Ever thought about hiring a guide? Pam and Alan share a few of their ideas in what they look for in the ideal guide
Choosing a guide is much like choosing a spouse (and we should know because we fish as a husband and wife team.)
That means that any guide we work with has to suit both of us. We have different skills, knowledge and experience and differing expectations of a day's fishing.
In this article we have tried to incorporate views from both of us in relation to "guides we've known".
We have both been fishing for a number of years which has increased since our retirement in 2006. We have enjoyed fishing around the world and fairly extensively in the UK. It has always been important to us to respect any new river we encounter and have therefore used guides to enable us to get to know new waters and to help us get the best from the experience.
Let us start by saying that we are wholly committed to guides, their skill and knowledge.
We have had some tremendous days with great people and have learnt much about what we do and don’t want from 'someone on our shoulder'.
The days can be long and it is important that your guide is someone you can trust and feel confident with and above all someone you can have fun with (after all fishing is not a matter of life or death but just a great way to spend a day). Safety is paramount and although we are not yet in our dotage we are not intrepid enough to throw ourselves around a river, so any guide that acknowledges our fitness gets our vote; being over 21 means you don’t bounce as well!
We are aware that mobile phones are a modern necessity and that most guides run their business on the move – but not on our time please.
Choosing a guide is the start, we have found that being honest, explaining clearly what you need and, importantly, outlining your experience in any new environment is critical. Catching Tiger fish in Africa or salt water fishing in Belize and Mexico was totally new for both of us. Try to be clear whether you need a teacher, a coach, a fish finder or a combination. Some guides are great at the start of your fishing career when you really need help with casting, others can really get you onto the fish. Be sure what you want and tell them. We had one guide on a trout fishing trip to the USA who was a great fish finder but not the best company and another one who was a great guy but less good at putting you on fish.
It is great if the guide also knows something of the surroundings of the river, after all fishing gets us all to some really lovely places and a chance to look at the birds and plants is a real bonus to any day out - it helps if they know the difference between a reed and an iris if they are asking you to aim for it! We had one guide who is now a good friend who when asked what the bird above us was he would reply “a bird". We don’t expect fully fledged ornithologists but a little local knowledge just makes the day extra special.
It is certainly worth making it clear if you are out for a long day or want an early bath as expectations vary greatly. Lunch can be anything from three hours in the pub to a Mars bar. Make clear what you want otherwise you may find yourself exhausted or frustrated.
Some guides assume you want big fish only or as many as there are in the river. Think about that before you start. There will be guides that will offer their services on any river in the country but our best experiences came from those who are unfamiliar with an area and will recommend a colleague who is. Recommendation is always a good way of finding a guide but remember what you want is not always what the next person wants so get to know yourself and your fishing style first. (One man's meat is another man's poison.)
Any guide worth their salt will need to assess not only your experience but more importantly your skill; after all you could have been fishing for 20 years but had the same year 20 times and learnt very little! They will also have to get alongside you in such a way that they can judge how best you can learn and understand instructions, after all what maybe their 30’ may not be yours and do check out what "the clock" actually looks like to both of you - worth checking such basic understanding when there is a permit at 9 o’clock at 70 feet. The other thing we forget at our peril is that for many guides they are doing all of this in a second language (even in America; maybe especially in the USA!) Set or strip can sound much the same in the heat of the chase and a howling wind; make sure you and the guide are working from the same dictionary.
It becomes apparent very quickly if your guide is on your wave length. For example Alan is much more technically able than I am and is very keen to learn something new every time we go out. On the other hand I need to feel safe and confident with my guide before I am willing to risk my sometimes shaky technique. Sometimes stating the obvious can be useful.
The best guides will respond to our needs individually and take heed of what we want to learn and how we learn best.
Something we have learned is that if you don’t like what you are getting be prepared to change your guide. Titles don’t always mean that someone can teach or coach. It is okay if they can "do it" but if they can’t enable you to have a fair shot at it then it is not worth the money and don’t forget above all you are the customer and paying the bills!! You will be spending a lot of time with the guide on a full day out so you better be sure expectations are clear and that you hopefully enjoy spending time with them. We know only too well that repeat custom is the best compliment and we know who we like to fish with!!
Having now used a good number of guides we believe that we still need and enjoy the experience of getting to know a new river initially and maybe at different times of the season through the eyes of an expert. We have learnt so much and added to our confidence greatly by being on a river with the guide.
We have enjoyed nearly all of our experiences and can safely say that we would recommend taking a guide as the best way to get most out of your fishing. However we can now say that "we know what we like and we like what (who) we know". Many of our guides are now our good friends and we feel very privileged to have fished with them both professionally and now as mates and will enjoy a lifelong friendship with like-minded folk who love to fish.
We have fished together for a number of years and are still married, so our experience of choosing a guide and getting on with them must be a little bit like a marriage with all the give and take needed.!!