North 40 Fly Shop eMagazine February 2017 | Page 43

4 . STEWARDSHIP
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resourceful . If the river ’ s too crowded with other boats--savvy guides will find a rough ramp putting their clients ahead of the crowd . Getting a late start ? There ’ s a work around for that , too .
Last week , when fly fishing Steelhead on the Olympic Peninsula , we arrived at the put-in at 9:30 AM , a hearty breakfast still warming our bellies . Counting ( at least ) 15 other rigs at the ramp , I could see the wheels turning in our guide ’ s mind … ten minutes later , we ’ re in the raft floating … upstream ??? As a resourceful guide , it apparently was his duty to give us an hour of untouched “ first water ” upstream of the ramp — which we joyfully fished ! After rowing us directly across an iceberg-strewn channel , we walked the raft upriver crossing again … twice ! Though we were skunked during the mile-long float we ’ d earned , the anticipation ( and the hike ) kept our blood pumping and ( his clients ) smiling .

4 . STEWARDSHIP

Has your guide exhibited good stewardship of the fishery resource ? Successful guide trips usually involve many opportunities for decision making — i . e . release this fish , but bonk that one . Pick up after your shore lunch or not ? Who cares you say ? Well actually : you do ! You and your guide are responsible for your actions while enjoying your outing . If you forget your license , or you forget to punch your card , it ’ s on you ! ( A good guide will ensure that you have done both .)
On the other hand , how many tickets has your guide gotten ? Maybe that ’ s why they lost their guiding license ? An
easy way to check that your guide usually does the right thing , is to check with your fishing guide Outfitters Association . In Montana , a useful resource for finding an outfitter is right here . Additionally , you can check your state ’ s business licensing service to see if your outfitter ’ s business is registered — a ‘ good sign ’ you might say . In Washington , you can find that here .
If you enjoy the fly anglers ’ discussion boards such as this one , you can peruse those forums for mention of the ‘ good , the bad , and the ugly ’ fly fishing guides . Of course , comments on these forums , though hilarious to read , are often given anonymously and must be taken lightly , if relied upon at all .

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