Episode 146: I Return To Guiding To See If I Still Have It

You can own a lodge, hire great guides, and still feel your confidence wobble the moment you step onto a dock where nobody cares about your past. At Two Rivers Lodge, I’m back in the boat as a working guide, staring at new water, new electronics, and guests I’ve never met, asking myself the only question that matters: do I still have it? 

I talk through the real difference between “helping out” and being responsible for the entire guest experience, from navigation and safety to putting walleye in the slot for shore lunch. You’ll hear what it’s like to learn a lake fast with GPS mapping, Humminbird Helix, and Garmin LiveScope, plus the honest frustration when the screen does not look the way you’re used to. Then we get into the fishing: northern pike patterns shifting with weather, cabbage at the mouths of bays, current areas that hold fish deeper, and the simple trigger that keeps producing strikes so far: hits on the pause. 

But guiding is not only about fish. I share the awkward feeling of being “not the owner” in the main lodge, and the way service and conversation build trust the same way a good day on the water does, one small moment at a time. If you love Canadian fishing lodge stories, northern Ontario multi-species action, and the mindset side of guiding, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a fishing buddy, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.