Guide, Outfitter, and all round great guy, Dana Lattery @flyfishingbowriver shares some sage advice in the winter issue of Fly Fusion. But…with more great material than the pages of the mag would allow, we thought it would be fun to share a series of his top tips here.
Guide Tip #1:
Manage Expectations: Observe, Shape, Perform
This is our clients day on the water, not ours. Our first conversation should be in order to figure out what they want to get out of their day…which isn’t always the same as what we want. I can’t stress this enough. To ensure a successful day, we need to be on the same page as our clients.
We can assume that they want to catch fish, but it is always appreciated when you are clear about how the fishing has been. Never tell your clients “ you should have been here yesterday”, this is just an excuse and is not fair to them.
Following is a simple summary of expectations from one of my clients: “My goals for the day are as such, Good times, big smiles, fish, and great memories”. Easily laid out, now it’s my role to shape these and expand on the details; conditions, techniques, seasonal considerations etc.
Suggest, but never trump their desires. I have an annual client who who only wants to use a dry fly. We know that this isn’t always a possibility, but together, through proper scheduling and concerted effort we make for a higher probability of success.
