Tipping a guide - what is customary/expected?

charles sullivan said:
I don't believe in tipping. I believe in over-tipping.

I rarely use guides. When I do, I tip. I would say $100.00 is the starting point.

I tip for take-out usually. If I have reason not to, I won't. Generally, 10% (1/2 of sit down) if I pick up.
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Pretty much my thinking and practice exactly.
 
Nick Clayton said:
This is always a touchy subject for me as a guide.

Ultimately I say tip based on effort. 15-20% is what I would call industry standard. That's what most of us tip a waiter/waitress. A guide is no different except they are with you 8+ hours instead of an hour.

There are so many things I can't control as a guide. One thing I can control is how hard I try. Tipping should never be based on the quality of fishing. Remember, ultimately the rod is in your hands. Many, many people won't listen to what the guide is telling them and often the results reflect that. That shouldn't be held against the guide.

I feel like if most people knew the stress and anxiety I carry with me not only on the water, but the night before as well, they would understand better.

Still, if a guide is an asshole, doesn't try, doesn't cater to a client's expectations etc. then the tip should reflect that.

If you think the guide is putting in as much effort as possible, trying their hardest, then try to remember that at the end of the day. No guide is getting rich. It's a tough way to make a living. Tips are so very much appreciated. Everything is expensive these days. Every bit helps a ton.

Since I've been working in a tip based industry I have become a big tipper. It's only money.


Edit....as a client, you can really help yourself have a better trip by letting your expectations be known ahead of time. If you only want to fish dries, let that be known. If you wish to learn a certain technique, let that be known. If you just want to catch as many fish as possible regardless of method, let that be known. If you just want to have a fun day on the water, and catch fish in whatever way is appropriate for the conditions, let that be known. Let your guide know what you want to get out of your trip. It's a big help to both sides.
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A question for you Nick, what percentage of the daily fee goes to the guide, I know there are some shops make the guide cover extras like shuttle etc so that it can change the percentage i am just interested as when i guided any guide that worked for me was well compensated.
 
steelheardr99 said:
A question for you Nick, what percentage of the daily fee goes to the guide, I know there are some shops make the guide cover extras like shuttle etc so that it can change the percentage i am just interested as when i guided any guide that worked for me was well compensated.
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I honestly can't speak to that. During the winter months I guide for my own business so it all goes to me, so to speak.

The other half of the year on the ocean I'm basically an independent contractor. Down here, I split tips with my deckhand. The owner of the company pays me a daily rate based on the type of trip I am running. He doesn't take anything out of my tips, and my daily pay doesn't change. Fuel, bait, ice etc he pays for. I know if you work for a lodge or an outfitter it's likely different, but I don't have any experience with that so I just can't say.

IMO this is the type of work you have to do because you love it. If your heart isn't in it you will burn out very quickly. It is sooooo much work. Most people don't ever see just how much work it truly is.

I am not unhappy with my pay. Down here I work for a great company and they take care of me. Still, I made waaaaaaay more money when I was a government employee. The difference is, when my alarm goes off at 3:20 am, while I am tired and unbelievably sore, I don't dread going to work. I am excited. Each and every day. That is worth it's weight in gold to me.

This life isn't for everyone, no doubt. But for me I have no regrets. Some days I get tipped extremely well. Some days not so much. On all days I try my damndest. Half assing a day on the water just isn't part of my makeup. I want every single person who comes out on my boat, whether It's the ocean or on the sound, to have a ton of fun and to come away believing I tried my absolute best. That's the only goal for me.

I get paid to take people fishing. That's pretty fucking rad. Whether I get tipped well or not, I try to never lose sight of just how lucky I am.

I won't die a rich man, but I'll sure have some cool stories to tell at the end.
 
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Just my opinion. ALWAYS tip according to the service you receive.
Tipping guides came about because Outfitters never paid their guides all that well in relation to their fee for the trip. I think independent guides shouldn't expect c a tip because that issue is not in play but that's just my opinion.
 
I usually start with a Benjamin…guides at lodges generally are subcontractors…a good portion of their wage is the tip. When we fished the Green this spring, our guide would row upriver several times on a good run to refloat it again…much appreciated. Then driving their trucks with boats behind them decent distances from put in to take out…especially with these gas prices…and putting in a full day as well…I tipped them well (also gave great recommendations as to where to fish diy later in the week)
 
This was a lengthy discussion topic on the old site. I don't think it was resolved then and I doubt it will be resolved this time either. My question then and now is where is the tipping line drawn and does it change over time by society? I've seen the occasional Youtube video showcasing an old school guide, say from 60 years ago or longer and wonder if they tipped back then? When did it become prominent/expected? You often see something to the effect of "tips not expected but appreciated". Much of the discussion above is about whether the guide is the owner or independent contractor...to me it can be a little confusing and awkward so I chose to rarely go on guided trips and prefer the adage, if I apply myself, work hard, prepare, and do some research, I can do it for free. Of course, for me, this applies only to fishing. With any other work (auto mechanic, roofer, general contractor, asphalt guy, yard maintenance, or any number of other jobs) I regularly pay for it because 1) I don't have the knowledge, tools, or know-how or 2) don't want the hassle. In these cases, I generally know what the job is going to cost up front and there are usually no surprises or awkward exchanges. And the quality of work is better than what I could do. But fishing (most of it anyway) is one of the few things I can usually still arrange for myself.
 
