Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Maine Striper fishing Reports. 2009




A customer of mine emailed me this facebook chat, I thought it was good.
Check out www.fliesandfins.com Great website


'm not lettin' "The Guides" .. Get away with this one, "Dealing With Difficult Guests" too easy! (http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=45200683261&topic=6504) ... No way! How about the FISHERMAN? The guys who PAY the BILL? We deserve a voice! I've been on many guided trips (and for the sake of discussion, i will exclude all of the occassions of fishing with my friends that are guides .. and am just referring to guides that have been hired for money) ... I'd like to hear honest input from other fly fisherman as to what they see as being a GOOD guided experience and a BAD guided experience. I'll kick it off with my thoughts.

THE GOOD Vs. BAD GUIDE EXPERIENCE

1. No complaining by the guide, I don't want to pay for someone to tell me "oh boy its windy, cold, hot, too this, too that, its gonna be touch, shoulda been here last week, i'm not sure about today, etc" .. I know when times are tough, THE USUALLY ARE, so a good guide is positive and doesn't guarantee fish .. but at the same time doesn't make me feel like I am at a funeral.

2. WORKS hard to get me fish. You can't fake it ..you either have the passion or you don't. no inbetween. period. I've been with guides that seem to want to catch me fish more than i want to myself .. and i have been out with guides who are looking at their wrist watch every 45 minutes just waiting for the end of the day so they can get paid. I didn't sign up or pay for a BOAT RIDE and let's take florida for example .. I have been out in the everglades (without mentioning names) with many professional guides .. one of them will literally CUT DOWN MANGROVES to get us to spots .. and another will literally pole around a cove that's within a rocks throw from the dock because he doesn't want to burn the fuel. And even when he's poling around .. i feel like i am on some sort of scenic tour with my wife .. definately NOT fishing. So, a good guide .. in my opinion .. either has the passion or doesn't .. period.

3. Talks about himself and all of his accomplishments. If I wanted to pay to listen to someone blow hot air over their lips about all that they know and all the awards they have won and all of their big accomplishments and tournaments that they have won etc... I could just watch ESPN on saturday morning. In my opinion the best guides do very little talking and if they talk the ask questions .. It sounds crazy .. but the BEST guide I have ever been with (the same dude who CUTS DOWN MANGROVES) is the ONLY guide who ever ASKED me questions about myself .. rather than told me all about themselves ... I will never forget that .. and it stood out to me because that's how rare it is.

4. Cheap vs. Expensive - All guided trips are expensive .. NOBODY WANTS to pay 550 for a day of guiding in florida .. but that's roughly the price .. and if you want to catch some nice fish in let's say the marquesses .. you ain't wading out there .. so you gotta pay .. and you get what you pay for .. So, If a HIGHER PRICE by 100 bucks or whatever ensures me being in the hands of a FISHING GUIDE and not a tour guide .. than i will gladly pay .. because at this point .. what's the difference? .. Conversely .. if some dude is $300 bucks .. you gotta wonder why ... does his boat suck? does he suck? does he not know the fishery? why would he be so cheap? .. Point being THE PRICE IS THE PRICE and as long as the price is within reason (and maybe even a few bucks higher rather than lower) and i feel as though i am getting a true FISHING guide ... than I'll pay it .. and i will tip well.

5. It's not my HONOR to fish with you. I don't know any other business where there is this unsaid thing about .. you feel indebted to "THE GUIDE" .. I am PAYING .. granted I am not expected to be pampered to .. infact, i don't want your silly sandwich and chips or whatever .. let's face it .. I am PAYING TO FISH .. not eat balogne on the side of the river .. I could do that myself .. And in no other service orientated business .. is there this kind of ever present somewhat "arrogance" about the CUSTOMER PAYS and then FEELS like its an honor for him to do so .. F* that!! ... Its mutual respect ... its not a priveledge for you to guide me and not a priveledge for me to have you as my guide ... its a simple matter of good business .. a good guide is able to work beyond his ego .. and recognize that he might be the "master" of his domain in his part of the world and THAT IS very commendable and very respected usually by the guy on the bow .. but the guide needs to realize that the guy on the bow is not some sort of clown just because he doesn't know the one little region of the world in which the guided trip is taking place .. put a tarpon guide on a steelhead river and visa versa ..and all of a sudden the guide is a bozo ... so, a good guide and a good customer both recognize that how much/little each respectively know .. and that ultimately, what they both collectively know .. in the big scheme of things .. adds up to .. NOT MUCH AT ALL.

Finally - A good guide .. feels like a friend .. and works with you like a team .. and when the trip is over .. you feel GOOD .. and that is something that can't be trained or learned or taught in guide school .. at the end of the trip .. did the guide make you feel GOOD. if so, its a good guide .. if not .. find another.
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Maine Striper Reports May 10 th 2019

And just like that,,,, They are here, not in number and still spotty but the baits and small schoolies are starting to show, check back ...