The book will be available spring 2026!
Say What!
One thing I reveal to clients, which often gets me a look as though I have two heads, is that I actually despise fly fishing. The statement is more than a little hyperbolic. Suffice it to say that I have a lot of passion for the sport, and some days that passion is positive and other days, not as much. I tell clients that I am about as chill a person as you could meet and as chill a guide as you could hope to have, but hide in the bushes and watch me fish. You will think, ‘who is this guy, and what did he do with Tom?’
But, as I do have a lot of passion for the sport, there are days when I am compelled to get out, to stand in the river and to solve the problems it takes to get that familiar tug in the line. R&D is just part of the job, and it pays to get your ass on the water no matter how long you’ve been guiding. I personally get frustrated by fly fishing because it doesn’t matter how good you get or how long you’ve been at it, you will always tangle. You will always snag. You will always lose fish in a way that completely tangles or sends your rig high into the trees. For sure, over time, you learn to mitigate these issues to the point that they happen much less often. But, they still happen, and it still irritates the fuck out of me. Fortunately, for my clients, this frustration only shows up when I’m fishing, not guiding. For some reason, none of the usual fly fishing irritants bother me when I’m guiding. I expect there to be tangles and snags and various series of unfortunate events, and I just deal with them. So, anger management also applies directly to you as a guide. Never yell at a client unless you’re clearly joking. I have seen guides from other companies yell at their people for their mistakes. This only serves to make the client feel small. Some clients have thick skin and understand that their guide, although exercising little control over their emotional outbursts, does in fact have the clients’ best interest at heart. Clients have told me how their previous guide had yelled at them, but that it was their own fault because they just couldn’t understand what their guide wanted them to do. This is not an acceptable answer. If you yell at your people, make sure you apologize. Do not make excuses for yourself and try to justify it. It’s unprofessional and reveals your lack of self control. Be better than that. We all lose our temper, but funnel it through whatever filter you can muster so that you don’t end up hurting a client’s feelings. Don’t make it personal. It’s a day on the water, so make it a good one no matter the circumstances. Just do your best to be a good guide.
Don’t Stress
New guides will put a lot of pressure on themselves to make sure that they are catching fish immediately and may end up changing locations too soon. There is some truth to the saying, when the fishing is good, move slow. When the fishing is slow, move fast. But, usually, you just have to wait until the air and water temps get to the right place, and insects start rising up through the water columns. Never leave fish to find fish. You’re probably seeking different scenery if you do.
The truth is, when I guide, catching fish is the least of my worries. It took a while to get there, but I have learned to just be patient and not to stress. I will stress if the fishing is really slow, but I have learned to not let it get the best of me and to force me to do something against what my gut is telling me to do. Stick with your plan and trust your gut. Now, if your gut is telling you that it’s time to make a move, then trust that feeling and make that move sooner than later. Stressing about catching fish serves no real purpose, so use the stress as a way to focus. Look at it objectively. As you start guiding day in and day out, you will begin to understand what’s happening regarding hatches–so long as you have been paying attention. But, don’t get too cocky as things can change rapidly, especially if you’re guiding tailwaters. Freestone rivers are more predictable in that the changes you see are gradual, especially once the high water starts to recede. Generally, all you have to do is to just wait it out. Moving could be the wrong thing to do. Make certain you’ve given the spot enough time. Keep checking water temperatures and keep a careful eye out for any insect movement, any of those little fuzzball-looking bits that come off the water. Try to identify them as soon as possible and get to matching that hatch (Chapter-16). You will eventually learn that hatches can be predicted by water temperatures and weather conditions. Just trust in your program. Keep your people busy taking a step further out or upstream, switching places with their partner, helping them to polish their cast and understanding the importance of perfect presentation. Tell a joke or a story. And, before you know it, all of a sudden, one of your clients will scream, “I got one!” or “Fish on!”, and you’re off to the races and feeling validated.
The “Lady Kit”
For the ladies, I like to keep what I call a “lady kit.” It’s a snack-sized, plastic baggie with a small pack of tissues and a wrapped, sanitized hand wipe. I tell the ladies that if they have to use the bathroom that this may make things more comfortable. No need to drip dry with the Lady Kit! It’s just a nice thing to have on hand. It got a little expensive to give one to every client, so I’ve learned to just have a couple in my pocket so that when the time comes, I can discreetly hand it to the lady. I tell them to please hang on to it and to dispose of it after the trip.
Here’s a fun fact for you gents: I heard comedian, Michelle Wolf, talking about being in the restroom and comparing it to when men go. It was something about how when men stand to pee, they’re just peeing, but when women sit to pee, something else might happen.
“…Oh, I’m pooping now!” she revealed to a roar of laughter from the audience of women who knew and the men who had just learned.I have actually tried sitting to pee in my older age, and I totally get it; something else can happen! Imagine being a teenage girl on a fishing trip, not entirely comfortable squatting and peeing with your dad and boyfriend only a few bushes away, and suddenly you grow a tail. It would be awfully nice to have a way to, shall we say, tidy up.
