In the fly fishing world, the writing was on the wall when several outfits started "guide schools", where a fresh college graduate with essentially zero true angling experience could fork over $2,500 and learn "everything you need to pursue a rewarding career as a fly fishing guide" in a 10 day course. In this week, a student would learn rowing a boat, casting instruction, entomology, reading water, running your business, etc. For most truly great guides that knowledge was acquired for many years or decades before they decided it was honorable to take people's money in exchange for a fishing trip.

I know a lot of good guides who have been throwing in the towel lately, totally disenfranchised with the state of affairs in the angling world currently. Most of them are now happily engaged in other careers and most don't miss the guide business, which says a lot to me.

I'm pretty well convinced this "bubble" will burst at some point in the next few years and there will be a massive capitulation once many of these guys figure out they really aren't cut out to be career guides. Perhaps at that stage some of the really respectable guides will come back onboard and we will reach an equilibrium once again where limitless egos and chasing the "flavor of the week" isn't the game.