If you enjoy spending your days wading into rivers that cut through rolling mountain ranges in order to cast a line and reel in a fish, then being a fly fishing guide may sound like the perfect summer job for you. Of course, just like many jobs there is a lot more to it than obtaining the perfect catch. So, to learn more about how to prepare for the job and what to expect, I interviewed my friend Mette who has spent several summers as a fly fishing guide.
Note: Fly fishing guide jobs and responsibilities will vary depending on location and type of business/company you work for. All of the following information is solely based off of Mette's personal experience working as a fly fishing guide in Colorado with an organization that offers multiple types of guided experiences.
Photo credit: Samantha Deleo Q: How did you get into guiding in general?
A: I have always been outdoorsy. I worked at REI for about two years [and] there I was surrounded by super outdoorsy people that talked the talk about things [such as] rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, camping… All of those types of categories that people guide in. That is when I became a guide for a wilderness youth ministry through Young Life. I was a guide for [their] Beyond Malibu [program in] British Columbia. We did spring training and focused on a different topics [such as] multi-day backpacking skills, gear you need, how to pack, group management, weather, navigation... I got certified in wilderness advanced first aid and we focused on water safety, gear you need on the water, communications with marine radio, ect...
Overall I have been guiding since 2015. When I came [here] I felt very prepared and capable to pick up different types of activities I would need to guide [because] it was in a much more controlled environment where we would go out after breakfast and come in for lunch versus multi-day backpacking or sea kayaking experiences.
Q: How did you find out about this job?
A: I was traveling in New Zealand for fun and met up with a friend who used to work [here]. When she told me about [this] operation and what it was like, it felt familiar to my background. Growing up my parents had a bed and breakfast so I knew hospitality [too]. So I thought, 'I should apply to be a guide'.
I got here in the fall of 2019 starting in the winter season, right before COVID. I was doing our nordic ski program, and I learned a bit of ice fishing to be a back-up guide for those trips if needed. I guided two winters doing those programs. In the summers I was a hiking guide, and I knew that coming in, but a skill I learned was fly fishing.
Photo credit: Morgan Rovang
Q: How did you become a fly fishing guide?
A: There was a need [for it]. In our adventure center, you either have to focus on mountain biking or fly fishing, and then everyone hikes. They had enough mountain biking guides so the manager approached me [to ask about fly fishing]. I grew up in [the pacific north west] and have always been around water sports. So, I decided to tackle it. The more I studied it the more I enjoyed it. Now I am thankful I have all the gear and knowledge to be building upon it and go out by myself and know what to do.
I got to be [this company's] first female fly fishing guide full time. It was really cool to be someone who could open the door to our staff members and other guests whose husbands were avid fly fisherman but they always stayed away from it because they did not feel that the door was open [to them].
Q. Did you have any prior fishing experience?
A: Salmon fishing is big out [where I am from]. I more so just knew people that were doing that. But no, fly fishing was something that I [didn’t know too much about] prior to [preparing for the job]. [But] it was not too intimidating because I knew the salt water side.
Photo credit: Brendan Hollis
Q: How long did it take you to become proficient in the sport?
A: February of 2020 was when I committed to being a fly fishing guide, after I’d gone out once or twice down to the tail waters [to see] if this even was fun enough that I wanted to try to do it. I spent my winters studying fly fishing to know what it would look like and what [my] proficiency would need to be. If you hit it like you do any college course you can get a really good base line of the sport.
Then [I had] a whole summer of guiding. June through October was when I saw the changes of each month and got an understanding that October fishing is going to be very different than June fishing, especially in our region. [During] my second year of guiding, I definitely started to fine-tune and hone in more. Fly fishing is a lifetime sport, that is what everyone says. You never stop learning, you never stop trying things and tweaking, and it is probably one of the most humbling sports.
Q: What experience did you need to be a fly fishing guide?
A: With guiding [in general] I needed to have some prior experience. It allows you to do navigation and risk management out in different areas of the national forrest. [The] medical training [I had] was definitely helpful, we do [need] to have a level of [medical] certification. Wilderness first aid, advanced first aid, and wilderness first responder are definitely [courses] I would suggest for people go find and get training in. It is the industry standard if you are considered a guide. Knowing how to handle a group, and if an incident happens knowing what response to go on to make sure people are kept safe... Like, if you see the weather rolling in, knowing how to be prepared for that... Those are skills you have to gain.
To get a job [here, you need to] be a people person because we are in the hospitality industry, be smart, be competent but don’t have a big ego, [and] be excited to share a passion that you have.
Photo credit: Henry Fraczek
Q: Aside from a fishing license are there any certifications you need for the job?
