One of the reasons for hiring a guide is to learn a section of river. They have knowledge of the river from being on it everyday. Some people hire a guide because they do not know how to fish the rivers but would still like a chance at a steelhead. Others know how to fish the river but want to tap into the guide’s knowledge and learn more. Others may want a guided trip on a river they have never been on, this way learning some of the drifts on that river.
With today’s modern technology there are many ways to record this information incase you want to go back to that river next week, month, or even next year.
Do you think it is inappropriate to take a hand held GPS and plot certain locations you stopped and fished with the guide? I do not own a GPS but was wondering if people that have them ever use them on a guided trip?

I've done it. I always ask the guide first, but I've never been told no. Once they take you to a spot, it is no real secret, and most likely wasn't their secret spot anyway. You could just as easily take a camera, a notebook or a river map.

I've only been on two guided trips. One on the Bogey and one on the Columbia. On the Bogey I made mental notes on locations, stratagies and specific landmarks and wrote them in a journal that evening. I found that to be more difficult on the Columbia as it is such a large body of water. In that type of situation I think it would be a HUGE benefit to use a GPS to plot locations, as well as depth of water. I doubt a guide would mind if you are up front about it and ask in advance.

Sounds like a good way to get dropped on the wrong side of the river and asked to find your way out now.

For the kind of money a guide is going to charge you I think you should have every right to bring a GPS.After all you are paying a hefty price for their skill and knowledge.Take advantage of it.

Frankly ... it wouldn't bother me. Why? Because regardless of the "honey hole" being located ... that doesn't mean that the following day with 3 inches of rise or drop that the "honey hole" would be the spot to be. Knowing the spots is only 25% of the game .. the other 75% is knowing WHEN to fish that spot. An issue that many anglers (a number of guides included) seem to struggle with. You still gotta think like a fish!

Coho
Thats what I was afraid of and did not want to happen.

Bob
You are 100% correct but if it was your second time back to a river it would give you some starting, and I say that loosly, locations.

Hey thanks for the replies just seems like you need to ask the guide first and get his opinion since it is his boat. Did not know if it was out of line even to ask but seems like it would be o.k. First I guess I would have to buy a GPS

Its how they make a living so you should ask to bring it. On river trips its no big deal but 19 miles out in the ocean some capts. don't like to give up locations. Can't blame them. Thats why you called them in the first place. Becuase they know the goods!

the most important thing about river fishing is being able to read water.like bob says the hotspot today might not even hold a fish the next time because of the always changing water conditions.and with the oly pen rivers that spot might not even be there next time you fish it.i would spend my guided trip asking the guide to help you identify holding water,instead of plotting gps locations.soctt

Unless you only fish a certain river once a year or so I'd think you'd probably remember the holding water's features next time down on your own.

What's been intriguing to me about GPS is being able to accurately mark where you've found fish from a boat (with or without a guide) and then being able to bushwack to the area on those times you don't feel like dragging the boat or don't have time for a whole day's float or don't want to race an armada to the good water.

Bruce

River fishing:
A lot of good places are not accessible or very hard to access without a boat and if it is accessible, it is matter of time to become public knowledge and then guides avoid it.

Ocean fishing:
I used my GPS for fishing Marlins in Mexico and a week later with a new guide with bigger and safer boat (this is another good srory) when things were slow, I told the captain let's try this spot and believe it or not I caught 3 in that general area. I have heard that westport charters don't let you use them. But ocean fishing is different.

I can see the ocean thing, but that's where you'd want it the most! On most ocean charters, the wheel house has the electronics (including gps) sitting in plain sight anyway.

If I take a guided trip, I normally have one of two reasons. I don't have the equipment to get there and just want to experience it (Marlin in Kona or Baja for instance), or I am trying to learn the water and looking for a teacher, not a boat ride. If the guide won't allow it, I find another guide. Frankly, in the few guided trips I have taken in the last 5 years, I've never been turned down.

A good guide can outfish me on a bad day. He has little reason to fear my arrival back at a hole he's taken me to. Just as long as I don't mention it here!