Guides on the Cowichan

J

JoeM

Guest
Hey guys, can any of you recommend a guide for the Cowichan river? We've never fished this river system before and are thinking it might be our best option to get us started for the first day. We're pretty cheap so we're hoping to hire someone with some experience but won't break the bank either.

Any suggestions?

Thanks a million guys..

Joe
 
There is a guy guiding for Island Outfitters. "Nick"
He knows the river very well. I think the going rate is around $350 for the day for 2 guys.

Tips.
 
hahaha , you don`t think 350 4 a days work gas ect is to much . i think thats a deal and a hafe . the guy teaching you where the fish are lol. worth much more then that my friend. all this does is gets another boat on the system . scottyboy
 
umm, how much gas does a drift boat use? [?] - and I assume you'd drive up and meet them in duncan.

Forgive me if this is ignorant as I've never drifted the cowichan, but I don't think they are taking you on an 8 hour drift, unless they are doing a couple of drift sections.

On the ocean yes, thats a great deal - on the river I don't think so but maybe I'm showing my ignorance here.
 
Don't quote me on the price. This is how much I had heard.
I think there are a few guides on this forum that could give you a solid number.

Tips
 
I think you pay for their experience and knowledge of the river.
Usually you fish with a guide you catch more fish?
Just the effort and their time is worth that, I think.
I dont get out of bed and go to work for less than $250 a day, boat gear and clean up is worth $350 to me. Thats my 2 cents!!:D
 
There is a company in Duncan who will rent you a drift boat and shuttle it for you for about $150/day. No guide expertise though, and the Cowie can be dangerous in places. As for $450, you can drift the Kispiox or Bulkley River up north for $300 and have a crack at record size steelhead... Don't get me wrong, the Cowie is awesome but this year I've talked to more than one guide pulling out at Vimy with no fish on the day! Keep in mind you still have to fork out the awfully pricy $450.
One last thing, be careful with anything that Island Outfitters offers as they have not and will not adjust there prices for the high Canadian dollar (this goes for their products too). I would check out Robinson's.
Good luck and tight lines!
 
To become a guide, you must be certified in Advanced Wilderness Firstaid to get insurance and then you will qualify for a guides license. Factor in the guides gas to get there and the effort involved in rowing two sports down the river. Not to mention the cost of boat, oars, maintenance, etc...and what is experience worth anyway. $350 too expensive?!? Then by all means, rent a boat and do it yourself. Do everyone a favour and wear a lifejacket. Then we won't have to drag the river for you. Good luck!
 
I fully agree with you, Cowboy - $350 is reasonable, after a $50 tip it comes to about $200 per person - totally worth it if you are new to steelheading and you have an awesome experience. $450 though is just too much.
 
Dont forget the gratutity, very important as well, ask any guide!
 
That $450 a day is for dawn until dusk fishing for two, all gear supplied by them. If you've ever steelheaded,you know that newbies tend to loose a lot of gear. Also, the guide will be working a lot longer than just the time spent fishing with the clients as he has to take care of the boat, repair tackle, replace leaders, etc. It's not as easy as it sounds, and when you consider the value, say compared to taking friends or relatives out for dinner, it's a bargain.
 
ahh, lets all shed a tear for the hard at work FISHIN guide, what is it your doin again, FISHING, oh but the drive there, and the tyin of leaders, and hell even mabye packin a lunch,sounds pretty rough eh, ok but seriously make sure you find a good guide because there are people out there that have a rod and a pair of waders and know a guy with a boat and when theres a couple hundy waved in their face they all the sudden become a GUIDE, my advise to ya Joe would be skip the guide on the cowie, save your guide experince for a trip up nothren B.C. as blackleech was sayin and jump in your car or truck and look for the spots yourself, they are really easy to find on the cow and then if you dont like what you see you can venture on to the next spot
enjoy
ensure the future C&R
 
Hey fishman have you ever been a guide? If not then you dont really have any backing in what you think a guide has to do! Sure you are on the water but you are actually not fishing when you're guiding. When a client books a trip they are paying for a day of fishing but they are also paying for the expertise and knowledge of an individual. That in itself right there is worth a lot. Its hard to argue with the knowledge that a guy has who spends 6 days a week fishing the river.:D By the way my last charter was spent retying leaders for most of the day and i also have to re-spool 2 of my reels cause of rats nests. Hmm i think that was probably atleast 60 to 70 bucks in gear!!!!!
 
again, i am sheddin many tears for your HARD day at work, and i am sorry that you dont really get to do any fishin(that, i find hard to belive), but come on, look at your office,and just because i have never been a guide, that means i am not allowed to know what a guide does, what kind of B.S. is that,and if you think that i dont know that a guide has knowledge about a river then your wrong, i never said they arnt knowledgeable, and only 6 days a week com on man i know people that spend all day, 7 days a week on the river,(they are bums without jobs and no life, other than fishin , and hey theres nothin wrong with that),and so if your were not retyin leaders for your guests and respoolin reels, what would you be doin otherwise, my guess would be tyin leaders and respoolin reels,but this time it would be for yourself, so really dont get me wrong, i dont think theres anything wrong with guidin, but hey, lets not complain about the line of work your in , because in the end you dont have to do it, so in the end i will jump into my forklift monday morn, drive around in a rough yard for 10 hrs a day, but i will think about all the hard workin guides out there, and again ,SHED A TEAR
 
I've been a guide and have also drove a forklift for years. Guiding was physically easier, but much more stressful. I'm glad I'm not doing either nowadays.
 
Ok ill jump on this one as well being a guide as well Fisherman you are totally out of line.I guide on the ocen but same rule applies

The work that goes into making sure your clients have a good time acually starts now in the off season geting booking fixing boats gear etc we start at least 2 hours before a guest arrive and go home 2 hours after you have left maybe longer especially if you have some matience to do for an guest screwing up so now i am up to 14 hours You have to entertain, answer the same questions, direct them etc. etc. etc. And produce fish for them and try and not feel stressed too much. we do alright at it but our season is long and our cost go up every year.

Ill put it in perspective for you (to make it simple fo you)
when you take your car into get fixed and the guy works on it and your bill comes to a 500 bucks for a simple fix WHAT DO YOU SAY TO HIM!!!!!!!!!SAME THING DIFFERET PROFESSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And our expenses are more per day than any mechanic!!!!!!!!


WOLF
 
well said wolf. U ever heard this question? "Where do we catch them Smoke Salmon?" or "How high above sea level are we?" We should start a post for the most outrageuos questions ever asked
 
wolf , you must be a blast to spend a day out on the boat with, you are always so cheerful, must be worth every penny your quests pay, let me put it this way boys, i was just pokin a little fun at the guides expence, no need to get your panties in a knot, and to tell ya the truth i would never pay 500 bucks for a simple fix, as i would never hire a guide, just for the simple fact that i will(and i am quite capable) to do it myself. So in the end for any other guides out there who will read these posts, dont take my previous posts as rants but more as humour, some people just dont get that, these are the people that are always on the defence and never have any fun in life. I myself have heard some of those great questions but my all time favorite is, and always will be, the sea level one, i used to get that one everytime on the (Wolf will love this) fishfarm, i also would get "what size doe you let them go?", but the sea level one, loved lookin at them, bendin over puttin my hand in the water lookin back at them and sayin "bout 6 inches", always good for a laugh
 
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