Which Guide School?
- This topic has 6 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated Feb 17, 2016 at 3:37 pm by
.
-
Posts
-
Hello to all my fellow fly fishers! I’ve lurked around on the site for quite some time but have never posted. I wanted to throw a question to you guys & gals, the experts but thought I’d introduce myself first.
I’m a single, 48 year old dude living in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. I’ve been in commercial real estate for most of my career and sold technology for a brief period as well. I’ve been fly fishing for around 18 or so years and have hunted and fished all my life. Around 2001 I left the technology sales world and moved to Durango, Colorado for 3 years straight up to fly fish. I spent a year with no job fly fishing every day and then had to get a job when I ran outta money. Haha. It was a glorious experience!!
About 4 years ago, I discovered saltwater fly fishing sightcasting to reds and trout and it sure changed my perspective on fly fishing…big time. Seriously big time. I thought I was a pretty good fly fisherman but quickly realized I needed to up my game and skills. I’ve primarily fished for sea trout, tarpon, and redfish here on the Texas coast. I’ve hooked into some bones in Belize and some snook in the Keys. I’ve been lucky enough to fish in Idaho, Montana, Alaska, Colorado, New Mexico, Louisiana and some other fun places pursuing my passion of fly fishing. My double haul is getting there but it’s not quite where I want it to be.
Now that the intro is out of the way, I have a question for y’all. I’ve been wanting to attend a guide school for several years. The two I’m leaning to are WorldCast’s Western Rivers Guide school and the Sweetwater Travel Guide school. I’ve read Zach’s thread. I’ve searched for “Guide School” on the forum and have read every post. I’ve heard WorldCast’s school is sorta geared towards getting employed by them. I’ve heard Sweetwater’s school contains portions of learning to operate a jet boat mainly for guiding in Alaska. I’ve heard Sweetwater puts a lot of guides in Alaska. Obviously, what I’ve heard could be completely wrong, thus I thought I’d reach out to y’all and get your thoughts and opinions.
At this point in my life I’d just be attending the school for fun and to learn but you never know what might it might lead to. Life is too short, I want to pursue the things I love to do now. I’m about done with pursing a career. I could see myself possibly guiding in the future or possibly working with an outfitter, in a fly shop or as a lodge manager. Even though I’m no expert, I’ve taught several of my buddies how to fly fish and put them on fish. I get huge pleasure teaching someone to fish and then watching them have success and develop a passion and excitement for fly fishing. Personally, I think I could be a good guide…hey I’m a sales guy and people person!
Anyway, I’m getting a little long winded but wanted to give you some background so you could offer thoughts on WorldCast or Sweetwater?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
JeffPS: thought I’d include some fish porn from a trip to the Louisiana marsh I took last month. It was my first trip and hooked this monster 28 lb bull red! If you’ve never been to Louisiana, you have to go it is an amazing fishery.
Attachments:
Nice fish, Jeff.
When I attended Guide School for an American Angler article, it was hosted by Greg Lilly (who ran Healing Waters Lodge) and was a very valuable experience. At that time Sweetwater were kind of the big name in guide schools, and to my knowledge they have remained so. If you were going to go through a formal curriculum I would probably recommend them but that’s really just a recommendation on reputation alone. Are you actually looking to work as a guide, and if so, where?
Zach
Will definitely be following this. I’ve kept this idea on my mind’s back burner for several years now.
Before “which” guide school,the question is “why” guide school?
I am a guide school alum and have a couple of reflections that might be worth something…or not. After fly fishing most of my life, in the East and 4 years in Alaska, I ended up settling in a mountain town in the inter-mountain West. Hands down one of the troutiest places on the planet. I needed to learn to row a drift boat. My school goal was to move from getting the boat down the river safely to what they call – fishing through the anglers – while on the ores. I guess the school helped me achieve this goal, but it most certainly was not necessary to do so. I wished I had saved the 2k and just spent that time on the water with my trout bum buddies. They would have loved to have me row for a week straight – I would have learned a hell of a lot more and saved 2k.
