Oly Penisula Guides

moman · 10-29-2001, 01:11 PM

The boss says I have to take a client fishing on the Peninsula, a rare treat to leave my boat at home and spend a day on someone elses. It appears mid November is the time, a tad early I suppose for winter steelies, maybe a little late for salmon. Being a valley dweller, I don't know much about the Bogancheil, Sol-Duc, etc. I've searched around for guide services but could use a good referral, both on rivers and guides, from the all-knowing Ifish community. Where and with who? S

THE REEL HEY_YALL · 10-29-2001, 01:38 PM

Bob Ball
You can see and hear all about it www.piscatorialpursuits.com as it has videos, pics, and his contact information.

smilesforu · 10-29-2001, 02:16 PM

Yup timing is a tweener, but can still be good native silver fishing/early hatchery steelhead/large colored kings. Guide choice should depend on what your client is looking for or does it matter? I live here on the Peninsula and know all the guides. shoot me a email with how you want to fish? Do you need a place to stay too? Its primarily a drift boat fishery with most of the guides pulling plugs.
Bob makes a good website but may not be the correct answer.

parker · 10-29-2001, 02:26 PM

Might want to consider one of the tribal guides on the Quinault. With access to the Quinault, Queets, and the Salmon River, (I don't think Cook Creek will be open yet) you should have good success in mid-november for both steelies and salmon. Might look up Letty Potter, Clay Butler, or Robbin Rhoades. I can only vouche for Robbin, and not the others.

You can email me for Robbin's phone number, or Letty's web site.

bigshark · 10-29-2001, 02:55 PM

Moman
Bob Ball will give you the names and numbers for other guides in the area that know the rivers well. I have fished that area for 20plus years and there are none better than
Bob. If he is booked, he will refer you to someone that will give you and client a good
experience. The sour-grapes comments are from those who only envey what he does. His list of guys he refers to are on his level of skill and thats why they get along so well. If you are truly taking a client, and I have been there and done that for many years, don't take a chance. Do that on your own time and don't gamble on a client trip.

poshie · 10-29-2001, 03:13 PM

SORRY JEN....

Marty M....I think that is an indirect bash.
QUESTION.....are you allowed to post on PP?
Don't think so....
If you have your own personal beef, take it to personal email.

rags · 10-29-2001, 07:35 PM

In my opinion George Rose is the best guide on the Peninsula. Shoot me an e-mail and I will give you his #.

smilesforu · 10-29-2001, 07:51 PM

POSH you are out of line....take your own advise. Bob is not the only guide in this area....not even close. Bob is a good guide but may not fit the bill for the trip. Nor do I feel the differences between me and Bob are a issue here....get over it. I have a huge list of guides I recommend depending on what people are looking for heading our way. Parker is correct there are some great guides on excellent water in the Quinault area. I have personally fished with the Potters (Letty) and would recommend them as long as you don't fly fish.
The fishing experience will be greatly influenced by the weather conditions. It rains a lot in November normally, so you will need some luck hitting the right conditions.
Tight Lines

[ 10-29-2001: Message edited by: smilesforu ]

poshie · 10-29-2001, 09:59 PM

SORRY JEN....my original post developed wings and posted again.

[ 10-30-2001: Message edited by: posh II ]

Sparkey · 10-29-2001, 10:46 PM

Ive fished with Bob and others on the Peninsula and he is by far the best. And if he is full he will hook you up with other excellent guides out of the Forks area like Jimmy Leons and Pat Grahm-whom Ive had the oppurtunity to fish with or alongside.

bigshark · 10-30-2001, 12:00 AM

moman
You asked for recommendations, those that we
the participants of this board believe would do a great job for you drawing upon our experiences. I do not read in your post a request for who may not be the right one for
your trip. Some find that unaligned with their personal agenda and have to comment in
such manner. There are some highly skilled
guides in the area. And there is a hugh list of "Wanna Be's". Your boss wouldn't have given you the assignment if he didn't think you could figure it out. Good Luck and have a great time....the Oly Pen is a special part of this world.

