This week, my guest is Orvis-endorsed guide Erica Nelson, who is also my co-host for the occasional “Awkward & Clueless” Facebook Live sessions. (She also has her own podcast, The Awkward Angler.) Erica gives us tips on how to hire a guide, how to find the right guide, how to manage expectations with a guide, how to tip a guide, and what to do if your guide trip is a disaster.
In the Fly Box, we have some great questions and comments, including:
- Can I use the 10-foot, 3-weight Recon rod for both Euro-nymphing and small-stream trout fishing?
- What has Tom learned lately? Has he had any “aha” moments?
- A listener makes the point that the overharvest of menhaden, a valuable forage fish, threatens our saltwater gamefish populations on the Atlantic Coast, and gives a great book recommendation on the topic.
- A listener asks if he should consider the shorter 8-weight Blackout rod for a wide variety of fishing situations.
- Thoughts from a listener on the value of native fish populations
- A suggestion from a listener on two items every fly fisher who goes off the grid should carry
- I had a rainbow trout nose my fly and slap the fly with its tail six times. Why did the fish do that?
I’ve written an extensive article on how to hire fly fishing guides here: https://sippingmayflies.com/how-to-hire-a-fly-fishing-guide/
I think you’d agree with most, if not all of the etiquette mentioned.