Should I use a guide and what should I expect from one?

Words & Images by

Tim Rolston

I have been guiding fly anglers on and off for well over twenty years, and to be honest there are probably as many different reasons for making use of a guide as there are anglers who choose to do so.

One mistake I would caution against however is to assume that you never have need of one, even National Fly Fishing Teams made up of the best anglers from their country invariably make use of guides when preparing for a competition.

So as an introduction I thought I might consider a few of the reasons that making use of a guide can be a great investment and then perhaps a few words about what to expect from your guide as well as what he expects from you.

Perhaps the most basic of all good reasons to employ the services of a guide would be simply to cut out the hassle factor. Instead of booking permits, finding venues, hiring cars or boats and all of that most guiding services are going to offer you one stop shopping. Meaning that all you need do is get up in the morning and have everything arranged for you. If you are on a limited visit to an area, where you don’t have the time to deal with all of those factors a guide represents an excellent way to get in some fishing.

Knowledge and experience:

Even if you are aiming to do a type of fishing you are familiar with, a new venue often brings with it different quirks , flies and techniques and your guide should have an intimate knowledge of all of those things related directly to the venue and the target species. If you are targeting a new species or a different fishing style a guide is really a must.

Decent guides will also know the local conditions and be able to choose venues or fishing spots based on current weather, rainfall, tides, seasons and other data that should provide you with the best chance of a good day or days of fishing. Bear in mind that only person more keen than you for you to have a good day is your guide and if they are worth their salt they will move heaven and earth to insure that you have the best experience possible.

Appropriate tackle:

Tackle requirements vary considerably depending on the type of fishing, the species, size of fish and much more. Perhaps you don’t have suitable gear or maybe you would like to try out a new venue or species before committing to getting your own gear. After a day out you will have a far better idea of what gear works and what doesn’t before you commit to getting your own. Buying the wrong

Start them young Flies:

Oh yes, it could be well worth using a guide simply to insure that you had suitable patterns to chuck at whatever species you are targeting. Although fishing is fishing is fishing in one sense, as with tackle requirements fly requirements are often subject to local quirks so rather than trying to reinvent the wheel making use of a guide certainly makes sense on this front alone if you are visiting a new venue.

Knowledge and technique:

I have heard anglers comment that they never take a guide because they already know how to fish, and much of the time they do, but guides aren’t just for novice anglers. Not only should your guide have a great deal of knowledge and probably years of experience on the waters you

intend to fish but they are normally adept at transferring that knowledge to you the client. Plus there are a lot of different techniques based on different locations and species. The requirements of down - stream dry fly are measurably different to stripping a crab pattern in front of a Trigger Fish. On a broader level it isn’t simply about having a good day out, a good guide will almost certainly pass on some tidbit of information which is likely to make your fishing more effective and more pleasant for years to come.

Personally I believe a good guided day needs to be fun, you need to catch some fish and you really want to learn something; those are the golden pillars of a good guided day for me. A good day with a good guide can take years off your learning curve and accelerate your abilities far faster than simply banging away on your own.

Safety:

Fishing a new venue on your own is a potentially risky business, on top of the standard hazards of getting lost or losing your footing in the river there could be any number of other pitfalls, some even locally specific. This is Africa, which means that you may need to consider crocodiles, hippos, snakes or sharks. There are trout streams in Africa frequented by elephants, so having a guide to watch your back and keep you safe highly recommended. (in some places actually mandatory)

So if those are some good reasons for considering booking a guide what else should you expect?

What to expect from your guide:

As said, there are different reasons for employing the services of a guide and with those come different expectations. Just as with any service provider there are some good guides and hopefully only a few who are not. Getting recommendations from other anglers is a great way to check on your guide but equally asking as many questions as you can prior to booking can give you great insight into what to expect.. (In reality poor guides tend not to be in business for very long).

It also helps your guide to best prepare for your day if he has had some conversation about your requirements. If you are a novice, be sure to tell them that, if you have never targeted this particular species previously or have never fished dry fly before let them know in advance. The more your guide understands what you are aiming to achieve the better they will be able to provide you with a quality service.

During the day a good guide is going to do everything in their power to insure you have a great time but a lot of that is going to depend on what you tell them.

Some crucial do’s and don’ts:

Do not overstate your abilities or experience, for one thing your guide, having had years of watching people fish, will know immediately you pick up a rod whether you just lied through your teeth.

Do be brutally honest about your skill level, which may even mean that your guide chooses a different venue better suited to your abilities, perhaps takes you to the other side of the island out of the wind, or maybe provides different tackle. Your guide is there to help you but they can only deal with what they know.

Do tell your guide if you have any health issues, anything from “I can’t wade too deep as I have a dicky knee” to “ I am allergic to peanuts” could prove to be lifesaving information. Do treat your guide with respect, I assure you that he/ she is busting a gut to insure that you have a good time and catch some fish. On those days when the fishing is tough it is rarely the guide’s fault, so don’t start blaming them for your poor presentation or bad casting. Most guides do this because they love fishing and love to pass on their knowledge

Do listen, if your guide suggests something, it is because they think that it will help your success rate, don’t assume that because you “do it differently at home” that there is no need to follow the instructions. Guides want you to be successful, simple as that.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions on the water, your guide is as much an instructor as he is a host, you can learn a great deal and get a lot more from your day if you make use of the opportunity to pick your guide’s brains.

Don’t be embarrassed if you tangle the line or miss a fish, guides have seen it all before, they are not judging you (particularly if you didn’t fib about your abilities in the first place).

Do expect that your guide may offer some tips in terms of techniques or even casting but they are NOT there to be CASTING INSTRUCTORS… If you need casting instruction try to arrange that with the guide or certified instructor BEFORE you book your trip.. The biggest complaint from almost all guides is that their job is made much harder because their clients couldn’t cast well enough to suit the conditions. Good guides can find fish, put you on fish, give you the correct gear to catch those fish and the right flies to tempt them, but you have to make the cast..

Finally: If you enjoyed a super trip with your guide, caught some fish, learned some useful stuff and had a great time, tell your mates. Fishing guides get a very large percentage of their work through personal recommendation.. So get on social media with your pictures of fish and let the world know what a great decision you made in selecting a guide to take you out.