I seem to recall Rob Worthington teaching something similar. Maybe at Tenkara Jam I attended a few years ago. Or maybe in a video.
If I recall correctly - if a fish is going to the left, if you pull to the right, the fish will keep fighting to go to the left. But lead the fish to the left, either by reducing line tension, or by pulling the fish in the direction you don’t want it to go, the fish will often change directions, and swim to the left, the direction you want it to go. Until it feels tension on the line again.
Or maybe I am not remembering what he said correctly. I so seldom hook up with a big fish, > 16 inches, I am usually to excited, and to busy trying to keep the fish from cutting the tippet on a large submerged stone. I forget what is supposed to be the best tactics. 
