While some take pride in their ability to "learn for themselves" and be "self taught", and there is certainly nothing wrong with that, we must be mindful that human knowledge is a process of accumulation. We aquire knowledge both from personal experience and from the experiences of others. One cannot deny that a very large part of our knowledge is aquired from others. Hopefully, we take that, and add our own experience, and pass it on. Parents, teachers, books, siblings, peers, and mentors are all guides of a sort. Were it not for this cooperative effort, we would still be living in the trees. That is part of what makes us human. The knowledge of many is much more than the knowledge of one.

That being said, whether or not you use a guide in fly fishing is meerly a scratch on your knowledge base. The first time you talk on a chat line, post on a bb, or even read a book by that matter, you are using a guide. So be mindful of what you have learned from others and kindly pass on what you have learned to others. You are adding to that great human data base. As are the guides.

Bob