The nature of the job.

Decisions, decisions, decisions! A successful guiding job can hinge around the ability to make good decisions. Making the correct decision is generally based on information to hand and experiences over time. Sometimes there's the added ingredient of fishy instinct.
Whether the choices are fly type, lure type, presentations or locations sometimes you just have to call it. Sometimes its very easy sometimes its very difficult.

Today was a difficult one for me but it needed to be done. I have just cancelled two visiting Dutch anglers fishing for next week. Max and Thomas were reserved to fish from the 10th to the 17th Sept. The season of 2011 has proven to be difficult beyond any experience I have ever had before as a shore based bass fishing guide, and as a recreational angler I don't recall anything similar in a valid time-scale of say the last twenty years. Chatting to Max and arriving at this situation was never going to be easy easy. We debated for a while. As a guide you do have a responsibility to be realistic.

My decision to cancel was based around current weather conditions and the existing forecasts which are indicated for early next week, this is coupled to an already poor catch rate for the 2011 season, and experiences on most of the Wexford systems. If you are finding it difficult its because it is - VERY, yes of course there are fish to be caught but unit of effort is spectacularly high, and most locations are fishing extremely erratically.

There's an element of risk involved in making this decision, it could improve dramatically into next week and 'switch on' late Tuesday or Wednesday, but thats already 5 days into somebody's holiday. If it does then it does and great, but any improvement will have nothing to do with angling ability and everything to do with actual increase in the presence of fish.

The business of SEAi is directly linked to the existence of a healthy accessible bass population. With four or five days out of six wiped and with minimal costs incurred it was always going to be obvious.

So I have time for myself (no wages) but time and wondering what to do with a few days of possibilities for middle or late next week. Wondering, and I hope it improves for everybody, we don't need this right now.

Taken from a Guides Diary

Most seasoned travellers will know that to expect too much is to invite disappointment. “There are not as many fish as I expected”, “The fish are smaller than I expected”, “The weather is different than in my own country”.

The weather is the major stage on which all the elements will perform. In Ireland that factor is enough to strike fear into the heart of any guide at any time.

Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s easy, it’s not! At times the sun shines and every fsh is big and silver and each cast produces a miracle. Those are the days that we wish for. But remember too – Wexford can be difficult, but it has many different rewards if you know where to look.

Selling realistic expectations here and Not Catching