BDD said:
This was a lengthy discussion topic on the old site. I don't think it was resolved then and I doubt it will be resolved this time either. My question then and now is where is the tipping line drawn and does it change over time by society? I've seen the occasional Youtube video showcasing an old school guide, say from 60 years ago or longer and wonder if they tipped back then? When did it become prominent/expected? You often see something to the effect of "tips not expected but appreciated". Much of the discussion above is about whether the guide is the owner or independent contractor...to me it can be a little confusing and awkward so I chose to rarely go on guided trips and prefer the adage, if I apply myself, work hard, prepare, and do some research, I can do it for free. Of course, for me, this applies only to fishing. With any other work (auto mechanic, roofer, general contractor, asphalt guy, yard maintenance, or any number of other jobs) I regularly pay for it because 1) I don't have the knowledge, tools, or know-how or 2) don't want the hassle. In these cases, I generally know what the job is going to cost up front and there are usually no surprises or awkward exchanges. And the quality of work is better than what I could do. But fishing (most of it anyway) is one of the few things I can usually still arrange for myself.
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This is always an interesting topics for me. It's hard to argue your points for sure. In Westport I am an independent contractor. I dont set the prices or any of that. On Puget Sound I guide for myself and I do set my prices. Some people believe that tipping an owner in that scenario isn't necessary because the owner sets their prices based on what they feel their services are worth, and that's very valid.

The only answers I've been able to come up with to explain to people is that if I, for example, get a hundred dollar tip on average for a day of guiding on the sound, I could simply raise my trip price by a hundred bucks and stipulate no tipping. The flip side of that is that many, many people would balk at the price. It's so weird. People don't think twice about paying a given rate and adding extra in a tip. But if the original trip price was higher with no tipping involved, many people complain or won't book. It's kinda odd. People are funny. I've been told the cost of my trips on the sound are too expensive by people who will pay the same rate to go float a river in a drift boat where the guide isn't paying fuel, doesn't need a captains license, isn't maintaining an extremely expensive boat and motor etc. I find that some people just can't be pleased.

Ultimately though, when this topic comes up I like to "justify" the norm of tipping vs. just setting the original trip price a little higher with the concept that if the trip price is a little lower with a tip added on, then at least the guide has some incentive to really put in the effort. If a customer isn't satisfied with their trip they can reflect that in the tip. So essentially part of the cost of a trip is variable and controlled by how satisfied the customer is. If the trip price was just set higher to begin with then the customer has no say in the matter, pays what the price is, and if they are unsatisfied have no financial method of expressing that.

Not defending the tipping structure, as I certainly didn't come up with it and don't make the social norms, but when I look at it like that it makes a little more sense to me.

Some days I get tipped very well. Some days very little. But it's all relative. For some people the cost of a guided trip is a lot of money, and maybe to them an extra 10 bucks on top of that is a big deal and a way of expressing a lot of gratitude. For other people a hundred dollar bill isn't a lot of money, and to them a hundred dollar tip is an afterthought and not at all a reflection of their appreciation. Every scenario is different.

For me, I appreciate tips greatly but whether I get a big tip or a hearty handshake at the end of the day, I am always going to try my hardest to give people a great day. While it is a job, and finances are involved, money is not my motivator for guiding. If money was my biggest concern I would have never left my government job lol.
 
My personal opinion is you start at 100% and go up from there. If anyone disagrees, they're wrong.

I know fly fishing gets a bad rap about how expensive it is, but has anyone else here gotten into triathlon? Holy shit is it expensive. And it hurts, like 100% of the time. I'm literally paying a coach $275/month to make me hurt. Good wetsuits are $1000. Bikes are $10,000 - after getting the less expensive ones dialed in. Shoes are $300. Pool time is about $100/month. At least a fly fishing guide makes you feel good - tip them.
 
Matt Paluch said:
My personal opinion is you start at 100% and go up from there. If anyone disagrees, they're wrong.

I know fly fishing gets a bad rap about how expensive it is, but has anyone else here gotten into triathlon? Holy shit is it expensive. And it hurts, like 100% of the time. I'm literally paying a coach $275/month to make me hurt. Good wetsuits are $1000. Bikes are $10,000 - after getting the less expensive ones dialed in. Shoes are $300. Pool time is about $100/month. At least a fly fishing guide makes you feel good - tip them.
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Hopefully you will do well. That’s a heck of a commitment
 
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