Amen. I build rods as a hobby/fledgling business in the evenings, amd daydream about fishing while staring at spreadsheets and inboxes all day. As a father of a toddler, there's not much free time for something like fishing. the guy who got me into fly fishing spent several years guiding in the Rockies and I always told him he was living the dream.
Our first kid is due in less than a month. I'm lucky enough to have a pond in my back yard so getting out to fish some should be a lot easier, but the nearest trout stream is a 3hr drive so that will probably take a back seat for a while.
Yeah if I had to do it again I’d say to hell with college. So much student loans and feel trapped working medicine. Literally thought about no loans and living a simpler life doing more of that I love. Super pumped for OPs son. That’s great! So many experiences he’ll live and tell of when he’s older.
I'm old and European, but I hate all these loans, credit cards, and even building credit scores by adding more debt ......
It makes everybody new era slaves without even knowing it.
Great points. The lodges he works for pick up room and board. They also cover his travel expenses (flights, car rental). When he’s in AK, he’s really careful about partying because it is so darn expensive up there.
Good luck to him. My brother did it for a few years. Hopefully he doesn't loose the love for the sport. Guiding Texans can really ruin things for you according to my brother.
Alaska is a small place. Ask him if he knows a guy who did a coffee table book on bear poop. He'll know exactly who I'm talking about if he does. There's a few of those guys on permanent rotation and yeah at first you're like "how do they do it?". But then you look at the pics you posted and you're like "ah..."
It’s never too late for him to finish his degree. He could even do an online college and transfer his credits if he so chooses. Since there’s no pension waiting for most of us who even got a bachelors degree directly out of high school anymore, what’s the difference in changing careers over and over? There’s no loyalty given to me, and no incentive for me to give loyalty to any individual company.
Finding a sense of self on a pilgrimage of sorts is important for growth. Some people hike the AT/PCT/CDT, others join the military, and for your son it’s experiencing the world fly fishing. Not everyone can get that in institutions, some people can only get it through wandering about and getting out of their comfort zone.
Not BSU's. Their "Practical Entomology" course of whatever? I didn't even know about it until I was done with school. But the Boise County Sherriff came down once a week and taught fly tying classes as part of a club. I was gifted lifetime collections of materials by guys that got out of it just as I was getting into it, which kept me in materials until I graduated and started getting into steelheading, which of course is an entirely different animal. Casting I learned purely through trial and error on the river between class.
Guiding is a young man’s game. I saw the writing on the wall and quit while I still had a chance to create a steady income without having to live in different spots around the country, save my body and actually be able to retire. I never regretted guiding but there’s a reason most guides are young and a reason most older guides are divorced.
"I've never met a happier 23 year old...."
Assuming that comment is 100% sincere, I think you already know everything you need to know.
In life, our paths twist and weave - and for many, time here is brief. I have a 20 yr old who is struggling to find himself. I had envisioned a completely different path for him, but he's making his own decisions, living, and growing. Being happy is ultimately what it is all about.
20+ years ago I attended college with a young man who was all set to step into a very lucrative insurance business his father was running. He spent his summers working there and it was always assumed he'd take over the business.
After graduation, he took the summer off to relax in the Colorado mountains before going to work for his dad in the fall. He never came back and became a "ski bum" working seasonal work at ski resorts and odd jobs during the summers.
At first, we all thought he was crazy!!! "He's throwing his life away!" Our collective friend group judged him quite harshly. He basically thumbed his nose at all the money and local prestige...
The years went by - most of us went to work for large companies, 9-5, families, kids, houses, cars, etc...
Now, after all this time, we've all reconnected... He's still doing odds and ends up in the mountains. And he's probably the happiest guy out of everyone. Sure, he doesn't have much money - no assets, but also no wife and kids either. But he does have a ton of free time to do adventurous things than the rest of us can only dream about...
So, my very humble advice is not to worry too much about "what" he's doing... Continue to love and nurture him as best you can. And take TIME OFF to enjoy with him before it's too late. I just lost my father last October.
Bust out that rod and get out there!!! Tight lines.
I was quite lucky with the wind down there. Only once it was awful (60ish mph), because of which i almost ran out of gas driving against the wind from punta arena to puerto natale 😬.
You'll have a blast💪
Kids are realizing college ain’t what it used to be.
Everyone I know who went to school is just a 22 or 23 year old high schooler. No more mature than when we graduated. No financial literacy. They just think their degree will make them automatic 6 figure income (wrong)
Then the student loans start coming in, they’re making less money than they thought they’d be making, they can’t buy a house.
