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Fishing

Started by Brian Mcg, April 15, 2011, 11:00:48 PM

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Brian Mcg

If you could/would who would you choose to guide you and where for a days Fishing. With maybe a bit of Casting Tuition thrown in,if you needed it.
This isn't a thread about the what and wherefores of a guide it is a hypothetical to get peoples opinions on guides and the places they would like to go.



Brian

Wildfisher

We had a long thread about guides and guiding  on here a few years ago Brian. I seem to remember it pissed a few folk off and not just on here.  :lol:  

No harm in revisiting it though.

My own view is while making a few bob  now and then is possible trout guiding is never going  to  be a serious thing in Scotland.  When Alex and I go out with our guide mate in New Zealand we expect to catch lots of big fish. This guy and his associates have been doing this for 30 years and know the place like the back of their hands. The scope is vast beyond the  imagination of anyone who has only ever fished here or even in wider Europe.   Last time we had 14 fish  smallest 2lb  - up to 6lb. In addition you are always in with the realistic  chance of the fish of a lifetime, which, let's be honest, you are not here.  :lol:  Guides over there are not cheap of course,  they will cost you ?300 /day (we get mates discount which  halves that) it's a lot of money. Even if you charge  half or less, how may anglers want to pay, say ?150 to catch a few average Scottish fish or go stockie bashing?  Not many is my guess.

Another thing that screws Scotland up is the fragmented and petty feudal nature of ownership. In New Zealand you buy a state license for 100 bucks / year and go pretty much where you want when want to.  No matter what the weather, how high the rivers, which way the wind blows there is always somewhere you can go at the drop of a hat without asking anyone's permission. Here in Scotland it's a bit different.

For ?20 -  ?30 quid or so you might get a few hundred yards "beat"  of some river like the Don, you have to pre book it and if it's un-fishable  tough luck, get a permit for somewhere else or go to the pub.

There may be a minor tourist / visitor market, but I would not expect too many home based anglers to hire a guide and if they do I very much doubt if they will want to spend a lot of money  Scotland is a salmon destination, not a trout destination.  Salmon is where the money is.

'elf n' sayftee   is another  minefield here. To guide anyone on mountain terrain for money (that's 300M or above in Scotland) the guide really should have a mountain leadership qualification.



Brian Mcg

I wasn't thinking as serious as that Fred. Just a fun thing to see where people would go and if they would want /need tuition.
I am a Happy go lucky kind of guy and at times I would more than likely not charge. If it has been covered scrap it,i don't mind.


Brian

haresear

It's not answering the question, but it may help to get people thinking about the reasoning behind the question.

In Canada I used guides (2 over two trips) because it was a form of fishing I had never done before (fishing from an inflatable raft on a fast river) and for a species I had never even seen before, cutthroat trout.
I wanted to take advantage of and learn from the guide's knowledge about cutthroats in general, rather than the specifics of the river concerned.

In NZ it was different. My first trip was done on a real shoestring budget and I had more blank days than I had good days. My confidence was well shaken.
Next time around I was put in touch with a guide who is now a good friend and I learned a lot from him about fishing in general, through asking questions of him.

To put it in a nutshell and leaving aside learning about access points, secret spots, I wanted to learn about techniques, flies and get some more experienced guy to tell me whether I was doing it right or doing it wrong.

I needed confidence and wanted advice.

Just read Fred's post. I don't ever expect to catch lots of big fish :). Local knowledge and experience will however put you in a place which makes the best of the conditions, or at least save you visiting the local florist for a quick photo on the way back home :)

Alex



 
Protect the edge.

Brian Mcg

Alex sort of answer i was looking for. When I go to Ireland I fish the moy Estuary for Sea Trout, from the bank. I paid for a guide the first couple of time(thank god) as some of the marks from the bank are treacherous . In fact I once had to help a guy to safety( a Guide) gospel truth. It was worth every penny, the guide that is.


Brian

Wildfisher

Quote from: Brian Mcg on April 15, 2011, 11:43:06 PM
I would more than likely not charge.

Sounds good, when are you free?     :lol:  

OK, to get back to your original question:  I think if I was hiring a guide anywhere the first thing I'd want to  know is how  long he had been fishing the waters he was taking me to, how well he knew them and what the alternatives were. That for me would count for a whole lot more than fishing qualifications.  

Brian Mcg

I was thinking along the lines of Skues,Ritz,Marryat etc.

Brian

Wildfisher

There is no doubt that getting someone local who knows the waters well and the tactics to take you out can give  you a serious leg up. It's certainly worth a try selling it that way.

scotty9

Chris Dore around the rivers I have been fishing most often down here.

The guys I am going to Northern Australia with for the tropical species.

My friend Dave for Tarpon when I visit the US.

Whoever would be best to put me onto a sailfish on the fly at some point in my life.

And as Ardbeg says, Alex is hard to beat on rivers he knows  :8)

Wildfisher

Quote from: Ardbeg on April 16, 2011, 01:11:01 AM
Col and Brian on Dunalastair, Joe on the Ythan and Alex on a couple of his rivers.

Exactly. People who have known the waters very well for very many years and who have a proven record.

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