Experience Purchasing Fly-Fishing Guide Services

[StreamerEater]

Hi all, my name is Pat and I am doing research into improving the fly fishing marketplace. If you could answer the questions below I would greatly appreciate your input! Feel free to message me your responses if you would prefer. There are no right or wrong answers. I'm purely looking to hear your feelings and thoughts about your experience purchasing fly-fishing guide services.

Background Info: Okay, so to start us off, can you tell me a little about yourself....How old are you? What region do you live in? How often do you fish?

Question #1: Tell me about the last time you purchased fly-fishing guide services...

Question #2: What tools or services did you use to evaluate the guide before purchasing their services?

Question #3: Did you experience any problems in the purchase process?

Question #4: What could be done to improve the purchase process?

 

Thanks for the consideration. I look forward to hearing about your experiences!

[SilverDoctor]

Lots of questions from someone with only 1 post and no community forum involvement.

[StreamerEater]

Fair...Gotta start somewhere, right? I am genuinely interested in improving the marketplace. With that said, I appreciate your feedback. Maybe I should pair it down?......

 

 Tell me about the last time you purchased fly-fishing guide services....did you experience any problems?...

[bcubed]

Isn’t market research typically a paid gig?

[StreamerEater]

Hey there, nope it's for myself. No money involved. I recently had a bad experience booking a guide, and am genuinely interested in developing a marketplace solution (think AirBnB for guides). I am asking these questions simply to validate the idea. No money exchanges. Not paid research. Just looking to hear other's experiences. 

[BowLurker]

Survey says..??

 

[fishteck]

Although the Angling Outfitters & Guide Association of Alberta attempts to generate professional standards within the Bow river guiding community, they have little power to enforce policy. What is needed in Alberta is for the government to license guides in the same way as Montana. In that state a guide has to work under and outfitter license for a registered number of trips before thy can apply for an outfitter license and sell their services to the public. Why this has not happened here is difficult to understand.

There are just too many anglers with a boat hanging up a shingle on social media and offering guiding services. It needs to change and once we recognize that the guiding industry in what ever form it exists on the Bow River will have to change to support AEP initiatives to preserve a depleted trout population, we will see restrictions put in place. This will only improve the experience a client receives from an outfitter.

For now it is a free-for all!

 

[FishnChips]

In the UK guides are licensed and they must hold certificates of competency and first aid training. Here in AB we are a bit stuck in the good ‘ol boy system. A bit retrograde.