This post is written for fellow guides and will make a lot more sense if you read this post first.

Self-reflection and looking at things objectively is sometimes challenging.  Years back, I heard a guide on the river giving a client a ration of shit about something or other. I thought it was terrible. I tried to rise above it a bit thinking “I’m not like that am I?”  and in a moment of very honest self-reflection, I realized that I had been guilty of it at times. Definitely not near to the degree of this example or of the one in my previous blog post, but I had still been at times “Blamey”

I am extremely glad to have recognized it as a thing early on in my guiding career. Being aware of it has become a very valuable tool and because of that experience, I’ve been much more prone to act in a positive, more productive manner when these situations arise.

I believe as guides our intention when being “Blamey” is to make clients more prepared for your next opportunity. With many things in life, it is the delivery that is sometimes lacking. Fishing is supposed to be fun and being blamed for missed opportunities is definitely not fun. These situations can be spun into a much more positive and informational situation with just a little bit of thought and care.

For example: Pretend you are fishing hoppers and a fish come to eat your guests fly and they tear it from his jaws (often happens) Instead of saying “Damnit you took it from him” it may be better to say something like “Nice work, you made him eat”. and follow with “Maybe next time tho try to let him have it for just a little longer before you lift. that gives time for the fish to take the fly down and when you lift, the change in direction gives the hook a little better chance to penetrate.” A far more positive and educational experience and also it comforts the client. Making a fish eat s a win. Often times getting the eat is the most difficult part of the equation and for me, it is the most satisfying part of the process.

Being a guide can be tough.  We are often under pressure to make something happen that you have very little control over.  As anglers, we are often trying to achieve things that are extremely difficult. Fish may not be “smart” but they are most certainly highly in tune with their surroundings and to catch them on artificial food, in a river that can fluctuate greatly in temperature, clarity, and volume. Add in weather, sky, predators, barometric pressure, and fishing pressure and you’ve got yourself quite the cocktail. I know and understand all the pressures and frustrations that guides feel, but keeping those emotions and feelings in the right channels is as big a part of guiding as the fishing itself.