The Differrent Types Of Clients

Being in the guide/service industry, you meet all kinds of interesting clients with a wide array of personalities. Of course my goal of a fishing guide is not to shit on my clients and make them feel terrible, but there are a couple types of clients that deserved to be mentioned. Years ago while consuming some alcohol, I made a list of what I thought to be the cliche’ client, and just the other night while consuming alcohol and recording a podcast with Ryan, I brought up my list. At the time I couldn’t remember the whole list, so I dug it up from the archives to share with everyone. Again, this is just a joke interpretation.

The Know It All

“The know it all” is, you guessed it, all knowing of all things fly fishing. This client makes it very clear that by taking one or two fly fishing trips a year, and reading all of Dorsey’s books, they know exactly how to make a perfect cast and a perfect drift in the most perfect of areas. This is the type of client that believes if they aren’t catching fish than it must be the bugs, which in turn means the guide. It definitely cannot be the Indian but must be the arrow that is flawed. This is the type of client that must be knocked down a peg or two occasionally.

The Business Man

“The Business Man” is the type of client that for all the Green Drake chomping brown trout in the river, is incapable of letting his phone out of his sight for fear he might actually see a little bit of nature. This is the type of client that has no desire to actually catch fish but wants everyone to know that he went on a “fishing trip” in Colorado. This client will make it clear exactly how to market yourself and boast that he “knows people” that can make you rich! What “The Business Man” client does not understand is that we don’t become fishing guides to be wealthy but because we actually enjoy our jobs.

The Backseat Driver

Everyone knows this person! I don’t really need to explain the fact that this client sits in the back of the boat and love’s to tell the client up front what they are doing wrong. Very much how I was the little brat telling my sister how to drive my dad’s truck. “You’re dropping your elbow when you cast.” “You need to fish more in front of the boat.” “Try casting to the other side of the boat.”

I don’t want to feel entitled but isn’t it my job to be correcting negative habits while fishing? I like to use a little more positive influence than “The Backseat Driver,” though I still need to be firm at times.

The Backseat Driver can also be a little bit of “The Know It All” client.

The I’ve Been Everywhere Man

I’ve been to Patagonia, Bolivia, Mongolia, Canada, Russia, Australia, Bahamas, Florida, Arkansas and Montana. I’ve been everywhere man. No, I am not talking about The Man In Black Johnny Cash. I am talking about the client that has traveled everywhere in this here land to go fly fishing. This client could be good or bad depending on who they are. This client is very fortunate to have embarked on so many journeys for so many different species of fish and encountered many different cultures. This is definitely a client that a guide could become very envious of and maybe even try to be BFF’s with. Most of these clients I have encountered can be very humble but don’t be fooled. Some are assholes! The great thing about this client is they usually know how to cast and they bring most of their own gear. Now all you gotta do is teach them how to make a good drift.

This leads me to my next type of client…

The Gear Junkie

This client has every piece of gear known to man and probably hasn’t a clue on how to use any of it. This is the client that brings a Hardy one piece rod that they don’t even make anymore but had to have because it was so rare. Attached to it is a $800 reel with an intermediate line that they can’t cast past the oar blades. “The gear junkie” brings his yeti 110 full of cheap 3.2 beer bought at the chain grocery store instead of supporting small business liquor marts, and if the 110 won’t fit in the boat, you better believe your ass they got a hopper to fill instead.

“The Gear Junkie” can also be a number of different clients. They are fully capable of morphing into the “I’ve been everywhere man” as well as the “Know it all.” Not to mention the very common “One Upper.”

The First Timer

Oh the glory of the “first timer!” This client hasn’t had the opportunity to become a “Know it all” or a “I’ve been everywhere man,” but can most definitely be the “Business man” and the “gear junkie.” Be careful with these clients. So malleable and impressionable! This is the guides role to make sure this client travels the right road and becomes the perfect client. The “first timer” doesn’t have a clue what is in store for them. This client could be a kid, a wife, a mom a young adult or maybe even a slightly elderly person searching for something they always thought was interesting. It is up to the guide to make sure this client has the time of their lives and wants to fly fish again, whether its with you, another guide or on their own.

The Perfect Client

This client is not a unicorn! It does exist! They are very few and far between but they are out there. Most of these people have a passion for fly fishing and actually want to be there. They have witnessed epic hatches and epic slumps of not catching anything. The “perfect client” understands a drift. The why and the how. They know the hardships and they appreciate the good times. This client rinses his/her sandals or boots before entering the boat so not to get mud and sand in it. This client not only cherishes what you do for them on the river but also enjoy your company over a beer and some tacos. you cant find this client, they find you!

The fact of the matter is there are many good clients out there and many that are hard to deal with but that is the nature of the beast.

I enjoy all of my clients and my job. As I said at the beginning of this article, a lot of this is merely a drunken joke about the types of clients that guides may see on a day to day basis. So no matter what client you may encounter or maybe you are one of these clients, keep your head up and remember that it’s just fishing!

Cameron with a long time client and a well deserved 27” rainbow on the Gunnison