Future Unknown.

In my time of guiding trips on the Green, I have discovered a few things about myself. I absolutely love everything about it. Being on the river daily, breathing the fresh air, seeing that beautiful canyon, and spending quality time with all the people who have been on trips with me. I have made many friends that I hope will remain friends for a very long time as a result of it.

But, I have also discovered a true passion for fish. Not just the pursuit of them, in an attempt to feel the tug on the other end, but a constant search of discovery in what makes them tick. In my past I had been a student at the University of Utah studying biology, and then philosophy. But the thing that was lacking was true passion. I had ideas of why I was there, but no pure goal to drive me to the point that I was willing to do whatever it took to succeed. So it was only natural that I leave academia and go out into the world.

My discovery of a passion for what makes fish tick has given me a new found sense of purpose. I intend on returning to school, refocusing my efforts towards biology, and hopefully progressing to pursuing an advanced degree in Marine Biology.

The unfortunate part of this whole scenario is the economics involved. Last year being a slow as it was not only slowed the development of my guiding business, but slowed the advancement of my educational goals.

At the moment, I intend on finding full time employment in the Salt Lake area, in order to have some savings so that I may be able to afford going back to school. I am saddened by the notion that I will have to sacrifice a season of living on the Green full time, and actually have to be in the real world for a little while in order to achieve this. But I feel that it is for the best.

I hope that this will only be for a single season. As the off time from school will allow me to guide full time from early May until mid to late August. And part time through the weekends in mid April through May, and mid August through early October. And if I were going to school full time, that would hopefully have me in a place of financial security that I could enjoy being on the river even more so.

So with that said, I figure it stands to reason that I do not intend on guiding full time this season. But as I have the intention of not being out there full time, I still intend on guiding clients that want to come to fish with me. I will just be doing so more on a part time basis. Taking the time off from my full time job in order to do so.

I hope to have the chance to fish with all of you that would like to come and fish the Green with me. Please contact me in person, either through email or phone, and we can get some dates figured out that will work for you.

I look forward to seeing you soon.. John

Wow, it's been a while.

I would like to apologize first for there not being a new post in a long time. I have had some technical and motivational lapses that have occurred in the last few months, yet again I will try to remedy these problems in the immediate future.

I no longer have a computer of my own to hold my photos, and have easy access to the internet. So for now I will attempt to post periodically when I have access to an internet ready computer, but this will limit my ability to post photos.

I have been a regular visitor and contributor to an online forum focused on fly fishing in the state of Utah. And on this forum I have recently witnessed a few threads focused on selection of a Guide for a trip on the Green, most of these have included recommendations by name, and a few have been asking who certain guides are that they have seen on the river that they wanted to avoid being in the same boat as. It is my hope that in this post, I might help alleviate some misconceptions about a guide day. And possibly help sell some of you not only on a trip with me, but more so to give you an idea on how you could get in the boat with one of my co-workers that will provide a better trip for you than I could.

"A better trip for you than I could", this seems at first glance to be a horrible sales pitch. I mean what salesman in his right mind would possibly steer a potential customer away from his own product, and towards that of his "competitor". First of all, let me clarify, my co-workers are in no way my competitors, even the ones who guide for other outfitters. I believe that all guides on the Green are there for the clients first. We are ambassadors of this fishery that we love, and should ideally work together to provide not only success in our boats, but in the boats of everyone on the river.

So if this is the case, how do I know whose boat I want to spend my day in? This question can only be answered by the two people who are going to be paying for the trip. Working for Trout Creek I have seen the advantage that being the largest outfitter has. It does not have anything to do with permits, or shuttle services, or lunches. It has everything to do with the variety of guide days that they are possible to provide. Having a large staff of guides, with it's inherent problems, has even more advantages. You will have many different personalities, and guiding styles to send you clients to the river with, thereby in theory providing for everyone to have the best day possible.

This is based on the knowledge that for every client, there is the ideal guide. Just as for every student there is the ideal teacher. There is no one perfect guide, even those who are considered the best guides in the business have had bad days with people that they cannot deal with on a personality level. This is typically a repercussion on differing goals in the direction of the day, ie.. A) the guide wants to catch the most fish possible, while the client wants to catch a large fish on a dry fly. Or B) the guide wants the client to learn to successfully fish a dry fly, while the client only wants to drink beer and pull as many fish to the boat as possible. In the two previous examples, the solution should be obvious, Client A should have been matched with Guide B, and Client B should have been matched with Guide A. What then is the solution to this problem, in one word communication. Hopefully these expectations will be discussed openly at the beginning of the day, and it will all flow smoothly from there. But sometimes the discussion is left on the back burner, lost in the shuffle of getting everything lined up, and meeting each other for the first time that morning.

So in the real world, how can one ensure that the match up is right, and the greatest chance for a successful (based solely on the smiles on everyone involved's faces) day. Before you book your trip, sit back and think. You have already taken the time to decide to go to the Green, or whatever river you have chosen. And have decided to take a guided float trip. So why not take a minute more to give yourself the best chance for a good time. After all the happy success of your trip could quite possibly depend on it. Take a minute to think about not only what you would like to do on the river that day, but about who you would like to spend the day with.

You will be spending an entire day with 1-2 other people in very close proximity, usually within a 15-16 ft. drift boat. One that you likely already know, and your guide and if you have never fished with him/her before they are basically a stranger. So what kind of guide do you want to spend the day with.

For every guide there is an ideal client, and for every client there is an ideal guide. So as the client what is your ideal? Do you want a quiet deliberate guide, who doesn't make much small talk, whose every word has purpose, and that purpose is to put you on the biggest fish possible? Do you want a high energy personable guide, one whose knowledge and personality make him not only a good guide but a genuinely fun person to spend the day with, and potential friend? Do you want the professor of the river, the guide who has not only devoted their life to learning to fish and guide the river they love, but to educate on the flora, fauna, and history as well? Do you want an older guide? A younger guide? A single, or married guide? A guide who grew up next to the river they love, or moved to the river and grew to love it? A guide who has a knowledge of fine wine? Or cuisine? These questions can make your day so much better if answered.

So after you have answered these questions for yourself, it is time to give the outfitter a call. Hopefully when you call you will talk to someone with a knowledge of the staff and a desire to make the right matches. And book your trip, if they don't ask you about what kind of guide you want, tell them, tell them the answers to the questions you just asked. You might feel as if you are being pushy, but in the end, it is better that you be pushy and ensure that you have a guide that will be a good fit for your trip. Because in the end, if you have a good trip you are more likely to return, and that is the goal of every outfitter and guide.

I hope that after reading this you will be inspired to book a trip. And ask these questions to ensure the success of your trip. And maybe, just maybe I will be the guide that will be the best fit for your day. If you have any questions, and even want to book a trip with one of Trout Creek's guides. Please don't hesitate to e-mail me at spartagain@gmail.com. I will gladly answer any questions you have. The answers might be short if I use my phone, but they will be prompt.

Until then, good luck, and hopefully see you soon on the Green.

John S.