Looking For A Guide Thats Not Terry Johnson

[BigFoamy]

I understand but, this trip has just come up as an old friend has contacted me. It costs a lot so if i cant get someone I feel comfortable with we just wont go. We'll try and if it doesn't work out, better luck next time

[jln]

I have fished with Josh Nugent quite a bit and he and his guides will work their butts off to get you on fish.

[BigFoamy]

Got it done today, STOKED!! WOOT WOOT!

[bcubed]

Who was the final winner?

[BigFoamy]

Its just me and a buddy that doesn't fly fish much, I wouldn't consider him a winner lol!! It wasn't contest, was just looking for some names as Ive basically used the same guy each time I go out. Luckily our date changed and he is free that day Thanks to everyone that responded. Hopefully the weather cooperates and we have a great day on the water.

[speycasterforlife]

What's with Terry Johnson.You don't want to use him or he's to booked.

[BigFoamy]

What's with Terry Johnson.You don't want to use him or he's to booked.

 

I want to use Terry, if it where a bad thing I wouldn't have dropped his name online Ive used him before. I support FishTales fly shop and Terry, if I want to do a float they/he is my first call. Didn't look like it was going to pan out this year so i thought I would ask around. I knew one of the guys I called wouldn't be available but, I called anyways and had that confirmed lol. That will be a call I just won't make again, Im just a regular person. Anyways things worked out and we are down to days before the float, I can't wait. Really hoping the weather cooperates.

[Smitty]

That is a puzzling comment:

 

Not making a judgment here, just genuinely baffled but what this even means:

 

That will be a call I just won't make again, Im just a regular person.

[BigFoamy]

It means Im just a regular person and I won't be making that call again, sorry, sending that email. Its exactly what it means.

[FeatherFlicker]

Kevin P from Country Pleasure is an honest and patient guide. He was my guide when my father in-law took me on my first float and my first ever real crack at fly fishing in contention of catching a fish. He was a great bloke to spend the day on the river with and was a no fuss kind of guy. Didn't raise an eyebrow if I got hung up on the bottom or had tangles as a rookie. He sorted it out, swapped out different flies to give be a better crack at success and was genuinely stoked when I hooked and landed fish.

 

I have had an old boy guide me that had no patience and made me feel like a goose on many occasions. Clearly frustrated if I missed a hook set (I can be frustrated with myself thanks very much) and grumbled if he had to hit the oars a bit harder.

 

A good guide is a day changer not only for the fishing but the enjoyment of the day on the water.

 

Popped in for fly tying gear about 3 years later and Kevin still remembered my name. Its the little things.

[ParsonsBruce]

Sunday morning I watched the last five minutes for the "Dimestore Fisherman" and the host and his son were being guided down the Bow River by Terry Johnson from Fish Tales. I wish that I could have seen the whole show.

[BigFoamy]

Kevin P from Country Pleasure is an honest and patient guide. He was my guide when my father in-law took me on my first float and my first ever real crack at fly fishing in contention of catching a fish. He was a great bloke to spend the day on the river with and was a no fuss kind of guy. Didn't raise an eyebrow if I got hung up on the bottom or had tangles as a rookie. He sorted it out, swapped out different flies to give be a better crack at success and was genuinely stoked when I hooked and landed fish.

 

I have had an old boy guide me that had no patience and made me feel like a goose on many occasions. Clearly frustrated if I missed a hook set (I can be frustrated with myself thanks very much) and grumbled if he had to hit the oars a bit harder.

 

A good guide is a day changer not only for the fishing but the enjoyment of the day on the water.

 

Popped in for fly tying gear about 3 years later and Kevin still remembered my name. Its the little things.

During the hunt Ive heard Kevins name over and over and over again, nothing but great things If theres a next time and Terry isn't available, i'll try to get Kevin for sure.

[speycasterforlife]

Gotcha Bigfoamy thanks for clearing it up. Good luck out thete

[Oldtimer]

Both Dee and K-Pete guided for me way back when, and I haven’t pulled a trip in years (20+). Both excellent, make no mistake. Only difference is Dee guides all season. Kev Steelheads the fall.  
Little known guide has been out there longer than both is Brian Anderson. Guides below the Carseland weir in water seldom fished. That’s where my money is. The water, as much as the guide. Brian is definitely in this mix. Something to think about. 
Silvertip Outfitters.

