Huh? Really? That makes a good guide?Originally Posted by Marco
Huh? Really? That makes a good guide?
I just ran across a guide that quotes Steve Martin and Johnny Carson. He's gotta be a winner!
Dub,
Perhaps I should have aimed a bit lower. My apologies/
Mark
I like to figure it out for myself and by the time I "get there", there's not much left for hiring guides.
"They say you forget your troubles on a trout stream, but that's not quite it. What happens is that you begin to see where your troubles fit into the grand scheme of things, and suddenly they're just not such a big deal anymore." - John Gierach
Once spent a bunch of time on a boat with a guy and never considered him particularly sharp, and he was quiet. Years later I found out he had a PhD in Chemistry and missed nothing that went on...
I hired a guide only once. He came well recomended and had a very nice 25 foot boat with all the bells and whistles on it. We were going out for Coho Salmon. On the way out to his favorite spot I noticed as we passed a kelp bed that lots of herring were being pushed to the surface by what I believed to be coho so I pointed it out to the guide. He got all puffed up and got into a great big snit about how he was the pro and I was the client and what was I paying him for and so on. So I shut up. He took us out to some small islands where we spent the whole day trolling back and forth with nary a bite. The next day I went out with my son in my 14 foot aluminum boat to where I had seen the herring being pushed. We spent about 4 hours there catching coho after coho and even a couple of Chinook in the 30 and 40lbs class. I was going to show him the chinook when we came in but decided he didn't need to know what a good spot that kelp bed was. I have never hired a guide since then.
For God's sake, Don't Quote me! I'm Probably making this crap up!
I've never hired a guide for some of the same reasons others have listed. Most critically, I can't afford it. I'm not saying a good guide isn't worth every penny and more, only that I don't have enough pennies to justify it. To my way of thinking, a good guide is probably worth way more than they ever get paid, and a bad guide is probably paid way more than they are ever worth. Also, I love learning on my own, which explains the plethora of bad habits I've developed over the years, but they are mine, thanks. Lastly, while I like company while fishing sometimes, I love going off alone and doing it on my own and without distractions.
Maybe someday, when the boys are finally done with school and I have a extra nickel or two, I'll hire a guide. I haven't ruled it out.
A right emblem it may be, of the uncertain things of this world; that when men have sold them selves for them, they vanish into smoke. ~ William Bradford
I finally realized that Life is a metaphor for Fly Fishing.
If you catch fish, there are no bad habits. I love watching beautiful casts, but I love catching fish more.
As far as guides? It's kinda like fishing Alaska for me. I would love to try it, but I won't ever try it because it will not ever fit my budget. That said, I enter all the contests for guided trips I can.
And I am bummed that I probably won't ever be able to meet Hap.
"Trust, but verify" - Russian Proverb, as used by Ronald Reagan
Interesting thread, as I usually fish without a guide, but use a guide at least once a year or so even on my home waters. Why? Because they know the river better than I ever will and I have been fishing it for 50 years. But they are out 150 days a year, on all stretches, in all conditions, and really do know the water. I have had guides give less than great advice a couple times, but for the most part, they want you to catch fish and be happy. And all the good guides work at it. That is exactly why they are good guides.
Some of the wittiest, most interesting, "secure with themselves", guys I know are guides. They love what they do, and while they aren't getting rich, they are FISHING EVERY DAY!!! That is why they like what they do, and keep doing it. A good friend of mine has guided for years, works at a well-known lodge, and is one of their top boats. He and I have a deal. If we are just out fishing (or hunting) together after hours for fun, I get to ask him two questions pertaining to how we are fishing that night. After that, he doesn't have to answer unless I pay his guide fee.
Conversely, I don't cut his hair for free either. He makes money as a fishing guide. When I book with him to fish, I pay. When he comes to get a haircut, or his wife, they pay.
Well said! I also hire guides for other reasons as well - as a female, there are places I simply will not go alone and since my husband does not fish, there are many places I would not be able to fish if I did not hire a guide. I learn a tremendous amount each time I go out - different fishing strategies, info about flies for that specific river, etc... I am always grateful for the experience and the hard work of the guide - accordingly, I tend to tip them well above the norm.
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