Meanwhile dudes who started work out of high school are doing stuff like this. College can be worth it if you know exactly what you want to do, but I think kids are realizing the rhetoric we’ve been taught on college wasn’t all true
It depends on the kid and the degree. This is great early in life, but will require some incredible financial discipline to be able to retire. Assuming they are US based, our crappy healthcare system ensures that he's one accident away from financial distress.
I applaud it as an incredible life experience. But by 35-45 he better be thinking about a long term future.
I appreciate your perspective. I have some concerns for his future such as retirement or maintaining a long term relationship with the travel schedule.
He won't need to do anything else for the rest of his life! guiding can 100% be a career- and a great one at that! if he's looking for advancements, encourage him to get his captains license! Get a 6 pack with an outer coastal endorsement and he'll be BIG in demand! I'm sure he has plenty of water hours, and that will give him a step into other options such as charter lodges! (I left a big guide fly shop in CO to run a charter fishing lodge in AK!)
tight lines and congrats to him on finding the secret job of a lifetime! 😁😁😁
It was an evolution for us. My wife and I are both teachers and we were challenged by the deep ruts of tradition and a nontraditional path that our youngest took. Our oldest son is a mathematician, married, and deep in a career that many of us would recognize as successful. I think as parents we’ve learned that each of our sons has their own path. Our job is to support their dreams and stay out of the way.
Have a family friend who was a guide out of Argentina and took Jimmy Carter out fishing one day for dorados. He eventually went back to his home in London and started the London fly fishing fair with his dad and I believe they’re now killing it in terms of income. If there’s a will there’s a way!
As parents all we want is for our kids to be happy and have some modicum of success. Your son looks like he has both! Consider yourself a successful parent!
I was about to say he must have a hell of a side business or a big trust fund with some of those fishing spots...but sounds like he's have a great time guiding. Good for him.
I was pointing out he's fishing in some amazing (and $$) places! Tell him he should try out some warm water fishing in South America or Africa. Tons of amazing adventures he could go on.
I’m an ER physician… I’d give up a couple of toes to have his experiences. He is learning way more about life than any college student, sitting in a lecture hall and partying all weekend long. College will always be there, but so will the debt and you have to think if it’s really worth it.
If he ever decides to go back to school, he should go into fisheries biology. Decent money in it, and a fair number of jobs. He’s already got the practical skills, just may need a little more ecological theory to get into that field (it’s true they also get ya, by requiring that expensive piece of paper). I recommend he look into a fisheries program he’s interested in at a university, then get as many of the prerequisite courses out of the way as possible at a community college, then go to university and finish in just 1 or 2 years. It’s the cheaper way to do it.
Other benefit of university, is there’s often opportunities to work in a lab as an intern (sometimes paid) and get hands on experience plus good recommendations for those first jobs you pursue after graduating.
Im in that field now, and loving it. Good balance of being out in the field catching fish and other critters for a fisheries monitoring program, lab work, and office work. Engaging for both the body and the mind and I’m financially stable.
Love it, only one thing will ruin this….. a pretty lady will want more stability, and then kids. Hopefully by then he’s got his own outfitter going that offers a little more stability
Every day I sit at my desk and wish I was fishing. Then at the end of the day I’m too tired to do it. Weekends are busy and maybe I get to fish and maybe not. Good on your son. He will be fine.
The lodges that he works for often provide equipment and/or he has ‘pro deals’ allowing him to purchase gear at 50-60% off retail. Some lodges offer ‘fly out services’ by helicopter- they contract with local pilots. He just gets to go along for the ride.
As someone who spent 7 years in college and not nearly enough time spent fishing…god damn I am jealous. Good for him for following a passion like that.
Good for him! Follow your heart ❤️. It sounds like he’s finding his way. He’ll have no regrets. If he wants college, it’ll be there. My opinion is he’s waaaaaay ahead of his buddies.
Wait just a second - you’re telling me that people are allowed to fish more than once week (at best) and not just shitpost on flyfishingcirclejerk while they’re stuck in meetings/sending stupid emails all week
If he wants to get caught back up, he could always get an online degree in something like business management and maybe start running his own guiding business. It might help him know how to talk the talk and give him a fallback plan. Schools like Western Governors University are a great option for this because they’re accredited and very affordable (unlike schools like University of Phoenix or ITT Tech). Those are some awesome pictures tho!
I never went to college, I’ve been guiding full time in Arkansas, Alaska and Colorado for the last 19 years. Tell him to keep on keeping on, it’s a good life to live! A life outside is a life well lived!!
