GenerlCrseSeTckle
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Guide’s diary
Fly
50
Iris
ngl
WhaT Do
You Do?
Explaining that he is a bass guide is always somethingof a conversation stopper at parties for
Jim Hendrick
,but he’s glad that his job is a little unusual…
I
say: “I’m a fsherman,” but having beenhere beore, and unsuccessully tried thispath o communication, I know what’scoming next. “Do you have your own boat?”“No,” I reply. “I do all o my fshing rom theshore with other people!”“You mean you bring people with youfshing? What sort o people, who are they?”It’s probably unair o me, but I do receivea little kick out o this. My wie Eileenand I occasionally fnd ourselves at ‘socialengagements’. Both o us have a tendencyto want to avoid them or our own reasons.Unortunately, through the nature o Eileen’s job, it’s inevitable that we fnd ourselveshaving to attend some. The assumptions thatpeople make are sometimes obvious, and mostwill assume that as I’m introduced as Eileen’shusband that I am, in act, connected to, orthat we work together in her design business.So when I’m asked “And what do youdo Jim?” I generally answer, “I’m a fshingguide.” It does stop a lot o people in theirtracks. This halting o reason is not producedin awe, but rather conusion. The conusion isoten obvious and stems rom three reasons asyou see people ask themselves the ollowingand probably more, very quick mentalquestions: did I hear that correctly? What onearth is a fshing guide? Have I ever comeacross one o these beore, and what do I say?Then people smile, some logical things arescrambled into place and a sense o relie isevident rom their expression. It’s startling,but the requency o the next question is quitehigh and is delivered with an air o expectanthope. “Do you have your own boat?” and soit goes. I lay down a ew stepping stones o explanations or people to hop across the greatdivide and rushing, conused waters o what itmeans to be a bass fshing guide in Ireland.It’s not a proper job o course! I mean…bringing people fshing twice a day, or ouror fve hours, six days o the week in themiddle o summer. The nature o the job isdifcult or people to grasp and least o all orthose who know nothing o angling. Yet thosewho aren’t anglers oten express the mostinterest. As we tease out the various aspects,realisations or the potential o the nature o the job become apparent: the sustainability,the quality o the experience, what Irelandhas to oer, the learning and, o course, thepositive economic actors, and the risks too!The biggest surprise that people expressis based around the act that people havetravelled to Ireland and, indeed, Wexordrom all over the world to fsh. “They comehere to fsh. For what?” This is where theknowledge gap lies, even among experiencedanglers. Ireland has a quality saltwater sportfshery. It still surprises me today that somany people aren’t even aware o the bassspecies, never mind its recent difculties,slow recovery and the constant illegal fshing.When you mention and discuss allthe levels o your job, andespecially how it bringspeople rom internationalvenues to this countryor 10 or 12 weeks o the year,where these people fsh in the sea ona sustainable basis or big silver fsh,the person who you are expressing thisto shares their delight. The eeling o incredulity and realisation o the lack o awareness, education and propermanagement o the species only match this.A bass guiding job is no dierent to manyother jobs, and yet it’s totally dierent. Do notin any way underestimate the amount o sheerhard work and perseverance that’s involved.Like any person who is sel employed Irecognise all the difculties on a daily basis:sel-doubt, fnancial constraints, difcultcustomers, exploitation, politics, they are allthere. But, at the end o my day, when the sunsets over a blue and silver sea I know that Iwill want to be in the ‘ofce’ or another10-hour day tomorrow!
Popl p to ln thtngl tvl om ll ov th wolto ctch b lk th n Wxo.
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