When it comes to tipping a saltwater fishing guide, there is still some confusion among fishermen. Generally, an adequate tip is around 20% of the total cost of the trip. Depending on the diligence, kindness, ability, and willingness of your guide to teach and go the extra mile, you should plan to give your guide a tip of between 15% and 25% of the reserved daily rate. It's important to remember that fishing is based on experience, so if a guide is friendly and fun, attentive and willing to help in any way, that's what it takes to be a good fishing guide and the tip usually represents your appreciation for it.
As a professional financial advisor knows which funds to invest in and which to avoid, a good fishing guide knows where the fish are and where they are not. When you fish with a guide, even if you've fished there before, it's best to follow their example and let them do their job. Anglers who are just starting out with fly fishing can feel overwhelmed and full of questions about the booking process, what is offered on the trip, and the type of service they can expect from a guided fly fishing adventure. In general, fifteen percent is considered to be the minimum amount to tip your guide.
This should not be based on the amount of fish you catch as this is unpredictable. If a guide makes an exceptional effort fishing an extra hour or three hours above normal or makes a special effort to get fish, it makes sense to tip well. At Fly Fishing Fix we firmly believe in a good tip and we advocate for it, regardless of the amount of fish you catch.
