Our son and his girlfriend moved to London and my wife and I planned a trip to visit them and travel in England and Ireland. I began making inquiries about Fly Fishing for May and June. My first thought was a pilgrimage to the famous English Chalk Streams. After some digging on the internet, I began communicating with one guide. After giving him our available dates he came back with a price: $1,200/day/person for the guide, the private beat and taxes (tip NIC). Turns out our dates were right in the middle of a Mayfly hatch and very desirable. Not in our budget this trip.
Once in England, I found a guide in the North Umberland region. He was part of a syndicate of guides who leased a stretch of private water on the River Tees, was available and had credentials (he’d won the English National Rivers Fly Fishing Championship). Cost: £225, about $285.00/day for both of us. Perfect.
I’m used to meeting Guides in the US who arrive in a variety of rugged vehicles including 4x4’s, pickups and SUVs. Jonathan pulled up in a well traveled subcompact (which in retrospect, fit the narrow, paved roads of rural England) with rods broken down on the back seat and a trunk full of loaner boots and well loved waders. I started wondering if our day would be “you get what you pay for”.
We quickly bonded over our mutual fondness for the action of the 80’s era 4wt. Sage fly rods he assembled for the day's angling. He turned out to be an excellent guide and teacher who knew and loved this beat. Throughout the day, his focus was on us, and on finding the browns in the river. Only at the end of the day did we find out he’d also fished extensively in the Rockies, British Columbia and while working in India, the Himalayas.
As I paid him, he said “Just give me £200, I had a lot of fun with you two today.” I told him about the £1,200/day chalk stream price. “Well that’s ridiculous. Did you know those aren’t wild fish like in the River Tees? To make sure the anglers catch something for their money, they stock the river with dumb hatchery fish. Hold on, before you go, let me give you some flies, I tried them myself.” I’m looking forward to using them on our trip to the St. Joe in Idaho this September.
Once in England, I found a guide in the North Umberland region. He was part of a syndicate of guides who leased a stretch of private water on the River Tees, was available and had credentials (he’d won the English National Rivers Fly Fishing Championship). Cost: £225, about $285.00/day for both of us. Perfect.
I’m used to meeting Guides in the US who arrive in a variety of rugged vehicles including 4x4’s, pickups and SUVs. Jonathan pulled up in a well traveled subcompact (which in retrospect, fit the narrow, paved roads of rural England) with rods broken down on the back seat and a trunk full of loaner boots and well loved waders. I started wondering if our day would be “you get what you pay for”.
We quickly bonded over our mutual fondness for the action of the 80’s era 4wt. Sage fly rods he assembled for the day's angling. He turned out to be an excellent guide and teacher who knew and loved this beat. Throughout the day, his focus was on us, and on finding the browns in the river. Only at the end of the day did we find out he’d also fished extensively in the Rockies, British Columbia and while working in India, the Himalayas.
As I paid him, he said “Just give me £200, I had a lot of fun with you two today.” I told him about the £1,200/day chalk stream price. “Well that’s ridiculous. Did you know those aren’t wild fish like in the River Tees? To make sure the anglers catch something for their money, they stock the river with dumb hatchery fish. Hold on, before you go, let me give you some flies, I tried them myself.” I’m looking forward to using them on our trip to the St. Joe in Idaho this September.
