I do more guided trips than non-guided trips when I am fishing the rivers of Montana or Washington or Wyoming.
Most guides work for a guide shop and they do get a cut of what you pay the shop, but I suspect more along the lines of a 60/40 split at best, with them getting the 40%.
Think about it for a minute.
They pay for your lunch out of their own pockets, not the shop. Plus they have to have their own lunch so they pay for that as well.
They furnish all the snacks and waters and pops.
Most of my guides furnish all the flies and if needed the leaders as well. However I always keep a good supply of leaders and tippet for them to use. If you loose a lot of flies, it is costing them a lot.
They have to maintain the drift boats (river fishing) and buy their own gas for their trucks.
They have to pay for the shuttle service so their truck and boat trailer will be at the take out.
They have to row hard all day long.
Change your flies.
Net and handle your fish.
Serve your food and sometimes cook it for you.
They don?t get to fish themselves, but get to watch you fish all day long.
They don?t get rich.
Now then, how much would you charge for doing that for other people? I bet you would not work for what they are working for.
I start my tipping at $50 and go up from there.
Over the past 8 years I have gone on hundreds of guided trips and I have yet to have a bad guide. Shops only stay on business if they offer good service and they are very careful about who their guides are. Go only with good reliable shops and you should have no problems.
Listen to your guide. Trust me, you don?t know better then your guide when it comes to that particular piece of water you are fishing.
Listen to your guides, do what they say and you will greatly increase your chances of catching fish.
Larry ---sagefisher---
Organizations and clubs I belong to:
Fly Fishers International Life Member
FFI 1000 Stewards member
FFI Presidents Club
FFI Fly Tying Group Life Member
Washington State Council FFI
V.P. Membership
Alpine Fly Fishers Club
President & Newsletter Editor--The Dead Drift
North Idaho Fly Casters club