As many of you have noticed, there has been quite a bit of wadable water on our rivers lately. The lakes are all well below flood pool and the weather has been relatively mild. Both are conditions that lead to periods of low or no generation. Anglers have been responding to the great wading conditions. I have seen quite a few anglers on the stream lately taking advantage of the prime conditions.
Not every fly fisher prefers to wade. Most of the guides that I know much prefer to fish from a boat. Earlier this week, I was one of ten fly fishing guides that worked for a corporate group from Texas. On the first day, I was the only guide that chose to wade despite low water conditions on the White and Norfork Rivers (The White had been off for over forty eight hours). Both were on the bottom as I say, lower that a snake’s back in a wagon rut.
Why do these guys prefer to guide from a boat? Because it is easier! When you are guiding from a boat, all you have to do is keep your clients on fish, untangle lines and net fish. The clients are close to you and you don’t have to worry about much except for one of them falling out of the boat.
Wade fishing with clients is a very different story. You have to quickly assess their wading ability. If there are any mobility issues, then they should be in the boat. My rule of thumb is to walk as from the access as possible before I start fishing. The client must be able to walk that far. The guide has to be able to make the walk also. I work out at the gym at least three days a week to stay in peak condition just so that I can do this.
When you place your clients on stream, you have to put them in good water where they can catch fish. The problem comes when you have more than one client. If you have multiple clients, they are usually far apart because there are few choice spots that are clustered near other great spots. As a result, you spend a lot of time running from one client to another. If one is tangled, then the other has a trophy on the line and wants a picture.
The casting and fishing skills required for a client are greater on a wade trip. As a result, the guide spends more time coaching or teaching. Finally, you have to keep an eye on your clients at all time, in case they should slip or fall in the water. I always say that it is not a matter of if you fall in but when.
Despite all of this, I actually prefer to wade on a guide trip. I feel very comfortable in the water and for me it is a pleasure. For one thing I don’t have to sit next to an outboard motor droning on continuously. The quiet and solitude of a wade trip is a refreshing change for me. I like the challenge of finding multiple locations for my client to fish and I am constantly searching for new spots. I also like to teach technique. There is nothing as rewarding to me as for a client to pick up a new skill and catch fish using it.
We have some low water now and it is a great time to challenge yourself. It is not as easy as fishing from a boat but it has its own rewards.
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