In an earlier post, I covered why you should hire a fly fishing guide, now I’ll go over how you should conduct yourself to make your day on the water the most enjoyable, productive, and educational.
 
Let’s start with the Do’s:
 
Come prepared for a full day on the water:   This starts by reading and asking questions on the pre-trip check list regarding what you need to bring and what the guide provides.  It cuts into the fishing time when we have to drive around looking for a fishing license vendor or come up with an extra pair of waders so you can be comfortable in 48 degree water.  Always have a rain jacket, hat, and polarized sunglasses-it always will rain and guides aren’t good at taking flies out of eyes.  Practice your fly casting before the trip or take a casting lesson, this will help you get the most out of the trip.
 
Respond promptly to Guide’s Correspondence:  By responding promptly to your guide’s emails and voice mails it confirms your trip date, firms up the details, and helps the guide plan accordingly.  It also helps prevent booking confusion, double booking, or the guide losing other work.
 
Ask lots of questions:  There are no dumb questions.  If you don’t understand a technique or how it’s being explained ask for clarification.  Questions also create a positive dialog and open the line of communication between the client and guide.
 
State your physical limitations and dietary restrictions:  This helps the guide plan the day.  Someone who can only walk a ¼ mile or less won’t enjoy a trip that involves hiking 2 miles of stream.  Likewise a vegetarian may not appreciate the steak sandwich you brought for lunch.
 
State your true ability:  If you’re brand new to fly fishing and are a true beginner, say so.  It helps the guide plan the trip to your needs.  If your farthest cast is 15 feet say so, it lets the guide know what he/she needs to teach you.
 
Listen to your Guide:  You’re paying this person for a reason-to teach you something you don’t know whether it’s a new technique, learning how to fish a new stream, or catching that coveted trophy fish.  It also tells the guide that you’re paying attention and trying to learn what he/she is teaching you.
 
Treat your Guide with Respect:  Be nice to your guide even when things get tense.
 
Take a Break:  If you’re getting tired or feel like you’re spinning your wheels, tell the guide that you want to take a break and start over fresh.  Use the break time to ask questions to see what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong.  A 15 minute break 3 hours into the day can pay big dividends later in the trip.
 
Tip your guide:  While gratuities are never expected, they are always appreciated and help the guide offset daily expenses.  They also reward the guide for going above and beyond to bring you a great day on the water.  15% of the trip cost is a good guideline.
 
Now for the Don’ts
 
Don’t be Late:  Please show up on time or early to the predetermined meeting place for the trip.  Sometimes there’s over an hour of car/boat travel ahead of us and if you’re late that changes fishing plans and cuts into fishing time.  Arriving at the meetup place before the guide is a good thing.  The guide also should be on time or early.
 
Don’t stay out too late the night before:  If you’re hung over or over tired you won’t be in top shape to enjoy, learn, and get the most out of your trip.  It wastes both yours and the guide’s time.  Same goes for the guide.
 
Don’t overstate your ability:  If you’re a beginner, don’t say you’re an accomplished angler.  Likewise if you’re an intermediate angler say so-it helps the guide prepare and not waste time on basics.  Please don’t tell guides you’re an expert angler-most of these folks aren’t.
 
Don’t take things personally:  Things can get tense sometimes because a client is making the same mistakes over and over with no improvement and not catching fish.  The guide is trying to correct what you’re doing because he/she wants you to catch a fish more than you do.  Some can be overbearing and maybe even yell.  It’s best to take a break when this happens.
 
Don’t throw a temper tantrum:  Don’t come unglued and throw a fit when things aren’t going your way.  Whether you’re not catching any fish, not making the correct presentation, or not making a good cast some factors may not be the guide’s fault.  Take that 15 minute break, communicate, and figure out what’s going wrong and why instead of coming unglued.
 
Don’t treat your guide like a slave:  You’re hiring this individual for their professional services and teaching.  Please respect and treat this individual for the professional that he/she is.  Respect this person’s time and their knowledge of the area fishery.  Being abusive and demanding to your guide won’t get you more fish or better instruction, it will have the opposite effect.
 
Don’t book your trip last minute:  Sometimes everything lines up to where a last minute booking works out and is a great experience-this is rare please don’t count on it.  If you want to get on the guide’s calendar for the best fishing times of the year, book in advance-it guarantees you a spot during this time.  In my area, guide often have other jobs to provide cash flow between trips, someone else booked on the day you want to fish, or they have family plans please respect this.  Calling 7 PM on Friday to book for 6 AM that Saturday is simply rude.
 
I hope these tips help you plan and prepare for your next guided fly fishing trip to make it the most educational, enjoyable, and productive.

When I used to work in a fly shop and currently as a fly fishing guide I get asked all the time by people why they should hire a fly fishing guide.  My answer is that you hire a fly fishing guide to better learn the sport, learn the area you plan to fish, and outfit yourself with the proper equipment.  Education, instruction, and getting the most enjoyment out of your time on the water are the primary reasons to hire a fly fishing guide.

Here’s reasons why people don’t hire a fly fishing guide:

• Maybe it’s an activity they can teach themselves to do. 
•  Maybe they think it costs too much money to “go fishing”.  
• Maybe they don’t have the time commitment.  
• Maybe they want to fish on their own schedule, not someone else’s.

Here’s reasons people should hire a fly fishing guide:

• Education:  While there’s enough information out there to teach yourself the sport, it takes a lot of time and effort to decipher the good information from the bad information.  A good fly fishing guide who is a good instructor can teach you more in 8 hours than you’ll learn on your own in 6 months.  This education provides you with a solid foundation for learning the sport because you’re being steered in the right direction.  A good guide can also provide consultation on proper equipment and tackle selection so that you buy it right the first time or tweak the existing tackle you have to make it perform better for you.
  
  
• Cost:  While $400 for a day with a fly fishing guide may seem expensive it really is a good value if you consider it a learning tool.  How much did you pay for your Associates, Bachelors, Master’s, or PHD Degrees and why did you pursue them?  I’ll bet it was to better yourself professionally.  Think of a guide fee as tuition in your fly fishing learning.  Fly fishing guides’ hourly rates are less than a doctor, dentist, attorney, or CPA; and I bet you’ll have more fun with a fishing guide.
  
  
• Time Commitment:  While an 8 hour day may seem like a big commitment for 1 activity, it’s really not.  I always tell my half day clients that time goes by quickly on the river, and those who get it realize they need to do a full day next time to get the most out of the trip.
  
  
• Schedule:  While a guide trip with a good guide requires some advanced planning and is not an impulse outing, I can work with anybody’s schedule.  I have peak fishing times on my web site to make it easier for clients to book at the right time of the year for specific insect hatches or fish species not the wrong time.
  
  

Whether you’re just getting started on your fly fishing journey or an experienced fly angler who wants to learn new techniques or tune up your skill set hire a fly fishing guide you won’t regret it. Remember, you can always book your next fly fishing trip here.