Dave, good thread!

OK, with that being siad, this thread is really close to my heart!

Let's start from the beginning. I was once a licensed Washington State sport fishing guide for well over 10+ years. When I first started guiding, way back in 1986, the only requirement then was to have a WA. State guide license. At that time, it also included fishing for salmon on our rivers! Even those then, it was not a requirement, I took both advance CPR, and advance First Aid! That was for my own protection, not my clients! If I had a misfortune accident, I was certified to handle it.

When a certain un-named "guide", who came up from California, (not knocking Californians) started pushing his own "guide's service agenda" here, things started to change.

Not all changes were for the good of sport fishing, but they surly were for the good of his service!

Soon after developing his service, this person realized that he might be able to "nock out" all the other competition if he could develop a system that would eliminate all the others that could possibly compete with him. THIS IS A FACT (I welcome your replies on this issue, if you have factual information).

So now, we have this bull $hit requirements that all guides need to be "cost guard approved". What a bunch of bull $hit! How possibly will that effect a drift boat on a small, or changing river, or for that matter, a small sled on the same type of river? Does the cost guard teach you how to go through rapids, or how to avoid rocks, or other obstacles? No way! Does it teach the guide how to read water? No way! Now, because a drone has paid his $1000+ to some jerk off coast guard drone, we're are now going to be saved, when his boat overturns, he hits a gravel bar, flips his boat, or hits a hidden log or some other "numb nuts" runs "his jet sled boat"over you. What a joke!!

OK! So we now know how to give our clients CPR! Boy, that makes me want to hire you right now! So how many guides that you know have brought their clients back to life by giving their clients CPR? Well that's another great requirement that means nothing!

OK, let's talk about "first aid". How many of you have ever had your guide give you first aid? Another big joke! The only time that I can see that a Guide would need to have a cost guard certification would be when he was guiding on a main stem river such as the Columbia, or other such main stem rivers.

OK, now it's time to hear from the other guides that are doing it every day. I know that you have something to say, so bring it on!!!! Please tell us how a cost guard license has given us fishermen a better fishing trip.

Cowlitzfisherman
Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook????