Georgia Fly Fishing Blog

I ran across an interview on The Tailing Loop Blog the other day interviewing the veteran southeastern guide, Ian Rutter. It was a very interesting interview and I was amazed how his personal views matched so closely with mine.  Ian and his wife run a very successful guide service, R & R Fly Fishing, and he’s got about a ten years on me as a full-time guide. I respect him very much and try to model his professionalism in my guiding and running of Reel Job Fishing. These three questions below are the ones that caught my eye and it shows how important it is for clients and guides to have a good relationship and understanding so they can work as a team to build success on the water.

What makes a guide a “good” guide?

A good guide is a bit of a chameleon. You have to make beginners comfortable while not being condescending to experienced anglers. Some days the fish seem suicidal, and other days the fishing is tough and the angler can have a lot to do with that. I’ve heard the comment that the angler is the weak link between the guide and the fish. Some days that’s the case, but the guide’s job is to reinforce the weak link. I always want my anglers to leave at the end of the day knowing something they didn’t when they arrived in the morning. That might mean they can cast or mend line better, know how to do a reach cast or it might mean they know how to discern and osprey from an eagle at a distance, but regardless a guide needs to be free and easy with his knowledge.

What makes a client a “good” client?

Every angler is different and has different motivation, so I hate to say one is better than than another. Some folks really want to learn and others just wantt to catch some fish then go back to their life tomorrow. Personally I like to guide folks who are up for anything. There are times I’ll tell folks who booked a trout float that we can catch trout, but it will be a day of strict nymphing from the boat; effective, but not very interesting. Just watching yarn indicators and setting the hook when it goes under. On the other hand smallies are crushing poppers somewhere else. I understand folks have waited all year to fish for trout and I put everything into it regardless of how tough the day might be, but I always love it when customers say “Just take me wherever is best, whatever that is.”

What is an issue that guides face that clients might not be aware of?

There aren’t many people out there who guide full time for a living. There’s a reason for that. It’s a tough business to keep regular work and steady pay. When the work is regular, the hours are long and it’s strenuous. There are days when it’s tough to get out of bed after you’ve hiked up creeks or rowed a boat for 17 or 18 days in a row. It seems like the dream job, but I don’t know if most people grasp the idea of it being work.

Fly fishing guides aren’t typically stereotyped as responsible, but I’ve got a house to pay for, a wife and two kids. There’s no 401K, paid vacation time, or company dental plans so I have to be more than responsible at all times if I want to keep doing it. It seems like you’re either keeping a nervous eye on the checking account balance or struggling to keep up with the string of trips on the calendar. Honestly, I don’t know if I’d wish this life on anyone, but I can honestly say I can’t imagine doing anything else.

To view the full interview please visit The Tailing Loop.

Keep it Reel,