Fly fishing is a popular outdoor activity for many anglers, and hiring a guide is often the best way to experience the activity. Not only do guides have specialized knowledge about the local area and what kind of fish are available, but they also help ensure that every fishing trip runs smoothly. But when it comes time to pay for the guide’s services, many people wonder how much should they tip?
When tipping a fly fishing guide, there are several factors to keep in mind. First and foremost, the quality of service that was provided should be taken into consideration.
Guides who provide extra services such as helping to set up gear, providing advice on technique or taking photos of your catch should be rewarded with a larger tip than those who simply show you where to fish and give basic instructions. If you had an especially great time or feel that the guide went above and beyond in their service, then you may want to consider going above and beyond with your tip as well.
Another factor to consider is how much you paid for the guide’s services. Generally speaking, if you paid more for your guided fly fishing trip then you should plan on tipping more in order to show your appreciation for the extra effort put forth by your guide. On the other hand, if you paid less than market rate for the same level of service then you may want to adjust your tip accordingly.
Finally, when it comes down to it tips are always at your discretion. While there is no hard and fast rule about how much money you should tip a fly fishing guide there are some general guidelines that can help steer you in the right direction.
A good rule of thumb is to base your tip on 10-20% of what you paid for the guided trip. Of course if you feel like your experience warranted a larger amount then feel free to adjust accordingly.
Conclusion:
When deciding how much to tip fly fishing guides it’s important to take into account both the quality of service received as well as how much was paid for their services. A good guideline is 10-20% of what was paid for the guided trip. Ultimately though, tips are always at your discretion so use your best judgement when deciding how generous or not generous you wish to be.