smilesforu · 10-30-2001, 01:14 AM

Bigshark you seem to misinterpret what I say by your implications. Apparently I don't have a clue on guides and their fishing abilities and styles in my neck of the woods or the rivers they fish. Please enlighten me on your list of excellent guides and rivers they fish.
BTW Bob is on my list of good guides. He knows how to fish. Lets hear of any others you might wish to share from your own personal agenda...you can start with fly guides, bait fishermen and then the plug pullers. I am sure you have a detailed response I can educate myself with.

markus THE RAIDER · 10-30-2001, 03:32 AM

this would be my pick..check out her site.
she is cool and she catches fish. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] mark http://www.****************.com/

here is her email address
queenofspey@yahoo.com. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

[ 10-30-2001: Message edited by: Jennie@ifish ]

Predator Dawg · 10-30-2001, 05:46 AM

Markus -

He said he wanted to catch fish, not crabs... [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

TH · 10-30-2001, 06:15 AM

Well, I have been fishing with a guy on the OP for a number of years now.. bottom line he catches fish!
Last Sat. he landed a 51#, 47# and a 35# !!! [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]
Bob Darmiento of Northwest Exposure Guide Service.
Bob is very good at finding fish, but most importantly he puts on a good show, beautiful boat, top of the line gear, and is very helpful... you'll end the day w/ knowledge to take home.. regardless of where you fish!
We have a number of guides on the OP that fish TH Rods... my number guide is Bob Darmiento. Shoot me an email for his number.

bigshark · 10-30-2001, 01:26 PM

Smilesforu
Sorry I didn't get back to you last night but you stay up later than I do. Moman asked for referrals. Not for someone that might not fit the bill. Moman was asked by his boss
to take someone out to the Oly Pen in mid November. What this means to you and what it means to me may be the same thing and perhaps it doesn't. While I am now retired, it has only been a couple of years ago and
the admittedly short list of guides I have
was developed by multiple trips with them. The list was developed by the trips taken by our various departments,accounting,legal, sales etc. To our company the trips have quite a number of purposes behind them. It could be that we are trying to say thank-you for the order, the client could have given it to someone else. It may be that we want to get to know him or her better before subcontracting. Or it may be that we want to try to negotiate a little bit more and this would be a neutral ground and a laidback atmospher. I'm sure you get the picture. For our company the guide needs to be a professional in all respects. Know how to keep his mouth shut at the right time,
when to make small talk or be informative at a good time. The list of "people skills" are
important when it means how you put food on the table for your family.
Our experience is that the skill to put you in the fish is commonplace, the skill to be considered a top notch pro is raising. Its good for us the consumer. I hope you can accept my statment in the spirit it is intended. We all want the same thing, good trips with people who are as skilled at their work as we are with ours. Have you ever heard of guides who limit most of the time but don't show at the resturant and someone has to dig them out of bed? Have you been in the boat when you are at the point you think your going to get the business and
the guide breaks in and wants to tell his latest joke? Have you had the pleasure of having a guide chew the backside of your client for braking the darn thing off? Or on your drive back the guest asks why the guide
thought because he was born there, it made him better or more deserving of your business?
Smilesforu, I would like to be a friend. A fellow boardmember sharing what little I might know and you would find helpful or just entertaining. Last night you suggested someone may not be right for the job instead
of others who may be great choices as well.
It did set wrong with me as it smacked of things read on another board while I was still a lurker. If I read your meaning wrong I'm sincerely sorry. If my first impression was correct however,it needed attention. Your education comes as long as you live. Our list of guides isn't anybodys business but our own. You know the names as well as I do. I'd rather flyfish with Gordie or Mike.
Jimmy or Pat as well as Bob for plugs. There are six more on the list. We do not post who may not be right for the job. You lose the client, we can find someone else who thinks it through.

bigshark · 10-30-2001, 02:20 PM

How this posted twice,I have no idea!
[img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

[ 10-30-2001: Message edited by: bigshark ]

