Fly I would really check out the 350 area before the move. Competition is very tough and a federal permit is needed to operate in the Park. Guides have to leave 3 hours before daylight to stake out for a good tarpon spot. Bonefish are larger than most other places but very difficult. Bait fishing for these is much easier but most the people with the money want to fly fish and very few cast well enough to catch fish. Living expenses in the Keys are out of sight. You will loose more days to weather in winter than you do now on the coast.

The great part is the weather and the miles of flats to explore , spend some time in that area , I hope It all works out for you.

sz

I find it interesting that this conversation is more a slam at people who can afford or who take advantage of todays technology (be it the internet, new boats, trucks, equipment, etc.) causing your "forced retirement". Let me give you a little business 101. If your company/ business model doesn't evolve with the rest of the industry, your company/business will die! Just like nature. If you dont evolve, your species will die.

Are guides who have stickers on their boats able to make more profit? If the answer is yes, then perhaps you should put a couple stickers on your boat. Are guides who post their services online getting more business? If the answer is yes, then perhaps you should get a website/facebook page/twitter page etc. to meet the demands of the consumer. Are clients more likely to book trips with guides who have new/updated boats? If the answer is yes, then you should probably update your equipment like they do. It's simple: Keep up with your industry! If your consumers are demanding something, you'd better start adapting regardless if you like it or not! If you truly had the "passion" for the sport as you say, you'd adapt like the rest of the industry.

I'll give you an example! Which book stores are actually making money!?!?! That's right! The ones that have gone online! Hence why Borders had to close their doors. They didn't keep up with the online trend. By the time they realized the future of book sales was going to be via the internet it was too late and they struggled to keep up and generate a product comparable to their competitors.

Perfect example of why evolutionary science teaching should be required in all schools!

Look, you're free to pick your new venture in life! We aren't living in Syria! But dont start in with this getting people to feel sorry for yourself non sense. This is a conscious decision you made you quite because, "Screw you young guys! I'm going home!" I'm sorry but I dont have sympathy for things like that.

What a joke. The yearly fly by

SF, I can understand you're frustration. You're one of the old dogs now, and it's come full circle time to help these young'ens grow up. You said it yourself, "I was a punk ass long haired loud mouth from the city but I eventually learned and matured over the years that everything isn't best resolved with a fight on a gravel bar." The problem may be that instead of the old dogs outnumbering the young punks, it's the other way around, so your situation isn't the same now as it was for those who had to steer you into maturity.

Perhaps it's time to get more organized as a profession. Many other professions have organized societies and self-published guidelines. I think the OPGA is just scratching the surface of this. Just my opinion, but I think it's better to be self regulated than state regulated.

Good luck in your future endeavors. I've enjoyed the PSA's.

I am curious about the turnaround status, and if this is something you are still planning on doing. I know a few of the guys I know and go with are also interested. Especially if you were able to get permission from Green Diamond.

It's not about young and old, flashy or not. It's about people guiding for basically no profit. You can't compete with that as a legit guide.

If you don't enjoy it, don't do it.

Be the change you want to see.

I find it amusing that by your own admission you were one of the punks that you are complaining about. Imagine if all the old guides in your early days had quit like you, no one would have been around to straighten you out. Who is going to straighten out the today's punks?

I am not sure the times are all that different except there are more people around so you notice the punks that you may not have seen before. I gotta think there were punks back in the day, just fewer of them proportionally.

There are still places you can fish by yourself and catch fish, beautiful places, even.

And blaming the State? Cop out. I for one don't want to wait around for the state to do something because it will suck, it always does, bureaucracy is rarely a good solution to a problem that could be solved privately.

Bottom line: The industry isn't going to get better if the good guys bail.

Best of wishes for your next round of adventures. Good luck,

SZ

I blame the guides for blowing up river on FB and putting more pressures on not so popular rivers....good luck fly.

Ther are alot of right answers and solutions but like everything it takes alot of time and effort and that is all I have been doing for the last 11 years is fighting for better seasons and transparency with the department and we have came along way.....more then once Myself and other guides like Andy Shanks tried to form a guides association down here but got nothing but lack of interest because all the local guides said that most of the guides come from elsewhere for two months and refuse to give anything back to the area because they are only here for a short time.....which has a lot of truth to it..........
So I am willing to sign on and help but I am done leading the charge on this kind of thing anymore.....I can put that effort and passion into moving on and doing something else that matters....................
I will say i like the banter this thread has created as far as ideas and opinions......in the end I think we need to have a limited entry deal or have guides select where they want to fish and you only get to fish so many areas...anyways something needs to be done and i dont have the answers myself but until this happens I am choosing to step away.......
Peace Fly

hey fly, if you end up guiding in Florida I would book you in a second.

Less guides = Less new fishers = less license revenue for Wdfw?

Quit ur whining pussy....

Are you the only one dealing with overpopulation? go ahead and move to Florida...

Sorry you drive a piece of [Bleeeeep!] rig...but that sounds like a choice to me.

You should be embarrassed.

Will fish for pills.... maybe drug testing should be added into the guide licensing process

Joe-I've probably fished with you more over the last couple of years than most on this board-we've caught lot's of fish-both with my son and thanks for putting my grandson on his first river caught salmon and his first steelhead! Having said that -I have a few comments and a few questions. If I read this right you are ready to quit because you don't like how the "new guys' are doing business-who cares-by your own admission and by my observation-you have caught more fish and have been booked for all the dates you can handle! So again-who cares how the young guns conduct there business-besides who made you "keeper of the guides"! Worry about what you can control and screw the rest. I have enjoyed our trips together-even yelling at your sorry ass for being late but also seeing how you can go from zero to hero in 15 minutes! If you decide to follow through with this-I wish you nothing but the best-I will truly miss our times on the Hump/Clearwater-besides, I don't have many years left and I don't want to waste what I have breaking in a new guide!

Nobody can do DRAMA like the fly

I would like to see a limited entry, like on the Smith or Chetco rivers, but that is also based on my own selfishness.
Are you still considering turn around services, and what is the Green Diamond status.
Good luck in what every desire you choose to persue.

Dibs on your boat ManBearPig......