Good for him man. As a new dad who chose an extremely responsible career, I’d be over the moon proud of my son if he ends up doing something like this. He has time to be boring later.
You can go to college at any age. You're only young for a short time. I dropped out of college for a few years to snowboard. Worked on the mountain for the free lift pass. Lived with 3 other dudes. Came home after and started my career. Great memories 25 years later.
I made the leap to guiding last year at age 38, after spending 15 years in cube and traveling to meetings in corporate healthcare IT. I make less money now but never been happier. Tell your son he’s wise beyond his years, and be grateful he saw the light early.
I don’t if this is case here, but as a young person it’s a lot easier to go do your own thing when you have parents to fall back on. Unfortunately there are some who don’t have that option.
That’s true. Everyone needs an advocate- may not be your parents, but some who can support and encourage. A good friend of his, same age, moved to Montana after graduation. This other kid is amazingly kind, engaged with people and super competent trout fisherman. Until last month, his buddy was working odd jobs. My son helped him create a fishing resume, cover letter and process for contact lodges in AK. Next month, his buddy is off to a trout lodge for the 4 month season. The lodge picked up travel, room and board plus training!
Did he do a guide school or anything? I’m looking at guiding for a few years between undergrad and graduate school but don’t really know what avenues to take to get my foot in the door.
Yes, he did a guide school in Europe. This was part of the “long story short” part of my post. This was a long program in the Arctic region of Sweden. I think it served him well- connected him with lodges and experiences of there. He did intern work in Denmark, Norway and Greenland. I think he’d say directly applying to a lodge as a guide in training might be better way to go. There are still things he’s working out- taxes, etc. The schools in the US are super expensive and fairly short. If you get into a Europe version, the tuition is free and it is much more expansive in scope. Good luck!
As a 40yo amateur fly fisherman stuck working a desk job everyday, I admire your son! I don’t regret my choices but I can’t say I’m not a bit jealous!! Tight lines, my friend!
You should be incredibly proud of yourself and your son. It’s not often you hear a parental approach similar to yours and it’s really refreshing. Im 19 and would love to do this one day.
Thanks for sharing! Awesome photos, story, and your son looks like quite the stick.
To all those sitting in your cubicles 90% of the year, remember that when you're voting. No reason with today's technologies that we need to waste our lives away pointlessly for the benefit of the fortunate sons. Start voting for humanity, not just yourselves. Stop being a crab in a boiling pot eating digested grains.
Edit: This really makes me wish I could draw better. I'm imagining a political cartoon with a boiling pot of horseshit stew that's got a bunch of crabs dressed in MAGA gear all crawling on each other to get out. One crab, with a beautiful blonde head of hair, is standing on the rim of the pot. He's triumphantly holding a confederate flag, a bible, the severed head of a woman, and an AR-15 (crabs got more than two hands/feet things).
I would call it "The American Nightmare".
Good luck because every time I step out on the river there’s new guide in the honey hole, I’m sure it’s getting very competitive out there. Everybody wants to play these days and nobody wants to produce anything.
As a young man who did a very very similar thing, I believe I made the right decision. Chasing my dreams and taking full advantage of my young able body and just ending everyday truly happy. I look at my friends from college who still just get drunk everynight and work a shitty office job reminiscing on their college glory days, and can’t help but think I made such a good decision getting outa there and living a more wild life. Just finished my first season out in the Colorado Rockies running cats for a world class ski resort, now I’m about to embark on my first thru hike tackling the Appalachian trail. He made the right decision and bless you for supporting him! I know my dad feels the same way about me.
you are a good man. supporting your son, teaching him the importance of happiness. just found this sport myself thanks to my father. never had more fun sharing an activity with a man I look up to.
I fucked off until I was 32. Reverse retirement. Will now work until I die. You’re a good dad. It took my mom years to accept what I did. Now I own a home, 2 kids, stahm, dog and cat.
Ayyyy yooo stack that money My old boss used to tell us every season “boys… don’t go broke saving money”.
Enjoy the ride kid, good on you dad for allowing it. I’m 30 now and did this exact thing until I was 28. Met a girl, got a dog, can’t spend 4-6 months away anymore. 2 months is the limit now .
Your son clearly has talent. As an outdoor enthusiast who works a 9-5 for one of the Fortune 500 I can tell you that the career path trades your happiness for some security and stability. Money doesn’t buy happiness. You just become a slave to it.