[Sparkplug]

 

Would certainly second that re Brian, he guided me on a below-Carseland float a few years back and was excellent (as was the fishing).

 

 

[fishteck]

I find this post interesting as no one has addressed the major problem on the Bow River of lack of fish to chase by a growing number of guides who lack the experience to find the fish that are available. Certainly, many of the names listed as "good guides" are there because for their time on the water over the past 20 years. They have the knowledge to switch up to techniques to match an angler’s skill and preferred angling technique. But unfortunately, very few guides and anglers have the desire to improve their skills beyond just putting fish in the boat.

There are government plans to license fishing guides in the next couple of years. I just hope that there is some restriction on who is classified as a guide. Maybe an apprenticeship program is needed. Spending a few days on the river in a guide school does not make a guide. And dragging a boat owner off the river to row for a corporate float trip does nothing for the credibility of the Bow River guiding profession. Clearly, this discussion has illustrated the importance to be careful what you are asking for in a guide. Fish numbers are not always the most important goal!

[Jayhad]

2 hours ago, fishteck said:

I find this post interesting as no one has addressed the major problem on the Bow River of lack of fish to chase by a growing number of guides who lack the experience to find the fish that are available. Certainly, many of the names listed as "good guides" are there because for their time on the water over the past 20 years. They have the knowledge to switch up to techniques to match an angler’s skill and preferred angling technique. But unfortunately, very few guides and anglers have the desire to improve their skills beyond just putting fish in the boat.

There are government plans to license fishing guides in the next couple of years. I just hope that there is some restriction on who is classified as a guide. Maybe an apprenticeship program is needed. Spending a few days on the river in a guide school does not make a guide. And dragging a boat owner off the river to row for a corporate float trip does nothing for the credibility of the Bow River guiding profession. Clearly, this discussion has illustrated the importance to be careful what you are asking for in a guide. Fish numbers are not always the most important goal!

fishteck I have to wonder what you are getting out of guides being licensed?  I say this because who cares?  If a "guide" is  not experienced, or just not good the market will correct the situation.  

What is the underlying benefit to the public and resource if guides are licensed?

Once guides are licensed the rates will go up, the ability for young people to get into the industry will be greatly hampered and guides will have more rights to the water due to their need for an income, this dance has been done many times across this continent and the only ones that ever benefit are the guide companies... good work guys

[ÜberFly]

Too many guides (experienced and inexperienced, alike) put on a triple worm rig and dredge the bottom to get their clients into fish... Is that lazy or good business practice?

[bcubed]

53 minutes ago, Jayhad said:

fishteck I have to wonder what you are getting out of guides being licensed?  I say this because who cares?  If a "guide" is  not experienced, or just not good the market will correct the situation.  

What is the underlying benefit to the public and resource if guides are licensed?

Once guides are licensed the rates will go up, the ability for young people to get into the industry will be greatly hampered and guides will have more rights to the water due to their need for an income, this dance has been done many times across this continent and the only ones that ever benefit are the guide companies... good work guys

Licensing guides could allow for more accountability on things like fishing during high-water-temp advisories, out-of-province incursions, use restrictions, safety, etc. All that being said, commercial 'rights' should still fall below that of First Nation, Conservation and Recreation requirements..

[Jayhad]

22 hours ago, bcubed said:

Licensing guides could allow for more accountability on things like fishing during high-water-temp advisories, out-of-province incursions, use restrictions, safety, etc. All that being said, commercial 'rights' should still fall below that of First Nation, Conservation and Recreation requirements..

if we have seen these to be a problem in the past I would agree;

High-water temp advisories, yes, the fish get hot but guides will still guide and most will still fish, regardless of the impact on the fish unless the advisory is changed to mandatory order there is no desired change. This forum itself has shown on numerous occasions that the members here can't self-limit themselves.  If an advisory has no teeth it is a waste of ink and paper.

Out-of-province incursions The ever so often complained about but rarely proven destroyer of our resources.  This is a red herring, yes out of province guides and anglers come here, just looking at non-resident license sales in comparison to resident license sales would show that our efforts should be put elsewhere as the change that will come from this is marginal, if it is even able to be tested. Charging more money for non-resident licenses and dumping it into general revenue isn't the solution.

Use restrictions how can you feasibly restrict guide use? well you can't without restricting all users, so a separate channel to restrict guides isn't needed. Restricting ALL ACCESS blocks both guides and anglers.

