of the boat and had the two cohos he had caught swim him back to shore, not sayin' they were big or anything, he said he was tempted to take a side trip to Toronto for beer, but he wasn't quite making the speed....

Half mile is a stretch but I have chased many steel and salmon from bottom of sycamore island to below the next island down in to the flats. Probably 3/8 of a mile is my guess.Many salmon I've chased from above wall pool to flats that I've kept and strung and walked them back up to above wall pool back to my spot... Set them behind an oxygenated spot off shore and fished for hours after to have them full of life when it was time to go. My observations may be skewed or biased though being it in the lower end.

Salmon stompers I call em tunes :) I'm tied up through the weekend... Maybe a sneak attack one evening this week, otherwise Tuesday next week I'll be doing my after work routine a few times a week with the boy

I will not chase more than 100 yards or so.  I usually will not put myself in any predicament to get wet or slip and fall. Not going to fight current, get deep in the water,   just not worth it.  I will chase\ move if I  can get a bunch of folks back in the water by getting my line from in front of them. 

I watched a guy "walk the fish" on the UFZ last year.He hooked up across from me and proceeded to let the fish dictate where it wanted to go.First it swam down then it turned and went up and he followed it a couple hundred yards upstream and never "put the wood to it" to try and turn it but then it turned and went down and he just followed along going way down from where he started.I don't know if he ever brought it in 'cause I got busy and lost track.