Lorne, as you are so jealous of the guiding lifestyle and think that guys with big boats are just living a glorious life I will share some numbers with you. Hope it will releave some of that burning envious pain you suffer from.
My big bad butt boat was purchased to save my 23+ year guiding career. Age and too much good living has caught up to me and resulted in spinal wear. If my occupation was a backho opperator than after 32 years I or anybody would be looking for a bigger more comfortable machine to conclude thier careers with. I'm a fisherman so this is where I am now. After April 1st my annual business expenses will be $60000+ to offer saltwater fishing. Boat payments, engine lease payments, moorage, fuel, maintenance, repairs, thieft, tackle.......the list is endless. Although you may think after looking at my boat that I have some posh acerage inhereted from family or something but I don't. Morgage payments of $1300 for my trailer on a half acre for the rest of my life. This doesn't count for any other money that I may need to live with, hydro to heat my home, truck gas or repairs, new roof need for the house...ect. Are you getting a grasp on the expenses that a guide has to live with. Combine this with suppressed economy, the fact that dfo and moe can close my doors to business at any day, inflation, waiting for the phone to ring and guiding isn't so appealing is it. Oh and try fresh water guiding to fill the off season where moe does whatever they can to make you don't catch too many fish! They bait ban or close every good sport fishery and perfer fly flossing. Trying to sell charters for fresh water fishing isn't all that easy. Now just imagine yourself as a guide. Imagine you are guiding anglers from the interior that that save all year to come out to fish salmon and halibut with you for the last 10 years. Lets say they come in august because they are farmers and this is the only free month of thier busy scheduels. How are you feeling now knowing that you are going to have to tell them that they cant keep halibut because all the fish were caught and harvested earlier in the season. Maybe you arent even on the water because your long time guests cancelled in may because halibut was going to be closed in august and may never be back. How do you feel now as you think about all your bills and are now possibly loosing all your profit for the season?
Are you starting to feel some relief yet? You don't need to suffer so bad. A guides lifestyle isn't all that glamorous, honest!
Lorne what is it that you do for a living?
