retrocarp 0 Report post Posted November 22, 2015 Thanks all, I'm crazy excited. It's all about being outside every day for me Mike. I actually really enjoy helping others catch fish. Honestly probably as much as catching fish my self. Plus getting paid to spend a month in remote Alaska is a pretty good incentive. That's fantastic man .....doing something you love ...and getting paid to do it . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wschmitt3 0 Report post Posted December 1, 2015 This time Friday I'll be there learning how to fish for silver salmon. Next Thursday I'll be taking my first clients out! forgive my ignorance... why would I want to be spending lots and lots of hard earned dollars on a guide who learned to fish for the target species only six days before I arrived? I can learn as much in one day as most people can in six days. I don't get it. I've done a lot of stuff in my life, and exactly none of it took only six days to become an expert. If I were ever to book a guide I'd expect them to be an expert at whatever situation was at hand. Congratulations, but damn... hope it worked out for you. Jszymczyk, It worked out great, I had very happy clients and lots of fish were caught by all. Your question is a valid one though. Guiding well, I think and most seem to agree, is equal parts fishing ability, waterway knowledge, teaching ability, hospitality, companionship and safety. The fishery I worked at this summer and will return to next summer is an amazing fishery and I got lucky enough to land my first guiding job during a huge run of highly aggressive fish so putting people on fish was pretty easy most days. Because of this my main concern was safe boat operation, casting/fishing skill instruction, rigging and hospitality and being a good tour guide and photographer and keeping my fly boxes stocked. My clients, unless they insisted, never had to rig their rods or change flies, use their own flies, land or net a fish and I processed and packaged their catch for them at the end of the day. You never know J maybe I am a super human like you and I can learn as much in 1 day as most can in 6 that would have given me the equivalent of 36 days worth of experience in 6 days. Even though I am not I did get a pretty thorough schooling on how to fish for salmon and how to navigate the river from some amazing guides and that combined with my already pretty well honed fishing skills I did as good as any other first year guide. It was an amazing experience and thanks all for the encouragement and congratulations. Below are My first Coho, a couple client fish on the stringer and a pretty good one I got on my 7 weight Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted December 1, 2015 Great job, good report, W. Glad your first trip worked out well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bellevue.chartreuse.trout 0 Report post Posted December 1, 2015 Nice job Will! I've been wondering how it went. Glad it was a great experience for you and your clients! Guess you better get tying huh? (for next year's clients) lol BCT Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wschmitt3 0 Report post Posted December 1, 2015 I got a little bit of a start already BCT. but Im only about 20 flies in. I plan on tying a couple dozen of each of a bunch of flies making an order right now actually. Ill post pictures as tying moves along. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted December 1, 2015 20 flies? That's one person, one day, if you've got a bad caster. You need to get busy !!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ihang10 0 Report post Posted December 1, 2015 I'd say your approach was right and I'm glad it worked out. When I went to Alaska I had a great guide (if not over enthusiastic). He wanted to do everything for me, but I was content with him putting me in an area with fish and doing the rest myself. I actually told him to get his rod and fish and I'll call him if I need him. My guide noted the group down the river was fishing with their camp cook because the guides had all quit the outfitter. What flies are you tying up? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wschmitt3 0 Report post Posted December 2, 2015 Here are a few I'm playing around with. Ill also be tying up some poppers for salmon, gurglers for Dolly Varden, mice for rainbows, and insect imitations for greyling Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
josephcsylvia 0 Report post Posted December 2, 2015 Very nice congradulations again. That las fly the olive and white is that all rabbit fur? Is there a name for it? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ihang10 0 Report post Posted December 2, 2015 Nice llamas. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vicrider 0 Report post Posted December 2, 2015 Very good to read this report. Glad things went so well for you. You're talking a short season up there though. Got any plans for southern latitudes? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
