A Guide Is His Reputation

As a youth adviser in our local church organization, I was out Christmas caroling with some fine young people. We were delivering friendship baskets and singing songs to some of those, who might not be having a merry Christmas. As we were traveling from one home to another, one of the young men who was running co-pilot, asked me if I knew this boy who worked at a local sporting goods.

I said, "Yes, I have met him.

" He says he knows you" He paused.

"Is it true you used to snag fish for the Indians?" He asked.

My stomach tightened. I thought, "Here we go again."

Before I answer that question, let me fill you in on a little history. I grew up in Arlington. Fished on the Stilly and its tributaries for nearly 40 years now. I went to the University of Washington and graduated in the college of fisheries. My first job was with the Stillaguamish Tribe as a biologist. Now, before you cast me out as an anti- sportsman let me explain what my job description entailed. I worked as an "Enhancement Biologist". The Stillaguamish system was managed for wild stocks. My job was to evaluate stream health and fish utilization. We would determine if a tributary needed restoration and after remedying environmental problems, then restocking with wild salmon with similar genetic characteristics. To do this, my crew and me would capture wild salmon of various species, so we could replant the needed waters. Our techniques would include everything from weirs and traps to nets.....and yes, even snagging. All activities were permitted and sanctioned by U.S. Fish & Wildlife and Washington State Department of Fisheries. This was a highly successful program, and the wild runs of salmon that swim the Stilly drainage today, are a direct result of this program.

At this same time, I was pretty quiet in the political world of flyfishing. My favorite love was flyfishing steelhead. After catching them from the age of eight, lets just say, I became good at it. Now, with Enos, Walt and the old guard getting on with age, there became a warm discussion on who was considered the new "Best Rod On The River". Each guy had his own following, and from time to time, my name would pop up.

I wasn’t much into the fishing politics. I really don’t care who fishes with who, who tie the fanciest fly, or who cast the longest line. I flyfish steelhead because I love to. I am much more inclined to slip off by myself, and fish in solitude. You will seldom see me fish clients around other anglers if I can help it.

A couple of these "Best Rod Want-A- Be’s" were particularly vocal to the idea that this Indian Biologist was catching as many steelhead as anybody. Anti-Indian sediment, was strong then, and still hasn’t improved much, in some circles.

Anyway, so one fine day in late September, my crew and I are down below Boulder Creek snagging Chinook salmon off their spawning redds. We have got buckets and knives and the rest of our spawning paraphernalia laid out and up walks Puss.

He gets right up in my face and tells me, under no uncertain terms, what he thinks of me out there snagging those poor defenseless salmon. Before I could even open my mouth, he had turned on his heel and was gone. Sure enough, by the end of the week the word had hit the street, "Dickson was witnessed snagging fish." Ole Puss likes to hang out around the shops and fly clubs. He also decided to make me his mission in warning the world, and even gathered support from some other guide want-a be’s. I made a terrible mistake. I decided to ignore the gossip and wait for it to go away. It didn’t.

Ever notice that it seems like every time you read in the paper something you know about personally, that the article isn’t quiet accurate. But yet when we read it, or hear it, that’s the truth?

The really sad fact about the Puss story was that; about a year later he ran into a personal fishing friend of mine on the river. My name comes up and Puss launches into the snagging scenario. Jeff listens for a bit, and realizes my crew and I were actually out capturing broodstock for our enhancement program, and tells Puss so. Think Puss went back to all the shops and clubs and said, "You know what?" "I was wrong about Dickson". Not hardly, Why? Because that is not what he wants to believe. Unfortunately, the reason Character Assassination works is because people have a tendency to believe the worst think they hear. That is why humans watch Soaps and not Ozzie and Harriet. And there is no defense for it. Is this destructive gossip limited to Ole Puss? Hardly. Think about your line of business. Now think about your competition. Tell me isn’t tempting to slip in a " I shouldn’t tell you this about (the competition) but I hear...........Yada Yada Yada. You probably wouldn’t stoop to this either, but I know there has been a time or two I had to bite my lip.

In the guiding business, your reputation is everything. The recreational dollar is very fluid, and the competition is fierce. My advice is; If you fished with someone and you had a good time, you had a good time. If you didn’t, you might want to cut a guy a break, you may have caught him on a bad day. If you hear something damaging, you might want to keep it to yourself. What are the chances you may not be getting the whole story?

So my young friend listens and says " Man, if somebody said those things about me, I’d want to tell the whole world.

Thank you Lyle, After fifteen years.........I think I just did.

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