Be careful. Do your homework. By in large, guide schools, just like every other fishing product that puts “guide” in the title is selling a lifestyle, not really doing the hard work of education, training, mentoring, etc. The other folks in my guide school class were college kids who’s grandparents were on the board of directors of prominent fishing companies (yea, whatever 2 or 3 just came to your mind…yup those) and they had nothing else to do between summer school semesters at Colorado State. They were not invested in the school. Which I found a little frustrating because I saved my pennies, took a week off of work and actually did a bunch of homework before hand. In addition, just like the questionable origins of the now prestigious Jackson Hole One Fly, guide schools are a cash cow for outfitters unable to book trips during run off or low water periods. The way permitting works out here, your guide school time on the water is going to be spent in water unoccupied by the outfitters regular sports. For example, there was an amazing drake hatch busting on one local drainage, my buddies called, I told them I couldn’t join because it was my guide school week. While they were casting size 12 drys to square noses, I was floating down 17k cfs of chocolate milk with Cheech and Chong in the boat…guide school.
Jeff, you seem like you’ve got this fly fishing thing pretty dialed and you’ve got the passion. If the 2k is no biggie and your looking for some kind of vacation, go for it. If you’re serious about a guiding future, school might be required. If you just want some next level stuff in your FF arsenal, I don’t think “guide” school is where you’ll find it. My recommendation – call Trout Hunter in Island Park ID – book a week solo with their top guide, someone like Pat Gaffney. You’ll be in the bow, he’ll be on the sticks, you’ll get a serious education!!!!! One thing no school can ever teach – caring. I live and work among lots of fishing guides, many of them simply don’t care about the things that you care about.
To work as a guide most outfitters now a days require either 2 years as a shop rat or a guide school diploma. (AK is way looser) If guiding is your next move, then go for it. However, Jeff, you seem like you’ve got this FF thing pretty dialed. My guess is you might be sorely disappointed in the “guide school product”.
I just did a whole lot of nodding reading Karlin’s post, which was excellent. I did guide school on a magazine assignment and would not want to talk anyone out of something they had set their hearts on, but there is a whole lotta truth to what Karlin just said.
Zach
A bit more on the guide school question…however this is more of tangental rant than an answer to the original question.
A weird thing happens sometimes with fly fishing guides. The weird thing promotes their business but at the same time it creates an illusion of grander. After a handful of successful seasons guiding they begin to believe that their “success” is disproportionately about them and not the incredible natural resource that they have the privilege of sharing with others. In this soil the seeds of arrogance are planted. A truly good guide is humble before the river, gracious to their clients and has optimum fun (and safety) as their priority. Hiring a guide is more about the resource you have the privilege of experiencing, not about your hired docent for the day. However that spirit does not generate the most bookings – aggrandizing self promotion does. So its a tight walk for these folks. And the fly fishing laity play into this mix willfully ascribing savant status to a fellow fisherman that happens to be a local.
You occasionally see a bumper sticker in my town that says, “Fishing guides – not Gods”. I’ve always wondered if this snark is directed at guides for their egos or the clients for their expecations?
Guide schools are selling an image and a lifestyle to folks who believe myths about what it takes to be a good fishing guide. The primary thing that separates a top quality guide from most jokers out there is caring. Caring! About your clients, about the resource, about a quality lunch a couple of other things that make for a fun day. No guide school can teach you to care. A giant ego, a formulaic scripted day on the water and bong resin stifle ones ability to truly care.
Well Karlin, you’ve given me plenty to think about. Why guide school is a good question. The reasons that immediately come to mind are for fun, to learn and to gain credibility. The learning part is mostly about rowing a drift boat. I think I generally have the fishing part down pretty good. I’m not the best caster nor am I the best fly tier but I can tie flies and catch plenty of fish.
Do I want to become a guide? Not now but maybe sometime in the future. I also think I’d like to try managing a lodge too…I’ve been in real estate and property management and think that would be fun and something I could slide right into.
I guess the why part would mostly be to learn and get that diploma which I assumed would help me gain employment or look good on the resume. The guide schools say they help you gain employment or help place you but that may just be marketing…I’m not certain.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.