200 DAYS
Josh Douglas believes understanding where
to find fish is a bit like a wolf hunting its
prey — it all comes down to being in tune
with their daily movements.
REALIZE THE REAL
ENEMIES
Spending more than two-thirds of
the year fishing sounds like a dream
situation, but there are drawbacks to
anything.
The pressure of guiding, the
weather, boat issues, sore muscles –
it can all be physically and mentally
exhausting.
That said, neither Davis nor
Douglas is complaining. Davis
remembers working a shift job stocking
groceries prior to guiding, and he
says he’d never want to go back to
that. Still, both pros treat guiding like
most of us treat any job – it has its
perks and disadvantages.
“Over the years, I’ve learned not
to overreact to issues,” Douglas says.
“If a boat issue comes up, it’s not life
or death. If I have a bad client or a
bad day fishing, tomorrow is a new
day, hopefully with better fishing or a
better client. You realize everything is
going to work out.”
Davis shares similar sentiments,
and both say getting plenty of rest
when off the water can be key, especially
when faced with “the real
enemy.”
“Nothing can burn you out more
than the weather,” Davis says. “If the
clients are willing to go, then I go, no
matter if it’s 25 degrees or 100
degrees. And, at a certain point, you
get used to it. But still, when you fish
13 days in a row with it blowing 25
mph, it gets to be not fun.
“But again, I’m still fishing, and
that’s what I have to remember.”
THE TAKEAWAY: Relax. At the end
of the day, a bad day fishing is still
better than a good day at work …
even if your work is fishing.
Guiding for a living has allowed Alex Davis
to spend more time working on techniques
he doesn’t typically employ, especially
finesse presentations like the drop-shot.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN ONSLOW PHOTO BY JODY WHITE
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FLWFISHING.COM | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING.COM | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2020