If These Walls Could Talk: Fly Fishing Guide Wisdom on the Rogue River
Proof that fly fishing guides have gotten no less droll and cynical over the years.
I was browsing the summer '23 issue of The Drake and came upon a few old guide chestnuts, combining the ignorance of the customers, ("dudes", or "custies" in river rafting lingo), the grind of the job across a season, and the general cynicism that comes when you turn something you love into a job that barely pays the bills.
Some of these I've heard before ("How'd we get to the same spot we started?" or "Hey, that's the truck—does this river run in a circle?") Some are new to me. ("Guiding is awesome. All you do is spend money and get skin cancer.")
But they reminded me of Questions to Ask Your Guide, a two-part set of posters I saw on the wall of the Ilahe Lodge on the Rogue. I get the sense it was as much a training program for new guides as intended to help dudes. Especially considering the Ilahe, near Foster Bar, is about the third night down the river. So, if you're a clueless passenger you'll have probably already revealed yourself so earlier in the trip, and can laugh at your relative worldliness.
Anyway, here they are, dated language and all. Proof that fly fishing guides have gotten no less droll and cynical over the years. Check out the Ilahe if you can, it's a timeless place.
