MANAGING EXPECTATIONS BY JOHN BERRY

One of the problems encountered by professional river guides is to manage the expectations of their clients. Many of them expect to catch large numbers of large trout every time they go out with a guide. Why is that?

I was guiding on the White River the other day and was struggling but still catching some nice trout. As is my habit, I asked a fellow guide and friend how he was doing. The idea is twofold. This is how I gather a lot of the information I use to write my fishing report and it frequently points me toward a more successful technique or fly than I am using. I will also tell other anglers and guides how I am doing and what technique or fly I am using. We are all in this together.

On this occasion, the other guide remarked that he was having little success fishing Hoppers. I indicated that I had tried them with no success but that I had changed over to San Juan worms and egg patterns (spaghetti and meatballs) and was picking up some much better fish. He related that the problem was that the lodge owner had given glowing reports to his clients about the great hopper fishing, on the White River, this time of the year. He was not able to meet their expectations.

Creating inflated expectations is often our own fault. If you look at any or all of our websites and all you see are photographs of big fish. If you read most fishing reports, you see glowing accounts of record catches of huge trout. Magazine articles are slanted the same way.

I try to be realistic when writing my fishing reports and if the fishing is slow, on a particular stream, I will say so. At the same time I am criticized by my fellow guides or lodge owners for writing it. They say that I am responsible for them losing business due to negative reports. I feel that, if I do not report actual conditions, then my reports are useless.

Reality is that we have constantly changing conditions on our streams. There are changes in wadability, water levels, water temperature, oxygen levels and spawning activity, to name a few. Due to these changes, the fishing is sometimes good and sometimes not so good. There is no one fishing technique that works all of the time (if there were, I would only fish that way all of the time). In addition, you are frequently limited by your client’s skill level or overall level of conditioning. Can they make the cast required by the technique selected? Can they handle wading in heavy water?

Part of success, on stream, is managing your client’s expectations. I always begin the day by asking my clients what their goal is for the trip. I carefully explain the fishing conditions and give them a realistic expectation of what to expect during the day’s fishing. I develop a strategy based on conditions, goals and my client’s abilities and modify it during the day as required.

Approach any fishing trip with realistic expectations and enjoy being on stream. You will be surprised at how well everything works out.

John Berry is a fly fishing guide with Blue Ribbon Guides in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over thirty years.