A: No, nothing that is required at the moment. [Here] they required the medical certification and we needed our fishing license to be able to fish the waters. I know our current [fly fishing] manager has been chatting about the different courses he would like people to go get exposure to, and maybe get certified as a casting instructor... there are different levels of that.
Q: How does obtaining a fishing license work for a guide?
A: It is different per state. The first summer as a fly fishing guide [my employer] bought it. [They] purchased the fly fishing license for all of [the guides] on the Colorado Fish and Wildlife website. [The process and price were not different for a guide versus a regular fisherman.]
Photo credit: Carter Yocham
Q: Did you have to purchase your own gear?
A: I did have to get a little bit of my own gear. It is nice to have your own net, waders, and boots because you are wearing them everyday. [The company] provides the flies, the rods, the reels, the fly lines… all of that kind of stuff. If we really needed waders to borrow we could borrow the [ones the shop had] as needed.
Q: How do you know what type of gear you will need?
A: It depends on what waters you're fishing. If you are in Idaho or Colorado, versus if you are fishing for Steelhead in Washington… it’s going to be different gear. Read the Orvis book on the basics of fly fishing [and] watch one or two teaching companies that have instructional videos. There is a lot of resources out there that can help.
[If you know where you] will be fly fishing, get into the type of gear you will need for that type of fishing. Like... these are the kinds of bugs that are going to be in that region so these are the type of flies that I will be putting into my fly box. You also have to get into the physics of fly fishing. So the casting… that all depends on what type of fish you are going for and the size, and weight, of rod you are using.
Photo credit: Taylor Grote
Q: Is there any general gear you suggest someone have?
A: There is so much cool gear out there. Polarized glasses are a must. You got to be able to see through the water, especially if you are sight fishing. You can read the water and expect where fish might be holding but it is really cool if you can cut the glare off the top of the water and see the fish flash and move. [A] water proof watch is great. When you are out guiding, time management is really huge. Especially with expectations for our guests, you want to be back in time for meals.
We wet wade a lot so I’ll always bring pants on the water instead of shorts. When you are out there walking around and slip and hit your shin on a rock its a little bit nicer to have pants on. Sun hoodies and buffs are really nice for bugs [so] they aren’t going in your mouth and up your nose. I did eventually get a palm leaf hat, wide brimmed. That was really nice, so when you are out there on the high alpine exposed creeks you aren’t just sitting in the sun getting baked, you have protection. If you are using sunscreen get something non-toxic for when it comes off in the water. Reef safe is good.
Also a wading staff is nice. Or if you have a long handled fishing net you can use that as a wading staff. There are some [that are] shorter or [have] smaller baskets... we get the longer [ones]. I think its an 18 or 21 inch net, with an 18-20 inch handle that works as a wading staff.
Q: Are there any brands you prefer when it comes to more specific gear?
A: For my waders I like the Simms' G3Z. For the female body it is nice to have that zipper down the side so you can wiggle into them a bit easier. For boots I have also been wearing Simms, I think they are the Freestone. Out here the rivers are really slippery, have steep banks to access into them, have fast moving water, and a lot of pocket water, so you want to be able to be mobile and not be slipping and sliding around.
Rods… there is a lot out there, and a lot of different price ranges. We have used Sage and Redington. I have a Sage rod because they are from Washington. If someone is just starting out a TFO rod would be good to go with.
Start up costs for me to be a fly fishing guide in the end… probably budget $1,000 dollars just for some good gear, but then the [company I work for] was able to provide the rest which saved me around $2,000.
Photo credit: Hunter Brumels
Q: What does a day in the life of a fly fishing guide look like?
A: We get [to work] at 7:30am, we do some chores, and then [make] sure we know who is signed up for the morning activity and what [gear] we need. [In] our program our trips for the morning leave around 9:30am and we aim to be back for lunch by 12:00pm - 12:15pm. [Afternoon trips are between 2:00pm - 4:30pm.]
[After that], getting our vehicles pulled around, getting our fly boxes reset, and talking to each other about what was working yesterday and what we anticipate might be happening now based on what could be hatching. There is so much with fly fishing, it can depend on patterns of nature. With fly fishing you have to study and understand those patterns... Am I going to be using a worm or eggs because of what fishing are hatching or spawning. If there is a lot of run off from the winter snow it may turn into rafting water instead of fishing water and you have to fish in the lakes and more protected areas where it is safe to walk around.
Every trip is different depending on who you are taking and where you are going. An all day trip versus a half day trip does not look too different. [On an all day] you are able to cover more ground or maybe drive to a further destination, or maybe hike in 2 or 3 miles [to] fish an area and hike out. So it is more of a mixed activity.
