snuffy Posted September 29, 2011 Posted September 29, 2011 A couple of recent topics (Hawgstopper's hawgs in the photo section and DaveJensen's NZ topic) got me thinking - from what I understand, the prep for this involves a LOT of walking and fishing to find those special fish and spots that people will pay for. Given that, do you guys actually take locals out or do you try to stick with out-of-province/country folks? It would seem to me that with the former, you would slowly guide your way out of a job as your favorite haunts become overrun with your one-time clients. Quote
Guest Jeremie Posted September 29, 2011 Posted September 29, 2011 I would assume theres even some spots that guides know of that they dont take people to at all. Usually they ask their clients to keep it on the down low too if they are taking them to some place special! Quote
Hawgstoppah Posted September 29, 2011 Posted September 29, 2011 There are streams around my area that I will never mention to anyone, even friends have tried to pry a few from me, and I would not guide on for sure. There are streams I would only take certain people who are closed lipped and wouldn't tell anyone else (multiple repeat customers, etc). Discretion is a good thing when it comes to these rivers. Most people probably assume I only fish certain locations down here and that's fine. All the better for me and my secret places with the internet, google maps, and everything else it's only a matter of time before some of them get discovered, but it's also a lot of gas to drive somewhere you do not know and explore, just hoping to find something fishy, when you can go to spots known to hold fish. not a lot of people just take a drive to "unknown waters" anymore. There are dozens of streams within 30 minutes of my home and for the last 5 years I have spent a lot of free time exploring most of them. Some of them totally suck... except for certain times of year. Some of them suck all year. Some of them have big fish. Some don't. The best place I have found I have never heard it's name ever mentioned on this board, or heard it called "that" river, or referred to in any other way, even amongst fisherman around home here. It seems no one fishes it at all, and if they do they are all like me and not willing to talk at all. PERFECT! Quote
hairygrump Posted September 29, 2011 Posted September 29, 2011 There are streams around my area that I will never mention to anyone, even friends have tried to pry a few from me, and I would not guide on for sure. There are streams I would only take certain people who are closed lipped and wouldn't tell anyone else (multiple repeat customers, etc). Discretion is a good thing when it comes to these rivers. Most people probably assume I only fish certain locations down here and that's fine. All the better for me and my secret places with the internet, google maps, and everything else it's only a matter of time before some of them get discovered, but it's also a lot of gas to drive somewhere you do not know and explore, just hoping to find something fishy, when you can go to spots known to hold fish. not a lot of people just take a drive to "unknown waters" anymore. There are dozens of streams within 30 minutes of my home and for the last 5 years I have spent a lot of free time exploring most of them. Some of them totally suck... except for certain times of year. Some of them suck all year. Some of them have big fish. Some don't. The best place I have found I have never heard it's name ever mentioned on this board, or heard it called "that" river, or referred to in any other way, even amongst fisherman around home here. It seems no one fishes it at all, and if they do they are all like me and not willing to talk at all. PERFECT! Soooo, where abouts do you live? Care to google map that one for us Quote
kphebert Posted September 30, 2011 Posted September 30, 2011 i know where he lives and im a multiple repeat customer and i have no idea which rivers or brooks hes talking about. Quote
Hawgstoppah Posted September 30, 2011 Posted September 30, 2011 The thing is, there is awesome fishing wherever you live, so long as you are willing to go out and find it. There are 30 inch fish not too far from Calgary that get very little fishing pressure... there are places in the Crowsnest Pass that would make some people that have lived there all their lives sick if they knew about them and had never tried. Every area in Alberta probably has amazing fishing within a 30 minute drive... I refer to a good article by a friend of mine often... "Walter is in my backyard" CLICK TO GO TO ARTICLE Quote
Swede Posted September 30, 2011 Posted September 30, 2011 The thing is, there is awesome fishing wherever you live, so long as you are willing to go out and find it. There are 30 inch fish not too far from Calgary that get very little fishing pressure... there are places in the Crowsnest Pass that would make some people that have lived there all their lives sick if they knew about them and had never tried. Every area in Alberta probably has amazing fishing within a 30 minute drive... I refer to a good article by a friend of mine often... "Walter is in my backyard" CLICK TO GO TO ARTICLE So true Hawg . I use to fish a place that was 20 minutes from Rocky Mt House that had brookies up to 6 pounds and lots of them. Couldn't believe how many people would drive right by that little one foot wide creek. Only took about a 10 minute walk to get to that beaver dam. Man what a little piece of paradise. Quote
