Guide Services Cost

[Airborne]

I might a new guide who sounded pretty cheap $125 for the day out of his drift boat, never done the guide thing but for 125 it might be worth it just to learn some new water from the experts, is this a good deal? just curious

[Hooker]

You'll see that the average price for a guided trip runs about $150.00. If you get a full day for $125, that's a good deal.

[Bubzilla]

I don't know where Hooker has been getting fly guides, but I've never been with one that charged less than a full boat price--regardless of whether there was one or two anglers. Currently that's going to run in excess of $300.00. Depending on where and when, that price can be even higher, e.g., certain Deschutes guides, a few stillwater "experts," etc. Lots of gear guides charge only $150.00, or even less sometimes, per guy, but that's not too common among professional fly fishing guides.

If you're talking about a fly guide, $125.00 would be bargain basement cheap. I'd want to make sure he was licensed, and qualified. But if everything checks out, have a good time. If you're talking about a gear guide, that's not that big of a savings.

[Hooker]

Bubzilla is correct. I should have specified that the average price starts at $150.00 per person for a full day. Most do have a minimum of 2 people per trip.

[Airborne]

what is a "gear guide" ???

[Bubzilla]

As this is the fly fishing section of ifish, I assumed to begin with that you were talking about going with a professional fly fishing guide. A "fly" guide would be a guide who uses fly gear only. A "gear" guide would be a guide that uses conventional tackle, e.g., bait, plugs, etc. You don't get much overlap. And, frankly, most of the best fly fishing guides I know wouldn't know a Shimano from an Abu Garcia--anymore than the average gear guide would know the difference between John Bauer and Eddie Bauer.

[ 11-13-2003, 11:17 PM: Message edited by: Bubzilla ]