Safety The City of Calgary requires PFDs to be worn while on the water in the city section, most drifters ignore this, most don't wear PFDs below Calgary.  Currently there is a law for safety purposes on the water, the users choose to ignore it.  We have not seen a run of guide boat going down or loosing guests, if we had I'd be all for it. But once again the market will correct this, if a guide looses a client he is possibly subject to litigation.  The thought of being sued into non-existence should be rational alone to be safe, have insurance and is the way most other businesses are run.

 

I am sure guides will get regulated sooner or later, I was deep in the industry when this happened in BC, if these actions were to help the resource I'd still be fishing Spences Bridge and guide licenses wouldn't be "worth" millions. 

 

BCUBE this isn't an argument with you, but the points you put forth. I understand that you are one to put the fish first and are just putting forth solutions for a betterment of the resource.

[Jayhad]

23 hours ago, ÜberFly said:

Too many guides (experienced and inexperienced, alike) put on a triple worm rig and dredge the bottom to get their clients into fish... Is that lazy or good business practice?

Why does that matter?  If client did minimal research and got a lame guide, well that's why buyer beware is a statement.  The betterment of the resource has nothing to do with good business practices.  No where in the Charter is it written that the government must protect the people from making stupid decisions

[bcubed]

All of the questions you brought up, you could address through the restrictions on the license. I have specific restrictions and things i must follow when using fish research licenses (where it's allowed to be used, extreme weather (hot or cold) requirements, reporting requirements, etc), so why couldn't this model be followed for that?

- Put a restriction that you are not allowed to utilize a guide-day when there is a heat recommendation, or that there is a requirement to stop fishing by xx:xx pm.

- out of province should have to pay more. Tic for tac on this one, regardless if we're getting petty on this one (oh, we're definitely petty on this one..)

- Use restrictions: absolutely you could put restrictions on 'guide' licenses that are separate from angler licenses. The appetite for this is likely very high in the non-guided community as it could reduce pressure on streams (would it? who knows..), but would also start to build the BC legacy of 'million-dollar' licenses for angling-days.

Im not saying that guide licensing will do much if anything 'for the fish', however it has the potential to improve the quality experience of the recreational angler (which is an important part of recreational angling). Guide licensing was never going to save the Thompson from netting at the mouth, but it definitely improved the experience for the non-guided group (when open) by not having a pile of guides running up and down river for the last 400 fish.

 

This is all spitballing. Honestly, if we just license guides as a way to make more revenue for the coffers with no actual thought towards improving the 'experience' and fishery and any-joe can get a license without specific requirements and restrictions, then really whats the point.

[fishteck]

I have spent a considerable amount of my time recently on the subject of the Bow River Water Management Policy and the impact on the Fishery. And along with others within the fishing and paddle community have managed to get the ear of senior AEP water and fishery staff as to ways to make improvements to water management operations for the Bow River. You may ask what this has to do with the subject of Bow River guides? A lot, because the water management debate has opened up the Cumulative Effects Computer Modeling needs for the survival of the Bow River trout fishery. The recent 2018 creel survey and the fish population surveys for the past three years all point to a need for ways to reduce the impact of one of the highest angling efforts in Alberta on a depleted fish population such as the Bow River. This combined with variable flows, lower invertebrate populations, and hydrological changes to the river, all point to a need to reduce the impact of angling on the Bow River fishery if its status as a world-class trout fishery is to be preserved.

Although some say more research is needed to support fishery and water management change, there is a wealth of published information that supports immediate change to the Bow River fishery management policy to stem the tide of trout population declines. Although guide licensing is a hotly debated subject, when combined with special licensing to fish a fishery at risk such as the Bow River and possibly the Oldman River drainage, the angling effort will be reduced. Add to this a ban on triple-hooks, the use of barbless hooks, and possibly other gear restrictions one can see how the attraction to fish the Bow River where the recreational experience and fish populations would improve.

LInk to CRUA website - The Bow River Water Management Policy andthe Impact on the Fishery

 

 

[FishnChips]

   Some good discussion here. Also a bit of thread drift, (pardon the word play). I would like to put in a word for T.J.’s colleague at Fish Tales, M.V. He is as hardworking as T and rowed his tail-feathers off on our day together. A different personality but at least as competent and friendly, informative, patient and full of enthusiasm.