Huntar · 10-30-2001, 07:45 PM

I have fished with several guides up on the O.P. and have settled on one for 95% of my guided fishing up there. Thirteen years, average of four to five days per year. I have only been zeroed once! Salmon have been limits for me every time, and the last five years I've averaged 3.7 steelhead per day. Granted, I've been lucky and scheduled good dates, but time seperates lucky guides from skilled ones. The problem is getting a day on short notice. If you want the info, drop me an e-mail.

smilesforu · 10-31-2001, 12:32 AM

BigShark I can't agree with you more on your last post about the guides and how they interact with your clients or don't interact. It isn't always about the fish, people skills are more important with a client. I was only trying to say there may be others skilled in other areas that the client could be interested in (fly, spin, experience level). A lot of the right guide choices with people skill will depend upon the client's prior fishing skills or lack of. You know how clients can be obviously from you post. It is truly hard to give a blanket endorsement to one guy because not everybody blends the same in the boat. I see from your list you have some good ones listed. Seeing how neither of us know the client...the right choice may still be the wrong one.
You sound like a good guy and I apologize if I came off as trying to bash Mr Ball. It was meant to clarify Rednecks blanket endorsement. I believe we are on the same page...I come across the wrong way sometimes when I open my mouth.
So with that said....can you tell us more about your clients personality type and his fishing skills? Perhaps you can tell us what your looking for from your guide? Special accomodations? (Lodge, hotel, bb)

If you do the Quinault area you can stay at the Quinault Lodge....very nice touch to the trip.
Forks area has some nice B&B's that would be nice for a client. The motels are clean but pretty basic in the area. Klaloch Lodge is nice but a little out of the way if your fishing for Bogie brats.
I will watch for more info and try to help if I can. But it looks like the Quinault or the Bogey/Solduc for fishing unless a big dry spell hits.

moman · 10-31-2001, 07:44 AM

Wow, what a string, its hard to get one going without a little blood being spilled. That said, I really appreciate the attention and reponses to my question. Anyway, back to Smiles question, both guys I am taking fishing will likely not be interested in, or at least not capable of, fly fishing, neither have much expereince, and it may be the first drift trip for each. Based on that, we'll need a patient guide. This trip will be as much about a day away as it is about fishing (speaking for them), for me its always about the fish. In other words, an easy day with a good lunch and cold one at the take-out is as important as anything (why is there no gremlin knocking one back?). One overnight stay, the night before, is in the works. Thanks all. S

Bruce · 10-31-2001, 09:04 AM

I have fished with Jim Leons and had a great time. I would definatly recommend him.

Jim Leons Webpage

THE REEL HEY_YALL · 10-31-2001, 10:01 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>It was meant to clarify Rednecks blanket endorsement. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't think my post needed any clarification, and usually a suggestion is an endorsement.

I like Bob because he's not guilty by association and many people speak highly of him.

smilesforu · 10-31-2001, 12:25 PM

Most of the guides don't do a lunch unless its a bag they pick up at the local restaurant. (sandwich, chips,fruit). You may want a hot one at the end of the day...November fishing is cold. Good rain gear a must, most boats will have a Mr Heater for the clients up front to keep warm.
I would recommend one of the plug puller guides.

Forks area
Sahar has a beautiful log home on the Sol duc that would make a nice impression. Excellent fishermen and a easy going guy.
360 327 3709 (no website..I think)

Mansfield has a nice home on his property where his clients stay with some trophy elk and local history. Nice touch if they enjoy hunting and would like to know a little about the area.

Gracey lives on the Calwah but I am not sure where his guys stay.

Ball lives on the Sol-Duc but not sure where his guys stay.
I am sure I am missing somebody...(will catch **** for it)

To fish the Quinault or lower Queets you must have a indian guide. Letty fishes it darn near every day and can point you to one of the locals. Can be hard to get a guide to even fish on the rivers.

Quinault area
Stay at the Quinault lodge!!!
Queets area
Stay at Kalococh lodge!!

Have to run off to work...Can help with more info later if needed.