FYI: Yes, I am a guide out here on the Olympic Peninsula. And no, I do not guide fishing out of a boat. We walk and wade, and barely ever actually wade beyond shin deep with great attention paid to the risk of interrupting nesting or spawning, or guarding fish on redds,of any species. I guide fly fishermen with some old school ethics; flyfishing only, Catch & Release, single barbless hook scentless fly, no floats or indicators, no heavy weights or jigs, no upstream casting or lifting. We work a few good runs in a day, quite thoroughly. We spend most of our time fishing.
The last few winters I took increasing responsibility in caring for an elder friend who was in a bad way. Eventually I ended up living with him last fall, winter and spring, and nursed him through to his death, at home, in his own bed, which is what he wanted and needed. So I didnt guide at all last winter, nor even fish once, from late september last year through may. I didnt even renew my licenses until late may this year. I was happy to send a few people who called on me for winter steelhead trips to Doug Rose, who is also someone I think of as a conservationist guide. The winter before last I only guided a few guests who had been with me in the past. Ironically enough it was a boat fishing guide who ruined that day for us both. A story for another day.
I think of myself as a lifelong student of conservation, and of preservation and restoration. And much of my own personal life is involved in regional restoration and conservation issues here. Everyone has his own personal learning curve.I began fishing as a child in 1952, and I killed everything that I caught for the next 25 years, with bait, lures etc., fresh and saltwaters, every which way you can think of. Then I made the commitment to learn how to flyfish. Its been over thirty years of study and adventure ever since. I have worked very hard to learn about the state of our fisheries here, and of their past. It is something that I undertake seriously. I decided on catch and release flyfishing is the only responsible way that I could fish. I think that my guiding ethic reflects that. In my own personal fishing I have reduced my impacts on wild steelhead by limiting my fishing to just a half day at a time, a few times a season. And I have a personal limit of one fish- I catch one wild steelhead and I am very happy to
release that fish and then call it a day.
I barely guide more than that as well. A few days a week at most is fine with me. There was a time when I virtually lived on these rivers, camping and fishing, scouting, haunting the fish and the waters most of the time. And that includes winters; hunkered down in the rainforest, through floods and high water and deep freezes and howling winds and snow and ice and trees falling around me, river banks collapsing, roads washing out, power lines down. Fishing through most of that while the internet experts were home safe and warm. I worked hard to catch as many fish as I could, and guided that way too. But I evolved in my behavior and actions as a reflection of my evolution in understanding. I dont know everything, but I know what I know. And I am always willing to learn. I grew up.