Guide service

[brandon4455]

okay so... Say i was looking to become a walk in bank/wade guide one of these days, not in the near future of course , what would i have to do to legally become a guide? what would start up costs be at an estimate?
i don't want to hear the "you shouldn't do that" or "you will never be good enough" or any of that kind of stuff ive seen people my age ask the same questions and got told they should not even try becoming any sort of guide at all.. really stupid nobody can dream or atleast try without being judged.. adults should be encouraging this kind of stuff. when i get older i would love nothing more then taking someone out and getting them into some fish and putting a smile on their face for a living, i already have several times and the feeling is unexplainable when you see them get excited from the hookup all the way to releasing the fish and the high five you get afterwards. thanks for any help



Brandon

 

[steelhead_slayer]

I got this off the Oregon licensing website. I too am curious about this topic for future refrence, and know a few others on the forum that are as well.

1. Must complete an application for Outfitter/Guide registration.
2. Must complete an affidavit.
3. Show original proof of a First Aid course that includes CPR.
4. Submit the applicable registration fee. (Non-refundable)
5. Have an original $5,000 Surety Bond or letter of credit if accepting deposits in excess of $100 per person.
6. Have the insurance provider send a full year certificate of insurance that is at least a minimum of $300,000 general liability insurance. The name on the certificate must match the application, be a full year certificate, list the Oregon State Marine Board as a certificate holder, provide 30 days notice on all cancellations and specifically state what type of guiding and any motorized boats.

 

[brandon4455]

is that all for walk & wade guiding too? cause it says for motorized boats at the bottom. and wtf is an affidavit? thanks for putting this up ss.

 

[FlyBum]

If you're truly interested (sounds like you are) you may want to look into some guide schools. It's no joke, I know some guides that went to some schools that are in Colorado and Wyoming. I don't know how to tell if one would be better than another but it would be a good first step.

 

[brandon4455]

:lol: good idea, ill look some guiding schools up,might have to save money for that though, probably spendy as hell

 

[Spydeyrch]

Brandon,

Something I would recommend is listening to the Orvis Flyfishing Podcast by Tom Rosenbauer. They have a podcast episode that focuses specificaly on guiding, how to be come a guide, etc. He had two guests that were guides. The first one mentions that he wishes had taken marine biology classes and other classes and gotten a degree in something related. He highly recommends that one get a degree in the area of interest. The second guest recommend the same and they both recommend different classes. It wouldn't hurt to listen to it and plus it can be pretty entertaining. If you are interested in it, I can find it (amongst the 175 podcasts) and send you the link. It is free so why not, right?

Also, I think I seem to remember there being something that states that you have to have been fishing for something like a min of 3 or 5 consecutive years. I could be wrong on that end though. :think:

Good luck and let me know how it goes. I would love to be your first client!!

-Spydey

Oh, and an Affidavit is a legal document that is used for a myriad of different reasons. But usually it is used to for a person to state that something is true or that they swer to the validity of something. The dictionary says this:

af·fi·da·vit
   /ˌæfɪˈdeɪvɪt/ Show Spelled[af-i-dey-vit] Show IPA
noun Law .
a written declaration upon oath made before an authorized official.

 

[brandon4455]

hey thanks man i would love to listen to those podcasts! it so happens i took marine biology while in high school and plan on taking a few college classes to give me more experience in that area.. ill give you half off on a first trip you know id put you on a ton of fish!!! :lol:

 

[brandon4455]

come to think of it i have taken quite a few biology / science classes and got the highest grade when fish were involved, when i was in 7th grade i did an extensive report on chinook salmon that got me the highest grade in my class, i did a drawing that was flawless.. that was the high point of my school days was whoopin everybody with a fish project. :lol: i think if i take a few college classes and keep fishing and catching as much as i do i will be in good shape

 

[veilside180sx]

hey thanks man i would love to listen to those podcasts! it so happens i took marine biology while in high school and plan on taking a few college classes to give me more experience in that area.. ill give you half off on a first trip you know id put you on a ton of fish!!! :lol:

I would say half of the guides in the state have full time jobs, part time jobs, or spouses that work. It's not as glamorous as it seems...3-4 am mornings...10pm nights...and starts back over the next day. Guiding is VERY difficult on family life...just ask a child of one...how frequently they see their guide parent.

Best thing to do would be spend as much time on the river/lake you can, and keep really good log books to see how frequently you "actually" get on fish vs the amount of time spent doing it.

Many people don't realize that actually fishing is only 50% of the battle when guiding, and more so is realizing that you are in the hospitality industry. You have to kind, generous, patient, and very personable. The ability to deal with all walks of life and levels of experience is not easy. (especially when clients roll in slobbering drunk from the night before and can barely hold a rod...let alone cast with it)

A good basic test for most is to try and get on with a company for the summer in Alaska and see how you handle it. (keep in mind that the fishing is atypical up there, and that you will have a much more difficult time getting people on fish down here)

I would say many guides have a fisheries biology degree vs marine biology, but either helps. Mt Hood Community College offers fisheries biology.

