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Fly Fusion’s Director of Photography, Gilbert Rowley, has just released another amazing project and the film has been awarded Official Selection status by the International Fly Fishing Film Festival. Check out the trailer for this epic film as it travels around the world, exclusively with IF4.
Tip #2 for the Guide: Servant Heart
Hands down, the best guides I know on the river are those who truly care and serve their clients. Having a servant heart means leaving your ego at the door. Being cognitive to your clients needs in every aspect of their experience is so important and knowing that your actions are serving your client will help shape your attitude throughout the day. The best compliment that I receive from my clients, is when they tell me that they felt we took care of them all day! Approach your day with a WE not a ME attitude.
Photo & Tips: Dana Lattery @flyfishingbowriver
Tip #1 for the Client: Manage Expectations
So, now we know that when you are booking a guided trip, the outfitter should ask you what you want out of your trip. And wether it your first trip or your 100th, this is a very important step to making your trip successful! Yes, it’s a fishing trip, but the outfitter needs to know what’s important to you so they can properly prepare and design your trip to meet your needs.
Discuss your skill level, special skills you are fine-tuning, fishing styles or species you are targeting. And, just because you went over these when booking your trip, don’t assume your guide is aware. This is your most important conversation of the day. Don’t get in that boat without having gone over your expectations!
Guide, Outfitter, and all round great guy, Dana Lattery @flyfishingbowriver shares some sage advice in the winter issue of Fly Fusion. But…with more great material than the pages of the mag would allow, we thought it would be fun to share a series of his top tips here.
Guide Tip #1:
Manage Expectations: Observe, Shape, Perform
This is our clients day on the water, not ours. Our first conversation should be in order to figure out what they want to get out of their day…which isn’t always the same as what we want. I can’t stress this enough. To ensure a successful day, we need to be on the same page as our clients.
We can assume that they want to catch fish, but it is always appreciated when you are clear about how the fishing has been. Never tell your clients “ you should have been here yesterday”, this is just an excuse and is not fair to them.
Following is a simple summary of expectations from one of my clients: “My goals for the day are as such, Good times, big smiles, fish, and great memories”. Easily laid out, now it’s my role to shape these and expand on the details; conditions, techniques, seasonal considerations etc.
Suggest, but never trump their desires. I have an annual client who who only wants to use a dry fly. We know that this isn’t always a possibility, but together, through proper scheduling and concerted effort we make for a higher probability of success.
Mallard Wings: How to Choose Them, Shape Them, and Mount Them
Will Bush
Tying with feathers is mechanical form of art. You take parts (feathers), that already have a certain shape and texture, combine them in a sequence to create something else entirely – something beautiful, something functional. To me tying is akin to building an engine. In order for that engine to work properly the parts must be used correctly and every step completed with the next step in mind. Feathers can only be manipulated one or two ways to create the intended result. You cannot force a feather to do something against its “will.” In order to have your flies look and swim properly you must first learn how and why these parts work.
Did you know, you can now stream previous seasons of IF4™, along with tons of other fishy content right in one place? Catch all the official selections and so much more by visiting flyfusionstreaming.com today!
A straight-line cast is often the best way to present a fly, but sometimes you need to change your location in order to get the drift you want. When you’re able to move, you should. But if trees, currents, the position of the fish or the position of the sun won’t allow you to move without spooking the fish or getting into wading trouble, the best option is often to use a mend. Read More
