Fishing Guide Information

[JohnnyD]

Anyone on here ever worked as a full-time guide at a fishing lodge? Like many of you I am a fishing addict. Last summer I was fortunate enough to spend 3 days fishing at Plummers Fishing Lodge near Yellowknife, NWT. Ever since than I have been very interested in working as a fishing guide at a lodge. If anyone has input or wants to share information through a PM that would be awesome!

[FishHunterPro]

A good start would be to hammer out resumes to all the lodges your interested in .

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by FishHunterPro

A good start would be to hammer out resumes to all the lodges your interested in .

I agree, seems like a good first step. I should have been more specific in my questions.

Whats the day to day like for a guide. What do you do after hours? Are there community spots at lodges, or does each guide have to find his own places to take client? What kind of salary and gratuities can one expect? Do I have to supply rods and tackle for everyone? Etc...

[fishpro]

It varies from lodge to lodge, but you can expect 9+ hour days of working, I've heard of wages from $90-$125 per day, tips are often $50-$100 per day. Room and board is usually included. Some lodges will allow you to fish after hours, some you won't have time (14 hour days between guiding and shore work). There will be several well known places on the lake, you will discuss where you're going with the other guides and/or the manager each day. The manager will want everyone to have a good trip, so they'll help you learn the good spots. Usually people bring their own tackle or it is included by the lodge.

[Safety D]

Just apply to all the lodges. I worked for 5 summers as a guide. 3 years at Great Bear, 1 year at Great Slave and Lake Athabasca. Days are long and in my opinion grueling at times. They can be long when the fish are not cooperating and the weather sucks. After hours you just rest and hang out. I read alot which I enjoyed. I went out fishing a few times a week but as the season goes on that will slow down. I guided on monster water but I generally took clients to different spots. Save the better spots for later in the week so you can get Greased good ( tips ) 300 average a week. I dont know about salaries now a days. I would think 100 bucks a day might be the going rate so dont plan on getting rich doing it. I liked having my own gear. Often clients leave you with stuff so your pretty heavy leaving after 8 or 9 weeks. What can I say it was a great expeierence. I got to spend a half a day with former US president bush, sather, harry sinden, bettman, Mike Harris and the list goes on. Its truly an experience of a lifetime and the memories are life lasting....

[Esox]

Others here have given good info. I literally sent emails with my résumé to every lodge I could find on the net. I spent my first summer as a dockhand then the next 5 as a guide. I was at a lodge in northern manitoba then got the salmon itch and spent 2 summers out there. It's an experience you will never forget, sometimes now I still wish I could spend my summers doing it. The show on WFN ca,lled The Lodge brought back lots of memories when it shows all the staff reuniting at the start of summer after everyone goes their own way all winter and that sort of thing. It does get to be a drag somedays and there are some real a**hole clients, but the good ones make it all worth while. Don't worry about the cash, even though it can be pretty lucrative, I came out of camp with 20 000 for 2.5 months work but it is 7 days a week for 100ish days, you have basically no expenses so its all profit to you. The adventure, experience and fun are well worth it.

[Esox]

There's definetly the well known spots that everyone will know about, but it's well worth it to explore when you can and find the secret little honey holes, guests love it when you do that and have a "Secret" hole with them. When I guided, generally we left the dock at 7:30 and were back t 5, somedays were different if we were doing a fly out or making a big run or something like that. Usually a guest decides to relax after their supper but sometimes they want to fish to, it's well worth it tip wise to take them out again after supper. Generally when not guiding we were off and had that time to ourselves for fishing or whatever. Days we didn't have a guest we would go out and fish to find new spot then get the fire going and help the guys prep shore lunch. Some days we'd help the maintenance guys, especially if it was our boat that they were working on. Guests will bring their own gear 98% of the time, you never have to supply your own, the lodge will do it if the guests don't have any. Salmon guiding our lodge providing all he gear for the guests.

[-JR-]

There is an add running in kijji Edmonton looking for helpers as a fishing guide around yellowknife Just type in..... fishing guide.

I wish I was looking for a job ....I would give him a call !

[-JR-]

try this
http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-jobs-oth...AdIdZ475582060

and this one
http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-jobs-oth...AdIdZ477687739

[JohnnyD]

Hey guys! Thanks for all the great responces. Unfortunately Ill be in school this summer. However, Im tryig to get all my ducks in a row for summer 2014. Likely Ill start hammering out resumes in February 2014. The sportsman show offers some good face time with different people from various lodges and thats where Ill start.