When you go on an all day you pack a lunch… some of our guests that are more intense don’t want to stop for lunch. Its like you are fishing from right when you get out of the truck to right when you get back into the truck and you are driving home eating your sandwich. They are pretty intense sometimes. We leave earlier for those trips. It could be 5-6 hours fishing, but it depends if it is later in summer… if it is too warm for the trout they don’t bounce back [when you] release them, so to protect them we cut it short.
After the work day, after 4:30pm, if you go back out with your buddies there may be a little more action happening because thats when the sun [is] starting to set a little bit and hatches are happening and the fish are around more. But we don’t do 5:30pm - 6:00pm fishing, ours are [just] morning or afternoon.
Q: What other responsibilities do you have besides taking people out to fish?
A: Gear takes up a lot of the time. Once a week we are deep cleaning everything. The wading socks we are deep cleaning in buckets to disinfect and keep stains out. The boots we are deep cleaning. Waders we brush off and spot treat them each week. If we need to, we put protectant on the fabric or the leather.
The rods are some of the most delicate parts of our equipment, so that care is really intense. We break down the rods, deep clean the fly lines with the appropriate cleaners and lubricants, take off all of the leaders/monofilament part and rebuild it. We create our own tapered leaders, so we tie different thickness of that monofilament line to create something stronger that is thicker at one end and then gets thinner where the fly is at. Whenever there is a knot in that area it has to be tied correctly with the right integrity and the line itself has to be not too old and brittle otherwise you are just snapping lines when you are out there on the river.
We do a lot of maintenance, sometimes daily, taking out knots and rerigging. Even if it looks good to the eye, we are still taking it apart to get the grit and dust off everything so it can run smoothly. We are always doing more orderings, consulting each other on what we think should be [used]. Just managing all of the equipment.
Photo credit: Taylor Grote
Q: Is there a better state or location in the USA to be a fly fishing guide?
A: It all depends on the fish you want to catch. In Colorado we get a lot of folks from the Carolinas and Virginias, and a handful from Wisconsin and Michigan. The Montana and Idaho crew might come to Colorado but they are more proficient [in their waters] and have their own guiding gigs in those states. I don’t know if we are one of the gateways for folks from other regions in the USA to test the waters, or if they are [attracted to] the rocky mountain high fly fishing’ experience.
Q: What would you say is the biggest misconception about the job?
A: I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that fly fishing guides fish all day. We actually never touch the rod. We will pack up all the gear, get folks to the spot, get the gear on and set the right way, walk [clients] through how you do it… But often times our flies aren’t really hitting the water because we don’t want to disturb that opportunity for the guests. So, we pass the rods to the guests and it is teaching and coaching.
It is just like in batting practice. You have your coach on your shoulder giving you tweaks on what to do but they are not swinging for the kid. It is a lot of breaking things down to the very basics, explaining the whys of things, and making sure that mentally and emotionally the [clients] are not overwhelmed because it is so technical. With our guests, you are just wanting them to have a good time, learn some things, and be successful in hooking into a fish.
So if you want to be a fly fishing guide just realize that you might not be fly fishing yourself. You are going to do that in your off time. After work you can go back out.
Photo credit: Jack Murrey
Q: What is a surprising aspect of the job that new guides don’t expect?
A: The job is about expectation management. [Where we work], it is probably very different than a Montana private fly shop that takes you on a 4 hour float trip. [Guides in private fly shops face a lot more pressure from their clients to catch fish.] The level of intensity we are doing [here] is very technical but the pressure from our guests is not as grand as it could be in some of those other waters.
With our guests, 80% that are going to be fly fishing are looking for an awesome experience. They want to laugh, make memories, take some good photos, and then they want to catch some fish... be it a little brookie that is 3 inches long or a white fish that put up a good fight and is 8 inches long. [It doesn’t matter what, as long as they get something.]
For the other 20% of the guests... they have been coming year after year, they know the one single fly fishing guide they want to go out [on the water] with. When I went out on the river with this older gentleman I was like, ‘oh man, I don’t know if I can give him the trip that he wants’... and then he ended up catching a 22 inch brown… on THIS water. It was his skill set that he had learned from other guides in the past that got him to the spot. I was able to take him to the water, tie that fly, tie that knot correctly so that when he did hook into the fish he was able to play it and thankfully I did not mess up the netting of it.
Q: What is the best part of the job?
A: Being outside in such a beautiful place. If you get stressed out or are putting too much pressure on your performance, [you have moments where you] come to that pause. It’s like, ‘Wow… Look at where I am right now. I get paid to do this. That’s crazy!’
