Fishing is often portrayed and seen as something that is relatively easy where all that is needed to catch fish is a rod and some worms.  It is possible to be self-taught and it is possible to learn through books, experience and practice.  But if you want to learn or improve quickly and attain a higher skill level than you would otherwise, then booking some tuition with a fishing guide is the best option.

Although there are a large number of people who fish, most of them either take only the occasional lesson or no lessons at all.  It is certainly part of the American culture that we do not believe we need to be taught new skills.  Even when it becomes obvious that determination alone is not sufficient there may be a fear of failure that prevents people from putting themselves in a position where an expert will be judging their worth.  It is not only fishing that suffers from this, it is clear from observing people playing golf and tennis or crawling around the edge of an ice skating rink that they have never had a lesson in their lives.

Public perception may be that hiring a professional fishing guide is too embarrassing and not a worthy investment.  But look at what you can get by choosing to go fishing with a guide.  Going with a guide lets you pick the brain of someone who takes fishing very seriously, someone who is on the water as many days in one year as you have been in your whole life, and someone whose livelihood is dependant on you having a great fishing experience.  This kind of knowledge takes years to compile, and a guide gives it to you in a day or afternoon and pretty inexpensively when you consider how much time and money you would have to invest to acquire this knowledge on your own.

How do you find a guide?  Most tackle shops and fly shops either have guide services or book for them.  Also, nearly all tackle shops have some kind of bulletin board when you first walk into the store where there are always ads for guide services.  Many guides also advertise in newspapers, phone books, sporting magazines and club newsletters, and more and more have their own web sites.

So you've found a guide, now what?  Before putting your money down talk to your guide and let the guide know your skill level and what your expectations are.  Make sure you know what all they will provide, what happens in an emergency, and where you will be going.  Ask them if they will be fishing.  Good guides don't fish because they are too busy making sure that you are catching fish.  Ask for references.  If a guide cannot give you references then he or she is not a good guide.  Lastly, remember that guarantees in fishing are for fools and that guides can't make the fish jump onto your hook, but they can save you some time and money and accelerate your learning curve.  So hire a guide, do some fishing and add to your angling knowledge-base!