On Guiding...

Of the melting pot of people instrumental in my development as man, angler, and now guide, two people stand out in my evolution and maturation, here relative to the latter.  These men are Bob Merryman and Jimmy Armijo; Bob, the salty veteran, the local Big Sky guru who always out-fishes you, and Jimmy, the quiet passionate angler, the methodical thinker with a heart of gold.  They have helped ‘guide’ me along the way from the very beginning, proving irreplaceable throughout this never-ending process, always open-minded willing to listen to every stupid question floating about in my eager sponge of a mind.  And questions, believe me, I have had. 

Guiding, a dream come true; and being a perfectionist by trade, failing has never been an option; either do it right or not at all (as you can imagine, habitual procrastination comes hand in hand).  After my first guided fishing trip with my father, I was sold; I considered our guide Jesus in the flesh, as rad as Hasselhoff, ’95 tour in Berlin.  I knew then, at some point, I had to be, I would be a fishing guide; however, at that time my soul stood bereft of any perspective shedding light on to the spark behind the fire, the question why.  

Looking back, my most cherished memories have been on a shoreline, by the sea, or in a boat. That same melting pot of my memory is cluttered by visions of fish once caught, and nightmares haunted by ones that got away.  For me, fishing is "that one good thing"; that metaphorical place in which you can enter your own reality, your own Elysium. Said best by Henry David Thoreau, "Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after."  In answering what then, they are after; I believe he is speaking of those intangibles, which can transform the mundane to the divine.  The therapeutic yet mysterious nature of water, the pursuit of perfection, the ability to leave one’s own mind, the challenge, the feeling of participation in an intrinsic and innate facet of human nature and history, the camaraderie, the reflection, the connections made with things transcending space and time...the tides, the flow of a river, and of course, that ever-present, tantalizing pipedream of landing the 'the big guy'. Whenever I strayed too far, these were there to call me back.  This then answers my reasoning for why I fish, but why guide, and more importantly, how do I guide well? 

Bob and Jimmy have served as my most essential expository, instilling values and principles, and indoctrinating me into the world of guiding; stay humble yet confident, stay hungry but be patient, stay grounded but always open-minded, find your foundation in teaching and most of all keep everything in perspective.  Keep in mind that you are a fishing guide, and never forget you have the greatest job in the world.  Sustaining this, nurturing this single idea has had an incalculable importance for me and my acute experience as a guide. 

After speaking with good friend and local Gallatin River raft guide Robby McClung, he reminded me that our JOB, as a guide, is the nectar which produces lifelong memories.  Most people rarely remember their last day at work, but the vacations, the fish caught and lost, the trips and adventures and the experiences coming with them, root deep in our memory bank. Fish come and fish go, but the memories always remain, and we, the guides are just along for the ride.  Making those experiences as enjoyable as possible, always infused with enthusiasm, should be the very least a guide should do.  Here, I preach from an invisible pedestal, but these lofty ideals are things I aim to espouse myself, especially being a total greenhorn. 

I had been told by an unnamed local Big Sky guide that “if you love to fish and want to fish, don’t guide.”  At first, I felt as though I understood what the deluded sphincter may have been referring to, but by my fourth trip this past week, I began to formulate an opinion far different.  On the contrary, I have viewed, rather I have experienced my imagination, my intuition, and my ideas flow into the clients which I have guided.  It’s as if I am fishing, but the rod is in someone else’s hand; and to me, that rise is just as exciting as if the rod were in mine.  And for that matter, when I am fishing, I am usually far to engrossed in my next cast to take the time to just change a fly or lengthen a leader, to do the little things that may make all the difference in the world.  When guiding, I have found I can relax, take my time, and think; formulate a strategy and think out every next move.  And to me, it’s a beautiful thing. 

I still, and always will have, more to learn, and happily await the trips to come, having enjoyed every gift the job has bestowed thus far.  More thoughts to come; good fishing and fair tidings, cheers.