Listen, pay attention, be honest about your skills, and smile . . .the goal is to have a good time, right?
For some anglers, fishing with a guide can cause a little bit of anxiety. No one wants to make a stupid mistake or say something ridiculous in front of a guide because no one wants to be “that guy”—the one whom the guide and his buddies make fun of later on at the bar.
First of all, having worked with and for many guides, I can assure you that plenty of them are asses and “that guy,” so don’t get all worked up thinking that every guide is part of some cool crowd that you want to be part of. They may occasionally get the rock star treatment in the angling press and films, but the vast majority of guides are just regular folks trying to make a living doing something they love. Don’t feel like you have to act the part of the “cool client”; just be yourself.
That being said, there are a few things you can do to make your guide think highly of you:
- Before you fish with the guide, offer an honest assessment of your skills. It will help the guide tailor the day to give you the best chances for success. We have had several anglers tell us that they were experts and wanted to test their skills. Once we got to our destination on the river and they started slapping the water, I knew that we were in for a long, unproductive day. Had they been honest, I could have taken them to another part of the stream where the water wasn’t so low and clear and the fish were less wary.
- Don’t tell the guide what your expectations are; instead ask him (or her) what reasonable expectations should be. You are showing up to fish the guide’s water on a single day. The guide has probably been fishing it all season and knows what to expect. Ask about the conditions/weather/counts, etc. and actually listen to what the guide says. This will help you get in the right mindset for the day ahead.
- Please, listen to the guide’s instructions and suggestions, and then follow them. See above. The guide knows the water better than you; that’s why you’re paying him or her. I was always astonished when a client would ask what lure to use and then ignore my advice altogether—despite the fact that the advice was based on weeks of observation.
- Have a smile on your face. Fishing is supposed to be fun, but it’s tough for a guide to enjoy a day when his client can’t enjoy it. Look around, enjoy the scenery, rejoice in the opportunity to be on the water—no matter what the conditions. You could be back in the office, you know.
Trust me, the vast majority of guides would rather spend the day helping a beginning angler who observes these four rules catch their first fish than endure five hours with a know-it-all who tries to guide the guide.
In the United States, we are accustomed to tipping (gratuities).
A gratuity (also called a tip) is a sum of money customarily given by a client or customer to certain workers for the service they have performed, going above and beyond for their clients, in addition to the basic price of the service.
When you book with an independent guide service, you know that the owner is the one doing all the work. He/She is also the one making the boat and insurance payments and filling it with gas and providing high-end gear and tackle. If you pick the right guide and play your cards just right, you might also become a better angler by listening to what the guide says about reading water, casting, mending line, and other skills. A tip (gratuity) in this case shows the guide you appreciated the service and recognize his many years of experience. It also shows you want him to be in business next year so you can book with him again.
Generally, as a starting point, consider tipping your guide 20% of the trip cost. If the guide went above and beyond, it wouldn’t be unusual to increase your tip to 30% or even 50%.
It’s also important to remember, no matter how much you paid for your day on the water, there are many factors the guide can’t control. Bad weather, changes in water flow rates, temperature, rain, or the amount of fish coming in the river — It’s not what you catch, it’s how hard the guide worked for you. He’ll bait your hook, adjust a reel’s drag, net your fish, take your photograph & fillet your catch at the end of the trip. Tip based on what the guide can control, don’t withhold a tip because of things that are out of their hands (like weather or not getting into the fish).. Your guide’s job is to work hard for you and if he busted tail all day and you still didn’t manage to catch the number of fish you expected or any at all, that’s not your guide’s fault any more than it’s your server’s fault if the food you ordered doesn’t taste good or is not cooked to your liking.
A tip (gratuity) is NOT required, although less than 10% can indicate dissatisfaction. And it will leave the guide wondering what he did wrong to upset his clients. If you would tip the guide if you caught fish and the guide worked hard for you, then you should tip if you didn’t catch fish. The guide works even harder for you when the bite isn’t on to make sure you have the best chance at catching. The guide, more than likely, will be more disappointed than you are at this point. There are many factors the guide can’t control.
Thank you and we hope this helps in understanding about fishing with a guide and tipping with whoever and wherever you may cast your lines when fishing with a hired guide.