How much do you tip a guide for a day's services? I'm not asking how much you SHOULD tip, WANT TO tip or WOULD tip you can afford it. How much really comes out of your pocket? Guides: How much do you get - high, low, average?
I thought those guides that worked real hard to go behind me when I'm bank fishing where just bing nice. You mean they were just working on their tip?I would say a 10% tip is the least you can do for our guide, unless he is an ass hat and runs over the shore guys lines or low holes others, etc.
Looks great! A dutch oven is awesome! You need two though, one for dinner (above) and the second for desert! Mmmmm, good! :thumb: :beer2:OK, discussion over. let's eat.
well, smell the shit.... or listen to the shit, which is worse?Heres a point of view from a "working guy".First off as a contractor(carpenter) I still am annoyed at the plumber/electrician analogy.You ought to maybe appreciate the guy that has to smell your shit when he fixes your pipes,and then makes sure your shit goes away.
From what i can tell the smack talking yuppie is a rare luxury. Its the "I work 20 times harder than you" guy, and "sick of the pompous arrogant guide industry" guy, and "cheap" guy that the guides have to tolerateTopwater,
Now think about what you are saying,you would rather smell sewer gas all day than tolerate some smack talking yuppie.I think I'd have more fun messin' with the smart aleck,than wearing rubber gloves and worrying about bacteria.Once again, "the poor fishing guide has it soooo tough".Come on, they are doing what they love,that doesn't oblige me to reward them further.(although I have chosen too).Most times guides are simply peddling new variations of the same ole basic patterns.taking you through the same 'ole holes they go through day after day,telling the same stories over and over.Guides are not diety although many think(pardon the connection) their shit don't stink.I guess I get sick of being around the whole pompous arrogant industry here in Southwest Montana.Anybody can cat fish if they do their homework.
Again, I have tipped guides fairly,because I choose to not because I think there is an obligation.Hem
This has to be one of the most negative and depressing ideas I have seen voiced here so far. Once you have guided for a few months it becomes abundantly clear that you would have more time to fish, and more money to do it with, doing just about any other kind of non fishing related job. I could just as easily say that a federal Fisheries Biologist "lives on someone elses dime".Jergens,
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I'll offer another observation that I think influences the fishing guide business. A lot of people who are passionate about their fishing seem to want to be or become fishing guides to live their dream. It's a fortuitous coincidence that guiding allows them to partially live that dream on someone else's dime. Sg
Only if people are willing to book trips with a guide. Then it comes back to customer service which only the better guides will see return clients.Jergens,
If WA shops are taking 30% just for booking, then booking trips is far more lucrative than guiding.
Sg
One of the few posts on this thread that makes a bit of 'sense.' Want to fish the Rogue? You're all in with me (send me a PM:thumb.Hi guys. Been an interesting talk here. I will throw out exactly what my pull is as a guide since so many people are asking, then give my views on tipping.
As a Guide working out of a fly shop I figured my average salary on a per hr basis during summer running the most popular river with 2 people in drift boat at $13.53hr or around $200 a day. Fly shop takes 35% booking fee, i pay for boaters pass,shuttle,lunch,gas,gear and flies. Of course as a independent contractor i supply drift boat and rig capable of carrying 3 people and gear also. I also provide the rods and reels, shop rents waders and boots to clients. Not something that people do to get rich at for sure....especially when you consider that it is mostly seasonal and your not going to be guiding every day during peak period. Its a labor of love. I do not guide full time because i cannot afford to, although i might start to since i am having trouble making money as it is.
Now on tipping. I believe that tipping is up to the individual person or persons on the trip. I am always extremely grateful when given a tip, but i do not expect it. I do not always give a tip to waitresses either. If i am satisfied with the services rendered then i will, if i am not then i won't.
When guiding i always work as hard as i can to make sure that the people have as good of a time as possible during the trip. I do not do this to earn a tip, i do this to hopefully ensure that they will speak to there friends about the time that they had with me and get referal business.
I will also say personally that alot of the best tips i got were not cash. I enjoy cigars and have had multiple people tip me with a couple of nice cigars, which was very nice.
I will say that about 80% of people tip me. Average tip probably between $20 and $40. There are a fair amount of wealthy clients with the fly shop, Lucking into one of those clients and having a big fish day could equate to a tip of $200+ but that is extremely rare.
I don't really count tip money as take home income, all tip money for me goes straight back into gear for guiding. Clients are hard on rods,reels,lines etc.