I'll ask, Guide Tip? How much?

[brhoff]

Doubt I'll ever hire one...not that I discount their value...just don't have that kind of cash to spend on fishing.

Anyhow, what does one tip a guide?

Saw this discussed in another thread and got to wondering.

If the split is 50/50 with shop, that leaves a good buck for the guide in general but I suppose they pay their own gas and expenses to the location.

Certain tipping is accepted and common but how much?

[Ron Eagle Elk]

I've only hired on local guide and tipped him $50 on top of the $350 for a full day with two people. He doesn't share with a shop, but runs his own guide service. I figured that was all I could afford so that's all he got.

REE

[Normand]

15-20% sounds good.

http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/trips/tipping.aspx

[owlman]

A few years ago, my wife and I used a guide for a float trip on the Snake River in Wyoming. We gave him a $50 tip for the day.

[shortcaster]

I've had a couple'a experiences with "guides" & neither have been good. I've found them to be arrogant jerks that didn't give a hoot for the client's success or satisfaction.

How'd you like to charge $100.00/ hr & get away w/snobery?

I won't hire another any time soon w/o some SERIOUS proof of qualifications!!!

[Sonny Edmonds]

$127.57

Hey, if you don't want to know, don't ask.

A tip is just that.
"Thanks, Great trip, get some dinner and flowers for the wife."
Depends on what you would like to give, and are comfortable giving. If they wanted a $50 tip, they should advertise a $50 higher price up front.
If the guide expects a tip give less than if they are humble.
Good guys = good tip.
Meat head = meatball tip. $0-10?

Remember, your best defense is to not repeat doing business with them again. (Meat Heads)

[CoachBob]

I usually don't hire guides in an area more than once, and part of their job during the time I've hired them is to show me hot spots. If they do, I tip more.
That being said, I tip according to the skill and helpfullness of the guide.
On a good $500 trip a $100 tip is the same 20% I'd tip in a restaurant.
On a trip where we killed them I've tipped as much as 33% as long as it went to the guide.
I NEVER tip the shop. Because of that I never tip AT THE SHOP. Cash to the guide.

Bob

[sagefisher]

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---

[Henrys' Lake Fanatic]

I plan on tipping $50.00 minimum. For all the reasons listed in Sagefishers post, I wouldnt dream of tipping less. If I had the resources, I would hire guides more often, and tip them better then I can now. I usually mention that at the end of the day. I've never had a bad experience with a guide yet, but I imagine I would let the shop know of any bad experience before stiffing the guide. Guiding is hard work. None of my fishing guide friends are getting rich doing this, and I am glad of their profession and commitment to the sport.


ed

[Brian Moffitt]

On a recent Colorado trip I tipped the guide $40 for the day, and in all honesty he was reluctant to accept it. As others have noted this was cash to the guide at the end of the trip, not to the shop. I took the time think about the tip ahead of time and brought two $20s with me. Had the guide been a jerk he probably would have only received a $20 tip, but as the guide was excellent he received the full $40.

Like Ed I have friends who are guides and know it can be tough to make a living through guiding, so while the trip was expensive the tip was just a planed part of that expense. To those who complain about guides being jerks, etc. my experience is those types tend to gravitate towards certain shops/outfitters, and avoiding those will generally ensure an excellent guide.

Brian