On more than one occasion I’ve gone home thinking I went way too high or way too low, with no idea whether I was anywhere inside the ballpark. Guides do share information about their clients with other guides. Tip well and you’ll earn a reputation and create competition among guides who want to work for you. If you really want to send a message about poor service, you’re better off tipping 10 percent and then speaking privately with the outfitter or head guide about your dissatisfaction. End of a 4 -6 day trip to Nootka for 2 of us we leave the front desk $100 or give $20 to each person who did something special during our stay.
You are welcome to bring cash and we have a safe for our guests who require. You can also add gratuities to your room charges at the end of your trip and pay by credit card. Don’t tell the guide what your expectations are; instead ask him what reasonable expectations should be. You are showing up to fish the guide’s water on a single day. The guide has probably been fishing it all season and knows what to expect.
Do you tip the captain of a charter fishing boat?
Generally speaking, your tip amount for a fishing guide should take the whole trip experience into consideration. The gratuity amount should be based on how the guide controls all the variables, not on the number of fish caught. There are days when the fish will agree to take almost any fly. Other days when the fish and weather simply will not cooperate, no matter how skilled or knowledgeable your guide is.
Sometimes, people who are very accomplished in a certain skill, still seek-out someone better to be their temporary or regular guide. You’d think these two basics would be sacrosanct in the Good Fishing Guide Handbook but, unfortunately, they aren’t. All too often, I’ve had friends tell me stories of their guide nightmares, and they all start with the guide being late and lacking a plan. Afterwards, you’ll have a much better feel for how much you should tip. Some guides, depending on the location, do not have the resources necessary to cash checks, so cash is an accessible form of currency. If you’re in a foreign country, make sure that you have a sufficient amount of the proper currency for tips.
Should I be tipping the Crew or the Captain and if so, how much?
There are no guarantees that you will catch fish, but our catch rates are extremely high. Refunds are available 7 days prior to first scheduled charter date, otherwise you can reschedule within 72 hours of departure, if trip protection insurance is purchased, if the requested time slots are not booked. This is a fly fishing guide poling me and his skiff around all day, setting me up for shots. No deck hands to tip, but im afraid if i stop tipping him, he might stop having openings for me…
Considering how creaky my knees have been getting lately, that was a rather nice and appreciated touch, especially from a fishing guide who was much older than me. You should plan to tip your guide between 15% and 25% of the booked day rate. Base your tip on your guide’s diligence, friendliness, skill, willingness to teach and go the extra mile. Since your guide cannot guarantee how many fish you catch, this should not be a primary tipping factor.
Once you spend a day or two on the oars of a drift boat or a raft, you’ll understand exactly what I mean. Now, as far as the amount of a tip, that’s up in the air. There are days when it’s $0-$50, even though they caught multiple fish with a ton of work by you.
Bonny Fryer has always been interested in animals, even since she was born. This interest led her to get a degree in Veterinary Medicine and start working as a veterinarian when she was only 22 years old. She is now 44 years old and still works as a veterinarian. She loves her job and finds it very fulfilling to help animals stay healthy and happy.