Five Indications That You Have Hired a Good Guide.
The decision to hire a guide is sometimes a hard one, but it is also a great way to learn new water or methods. It is also a way to safely navigate new water. However, if you have ever hired many guides I am sure that you have had, what I commonly call, “the trip from Hell, with said guide at the helm. Here are five things that you should look for to ensure a quality guide. In the next edition, I will address five things that you need to do for your guide to ensure that you have a good trip.
- Does your guide have a reputation? The fly fishing industry is a very small place and you are only a couple of introductions away from anyone that you want to know. Find out if any of your buddies have ever fished with the guide, or has ever heard of him. Chances are if he or she is a good guide then someone you know has fished with them or at least heard of the business they are with.
- Book your guide well in advance. I am not talking about a week, I am talking about 6 months, it is not uncommon for Walker or I to have clients scheduled anywhere from 6 months to one year in advance. The best guides go first, the longer you wait the less the chance that you are going to get the guide that you want.
- Never book the cheapest guide in the area. Usually there are several guides in a given area, most of which are close colleagues. Therefore their prices will be similar, the guy with the lowest price, (you know the one with the low ball bid) is probably a fly by night operation. Or is trying to book trips with no thought of long term stability or you returning as a client. It is just like the car dealer with the cheapest parts - you are going to get what you pay for.
- When looking to book trips in foreign countries find out if you guide speaks English or if you need to have a basic understanding of their language. There is nothing worse than blowing a large fish because you could not communicate with your guide. Some of the best guides in Central America speak little English, but they are the guy’s you want to fish with - so be sure you can speak a little Spanish.
- If you are going to be fishing in the big blue pond then be sure that the guide’s boat is appropriate for the conditions that you are going out in. For instance a Panga is a great boat for Central America, but I do not want to fish out of Panga off of Hatteras in November for Stripers.