For the right person...with the right talents though...it's true love.

 

[Mad dog]

Want some serious advice Brandon!

If you want to be a guide, 1st off, find employement with a licensed guide or outfitter before investing a dime! Lot's of guides put on part-time employee's to run their overflow trips. Find a reputable one that is willing to show you the ropes, has gear, and most of all good clients!

If you want to go to "the next level", it will take a lot more than just walk-in guide trips....pretty tough way to go....trust me, It would be hard to make that worthwhile going that route! I would only do walk-in trips if I had sole access to prime fishing water on private property....like say, the Williamson on the Yamsi ranch! Full of 6-8 lb Brookies and rainbows! Pretty hard to please paying customers at times! And I swear....unless you are hand picking your clients, most of them can't fish! What you think is easy....is probably difficult or impossible for them!

 

[brandon4455]

thanks for the info/ suggestions guys! mad dog, i was thinking of trying to find my way to an existing guide/outfitter but where would i find someone willing to pick a 17 year old kid up and show him the ropes? thats a 1 in a million chance :lol: i dont even know how to go about finding an outfitter or let alone talking to them about it.

 

[the_intimidator03]

I find getting into any sort of commercial fishing can be more of a "know somebody" game. As for some advice on education. I would almost focus exclusively on community college for the bacc core (4 year degree coure requirements) then take the more technical stuff at a University. However as it has been mentioned Mount Hood Community College does have a Fisheries Tech degree.
I am currently enrolled at OSU in the Fisheries and Wildlife Program. Now oddly enough I do not intend upon going into fisheries. If you do choose to go to OSU (which is the only place to do Fisheries and Wildlife in the state of oregon I do believe) I will warn you the program isn't just fisheries. it isn't just wildlife. It does have both. In doing this degree you choose your option, or specialization, which can be ichthyology, mammology etc
If you go this route for the 4 year degree, which if you did the entire thing here is about 5 years on average, you would have a good fall back. There are required internships to complete the degree, meaning hands on work and quite possibly paid.

The marine biology is interesting however if you would like to focus on salmonidae species I would strongly encourage Fisheries and Wildlife biology. I am sure the fisheries tech would also work as well.

 

[eat, sleep, fish]

Others have already listed the requirements, and yes they all apply to anyone doing any fishing or hunting guiding.

If you're just wanting to be a bank/wading guide I would definitely want at least a part time job. Trips will be a little sparce, especially to begin with. It's definitely a possibility though, as I know a guide that does a lot of wading trips down here on the Applegate River. Gaining access to private land would also most likely be a must.

If you're wanting to get a degree skip the fisheries and get yourself a business degree. Then you can take the few classes that specifically pertain to salmon/trout/steelhead (most FW classes don't). The fisheries classes will only help you minimally, especially if you do a lot of reading around on the web, where as the business degree will drastically help you make a successful business.

Oh and this is all coming from a guy who is almost done with his Fisheries and wildlife degree and has considered the same thing as you...

 

[FishWhistle]

Brandon! After reading most of your post/thread over for more than a year plus. I would say that you have a very strong passion for the sport. Inside all of us, we dream of earning a living with our passion whatever it may be. Artist, Entertainers,and athletes etc. One of Colen Powels 10 commandments states "If you ask enough people, someone will say NO,Take charge". Let me take a different bend that may help. There are a lot of fisher peeps out there that would love to have a fishing buddy to learn from and pay for gas and food to learn how to do it. I for one would. Todays post 10:55 by GungasUncle is a guy that loves to fish but his money is funny. I bet he would be glad to have a ride along if his fishing BUDDY was to pay for MOST of the gas etc. I may ask him or you if you need a fishing BUDDY. GL in all your indevors.

 

[BobbiDollPDX]

So, yer gonna be a C&R guide?

 

[brandon4455]

yes and no. if my client happens to catch a clipped salmon or steelhead its bonked.

 

[waco]

So you want to be a salmon/steelhead guide?? :think: Do you think you are one of the 10%?

 

[brandon4455]

if i caught both salmon and steelhead my first season fly fishing i think i will only get better as time goes on if i keep at it. i would be doing salmon, trout & steelhead. Might not do salmon because fishing can be very spotty..an is very dependent upon conditions and how big the run is each year. i wont know exactly what im doing for a while, like i said not in the near future.

 

[waco]

Just follow your dreams!

 

[eat, sleep, fish]

You don't need to be a 10%er, as far as numbers go, but you do need to be able to get into a few every single day.

Just market yourself to the East Coast guys, and all you'll have to do is catch a 12 inch rainbow to make them very happy.