SilverDoctor Posted September 30, 2011 Posted September 30, 2011 So true Hawgstoppah, I often fish stretches of water that others scoff at and say is fish less. I love exploring new water and just getting out there and getting to know a stretch of water can be rewarding. Those "special spots" that you talk about snuffy are sometimes hard won. I have been lucky enough to be invited to a few that are stunning and have found a few that I have shared with with friends I know will not broadcast them. I return the kind by not abusing an area I am shown. Its common classic courtesy. The thing is, there is awesome fishing wherever you live, so long as you are willing to go out and find it. There are 30 inch fish not too far from Calgary that get very little fishing pressure... there are places in the Crowsnest Pass that would make some people that have lived there all their lives sick if they knew about them and had never tried. Every area in Alberta probably has amazing fishing within a 30 minute drive... I refer to a good article by a friend of mine often... "Walter is in my backyard" CLICK TO GO TO ARTICLE Quote
snuffy Posted September 30, 2011 Author Posted September 30, 2011 So true Hawgstoppah, I often fish stretches of water that others scoff at and say is fish less. I love exploring new water and just getting out there and getting to know a stretch of water can be rewarding. Those "special spots" that you talk about snuffy are sometimes hard won. I have been lucky enough to be invited to a few that are stunning and have found a few that I have shared with with friends I know will not broadcast them. I return the kind by not abusing an area I am shown. Its common classic courtesy. Oh I know all that - I have some of my own and think long and hard before I disseminate them amoung my aquaintance. It's a big part of what I love about the game. But I'm not doing this professionally, so I was curious as to how guides deal with the apparent catch22 between having an income, or keeping one's secrets. There's also the potential for a race to the bottom in which if one of your peers starts guiding on THAT river, you may as well too. So the question I had was how do you prevent this from happening, or do you simply keep pushing back the boundaries year after year? Quote
Hawgstoppah Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 Oh I know all that - I have some of my own and think long and hard before I disseminate them amoung my aquaintance. It's a big part of what I love about the game. But I'm not doing this professionally, so I was curious as to how guides deal with the apparent catch22 between having an income, or keeping one's secrets. There's also the potential for a race to the bottom in which if one of your peers starts guiding on THAT river, you may as well too. So the question I had was how do you prevent this from happening, or do you simply keep pushing back the boundaries year after year? actually come to think of it , no one really ever asks for those secret spots. they call us to fish the Bow, the crow, maybe the oldman area ..., they've heard of it, world famous rainbows and browns, and great scenery and cutts/bulls!! what more can you want, right? I guess no one really asks much. People that do ask get responses from me like, "there's lots of good fishing everywhere you are wlling to put the time into discovering", or something like that. I've shared the name of a few places with some close friends, some of them clients I consider to be friends, but as far as an actual "go here, take 14 paces to the right through that thick brush, you'll fall off a small cliff into a raging river, slide down it till you go flying over a waterfall of 25ft, once you come up from the pool gasping for air, face back towards the waterfall and cast on the left by the moss covered rock with the current going back up against it and you'll get a 27 inch cutty"... it aint gonna happen! Quote
bigbowtrout Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 take 14 paces to the right through that thick brush, you'll fall off a small cliff into a raging river, slide down it till you go flying over a waterfall of 25ft, once you come up from the pool gasping for air, face back towards the waterfall and cast on the left by the moss covered rock with the current going back up against it and you'll get a 27 inch cutty" I love that spot!!!!!!! Quote
Hawgstoppah Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 I love that spot!!!!!!! SHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! lol Quote
Hawgstoppah Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 This is a funny post now becuase on my way home today I got something out of a place nothing should be that no one would ever believe, just by exploring or scouting. Biggest rainbow of my life, somewhere within 0 to 10 minutes from lethbridge. Even having said that, and risking giving up this spot by giving approx location, I am totally comfortable with it... I am sure no one would even try it. It's just that dumb of a spot... "who in their right mind would think fish are in that?" kind of spot. Gotta love 'em. Hope they overwinter ... lol Quote
SteveM Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 This is a funny post now becuase on my way home today I got something out of a place nothing should be that no one would ever believe, just by exploring or scouting. Biggest rainbow of my life, somewhere within 0 to 10 minutes from lethbridge. Even having said that, and risking giving up this spot by giving approx location, I am totally comfortable with it... I am sure no one would even try it. It's just that dumb of a spot... "who in their right mind would think fish are in that?" kind of spot. Gotta love 'em. Hope they overwinter ... lol Quote
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