Obviously there is that level of professionalism and you need to do a job, but the outdoor industry is so cool and guiding is such a great opportunity for personal growth. Just being out in nature where everyone can enjoy some aspect of it. I am at a desk job now, [believe me] it’s a big blessing just being outside. Even on the windy days or the rainy days, there is never a bad day it is just bad gear.
Q: What is the most frustrating part of the job?
A: When you get skunked. In the sense that you do everything that you can and you don’t come away with a fish or a success in that sense. That is always frustrating. Another hard thing is management of the group. [When] you are overloaded with too many people you can’t give what you want to each person. You have to kind of give them just a little bit, and when you walk away its like ‘oh man I did not manage that the best that I could have’ or ‘I wasn’t set up for success’.
The hardest thing to see from a people side is when people hit their limit on the comfort zone and they are just hitting the growth area but it challenges them too much so they get in their head about things. I’ve had some folks that go out [to the river] and either their body is not allowing them to, or they don’t feel comfortable because they don’t want to get hurt scrambling down the bank to get into the river. [So they don't get out there.] Sometimes you can’t control that even if you think you are setting them up for success. That is one of the biggest challenges that you face.
Photo credit: Rick Wallace
Q: What can someone put on their resume to better their chances of getting the job, if they have no prior guiding experience?
A: With any kind of guiding, safety and teaching are two big things, [so put] any type of experience that you have [in those areas]. If you are a lifeguard, give an example of how you mange that or what you focus on to keep people safe. If you are a teacher, an assistant coach, or a tutor… anything like that that showcases you are good working with people one on one and you can break down systems of whatever [subject, in order to teach].
As a hiring manager now, when I look at a resume [I look at], if the grammar is good, is not too overloaded, is it focused on what job [they] are actually looking for? Even if you don’t have the exact experience, tell me that you could be a person that would be able to learn these things. I always like to see a blurb at the top that explains a bit about [you] too. If you are willing, put a little picture of yourself at the top, doing something outdoorsy.
Q: What are your thoughts on submitting videos, along with a resume, that show abilities such as casting techniques?
A: That is something we have been starting to ask for now. We are starting to [ask] our fly fishing folks to send in a little snip-it of them. Something like, ‘hey, this is my system, this is how I set up, and I am going to show you a bit of casting’… Just out in a grass field or in their backyard. That gives us an idea of their presentation [and] their personality. When you are in front of guests you are hosting them, you are teaching them, you have to be friendly and be inviting. Then [show] the skill set of casting or even knowing how to hold the rod correctly.
If people want to give that it does not hurt. Don’t be intimidated. If you can showcase that kind of stuff, it probably gives you a better chance than that 40 year old fly fishing guide who has been doing it for years but he is not a team player, or is a bit too rough, or can be hard to work with.
Q. Is there anything else you would tell someone who wants to be a fishing guide?
A: You can't get good at something unless you are actually doing it. So if you want to get good at fly fishing, just get out there. Prioritize it. Ask around, hit the internet, look at areas to fish, even if it’s just a pond. Work through what it takes to hook into a fish and how to set the hook correctly and how to play the fish into the net and how to net correctly... there are tons of techniques, it’s not just about luck. A lot of it comes down to muscle memory and practice, so go have fun with it.
[Also], don’t feel like you have to buy 100% of the equipment right off the bat. Read the Orvis fishing guide about the basics you need to get started. It does not have to be a couple $1,000 it can be a couple $100. Or maybe you have an uncle that has a fly rod in their garage that has been sitting there for years that you can borrow.
[Lastly], there is such a supportive community out there in the guiding world. It does not have to be intimidating. There are folks that are in whatever age group or gender you are. There are other people [like you, that are doing this]. But you have to look for it, it wont just drop in your lap. Commercials, advertising, and magazines throw stuff in our face that is like the ‘epic Everest mountaineering trip’ or whatever, and it's like, 'I just want to hike in my park'… and you can.
Photo credit: Glen Rushton
Conclusion
Like most jobs, there is a lot more to being a fly fishing guide than meets the eye. If you are just getting started chasing your dream, or have been fishing for years and are looking to take the next step, I hope this interview helped prepare you to be a fly fishing guide.
Credits
Thank you to Mette for taking the time out of an extremely busy schedule to sit down with me and provide all of this information. She was an easy choice to interview as she is always open and willing to share her knowledge and consistently receives requests to be the fly fishing and hiking guide for many of our return guests. Even though she usually has her hands full with hiring the incoming guides/staff and taking care of so much, she is always happy to take anyone out on the river.
The photos used in this post are not mine. I want to thank the photographers, which have been credited under their photographs, for uploading their work to unsplash and allowing others to use them.
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