I find that guiding is broken into 3 parts. Fishing, Rowing, People. The Fishing part is pretty straight forward, that being said; a good angler does not make a good guide, and a good guide does not need to be a good angler.
A guide is first and foremost…a teacher. Now fly fishing has this thing about fish that becomes the dominating factor. I had the opportunity to guide other things before fly fishing. Skiing, hiking ,rafting, paddling, camping, and a dash of climbing. There is only things to teach people so they don’t die, skills to succeed, how to do the activity well enough to enjoy it, and to guide the participants along the way through experiences, teaching, and educating them. There is a craft to being a good guide. I dare say, for a fly fishing guide, the ability to catch fish yourself is the least important factor.
Understanding fishing is different than fishing. Theory and practice so to say. I can understand physics and never go to space, or play an instrument well but not write or even be able to read music. I happen to be a decent angler and a good guide. Also can play an instrument and can’t read music so…
Understanding fishing, the gear, techniques, waterways, all of that is necessary. Being able to apply those skills not so much. I would say, as a guide I fish quite a bit less. But I also fished a lot before I was a guide. Being able to teach those skills well is better than being able to apply those skills as an expert. Does a guide need to practice, yes. All the time, honing and tuning the craft is part of understanding the fishing part of guiding. I am always practicing, it may look like fishing sometimes but its typically, almost always, for work. I will be the first to admit I am not the best angler, not even close. Nor do I want to be. Do I want to be a good guide, maybe even one of the better ones…sure.
Rowing, the second part of guiding for me. Rowing requires the basic physical ability to move a boat on the water with oars. But to be good at it, understanding how a river works, moves, breaths, reacts, and how to move a boat in that space for fishing is entirely different. Anyone can learn quickly how to not die in a raft of drift boat. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be river rafting and boat rentals. Rowing one with an understanding of how to use the river to the advantage of anglers, in relation to how fish move throughout a river, and the angles, timing, vectors, speed, and all the things in between makes for a great guide. Confidence in the ability to use a drift boat or raft as a tool for fishing on a performance and professional level. Not just to steer and make it downstream. Experience is the best way to come by it. Time on the water, and lots of different water. It is really just time. There are some classes, I teach lessons on it. But after a while, it really comes down to repetition and practice. Not everyone is out here learning to row to be a guide. Most just want to enjoy their boat for the weekend. That’s why I still get hired by boat owners. I have spent a lot of time getting good at rowing for fishing with the mindset it was a key component of being a good guide. Moreso than being a good angler.
People skills are by far the most important thing in guiding. You are taking people out. You can be the fishiest person around and be shit with people. A guide is all about people pleasing. I happen to use education as my base, I look at being a guide as a teacher. A National Park Ranger Guide teaches, educates about the area, wildlife, and issues it faces all while exploring and facilitating the experience for others. Rafting guide, ski guide, climbing guide, they are teaching you a skill, helping you through the experience, and exploring the space with you. Fly fish guiding is no different. Being able to teach, relay information, converse, bond, share time, food, intense moments, slow moments, potentially dangerous moments, emotional charged, self discovering, healing, moments, all sorts of things come when you start taking people out onto the water, into wild spaces, and they interact with fish. It’s mind-boggling the experiences you share with clients over 11 years. They run the gambit of everything you could think of. Truly, just as diverse as people are; so too are their reactions to fly fishing and all in entails.
Being a good guide is about understanding the theory and being adept in the application of the skillsets, understanding people, and facilitating fulfilling and enriching experiences for people. I feel like I have done a good job of that over the years. These days, I teach less, which I would like to improve over the next few seasons. I can always improve my fishing stats, but that comes down to teaching the skills to anglers better, which I am constantly fine-tuning. It gets harder the better your anglers get, I will admit. The stakes are a bit higher when your clients are good anglers and you start being able to get into some advanced stuff. The victories are sweet, but the defeats are debilitating.
With the down time I typically get in the summer I have time to think about the spring season. Reflect, improve, tune up things. I get to plan out and push the rest of the summer. The fall is almost fully booked so there is little to do there except fill in. I get time to blog, tie flies, hang out with my puppy, fish for myself a little, and help my partner with her business. The guide life changes the longer you do it. I find myself fishing a little less, but also working on the back end of things a little less too. I get to guide more, and be on the water with anglers, which is where I have always wanted to be. Just on the water. Not on the computer, or social media, not taking phone calls and answering emails all day. Not having to create crazy content or turn myself into some professional angler. I just want to be on the water. That is where all the good stuff happens. On the water. If I am on the water I am making money. I am doing what I love. I am with people that I want to be with.
I will see ya riverside anglers.
Tamarack
Tamarack's Guide Service 