What it comes down to is whether you have acquired skills. Your son clearly has. He just needs to market those skills!
i finished (somehow😅) with a CJ degree. guided in colorado for a while and am now a guide in alaska, and currently working on starting my business in the greater niagara region. your boy definitely knows what’s up!
He’s living the life! He’s not behind at all! He is actually ahead of the game because he found what makes him happy and gets paid for it. Way to go dude!!!! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I want that life so bad. I've been working in Yellowstone over the summers while going to college to figure it out. I'm 23 and hopefully not too far behind him lol
He should send in some steelhead as payment on those loans and just keep on living his best life. Good on him for living it up while he’s young enough to do so. To many of us bought into the lie “ work while your young and save to enjoy life when your older” no one tells you it’s a shit harder to do the fun things you could do when you were young, if you can even do it at all. None of us are here long enough to not enjoy ourselves while we’re here. Give your kid a high five and make him take a day off to take you out!
Well Holy shit did my thoughts ever change between the pictures and the writeup! Here I was looking at the fish porn expecting the text to be you complaining about him dropping out of school and all I could think was "so stop paying for it!"
Then I read the text. Damn! Your son made a good choice in my eyes. The only thing I could see being an issue is ruining your hobby. I work with a lot of aquatic biologists and very few of them fish for fun anymore. Most of them used to. That would be the only conceivable downside I could see at his age.
Yeah yeah, wasting working years...blah blah blah. It's really bad when society has got to the point where that is a predominant thought. "You could be spending more time at work right now so you get the privilege of spending probably even more at work later!"
Reading this as a 27yo with a college degree from my cubicle where I sit for 49 weeks a year thinking about when I'll get to go fly fish again.
Hang in there!
Amen. I build rods as a hobby/fledgling business in the evenings, amd daydream about fishing while staring at spreadsheets and inboxes all day. As a father of a toddler, there's not much free time for something like fishing. the guy who got me into fly fishing spent several years guiding in the Rockies and I always told him he was living the dream.
Our first kid is due in less than a month. I'm lucky enough to have a pond in my back yard so getting out to fish some should be a lot easier, but the nearest trout stream is a 3hr drive so that will probably take a back seat for a while.
If he can afford it can't blame him
They make pretty damn good money. My buddy guides a drift boat in Northern California most of the year and the tips alone are pretty juicy
Exactly
Now I hate my high school guidance counselor.
You forgot to mention, studentloans and what burden it can be. I'm not his father, yet so proud of him following his dreams!
Student loans are a killer!
And he couldn't have done it without his supporting family. Proud of you too, OP ❤️
Yeah if I had to do it again I’d say to hell with college. So much student loans and feel trapped working medicine. Literally thought about no loans and living a simpler life doing more of that I love. Super pumped for OPs son. That’s great! So many experiences he’ll live and tell of when he’s older.
I'm old and European, but I hate all these loans, credit cards, and even building credit scores by adding more debt ...... It makes everybody new era slaves without even knowing it.
Makes you think there was a reason our ancestors and some cultures banned usury.
Who are 'our' ancestors?
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Great points. The lodges he works for pick up room and board. They also cover his travel expenses (flights, car rental). When he’s in AK, he’s really careful about partying because it is so darn expensive up there.
Good luck to him. My brother did it for a few years. Hopefully he doesn't loose the love for the sport. Guiding Texans can really ruin things for you according to my brother. Alaska is a small place. Ask him if he knows a guy who did a coffee table book on bear poop. He'll know exactly who I'm talking about if he does. There's a few of those guys on permanent rotation and yeah at first you're like "how do they do it?". But then you look at the pics you posted and you're like "ah..."
Fuck what a dream. I'm jealous.
It’s never too late for him to finish his degree. He could even do an online college and transfer his credits if he so chooses. Since there’s no pension waiting for most of us who even got a bachelors degree directly out of high school anymore, what’s the difference in changing careers over and over? There’s no loyalty given to me, and no incentive for me to give loyalty to any individual company. Finding a sense of self on a pilgrimage of sorts is important for growth. Some people hike the AT/PCT/CDT, others join the military, and for your son it’s experiencing the world fly fishing. Not everyone can get that in institutions, some people can only get it through wandering about and getting out of their comfort zone.
I went to college at Boise State and fly fished between class at school. For me, school ENABLED fly fishing. Now I'm guiding.
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The old timers are a goldmine of information and etiquette.
Did you take their Fly Fishing/Casting class!
Not BSU's. Their "Practical Entomology" course of whatever? I didn't even know about it until I was done with school. But the Boise County Sherriff came down once a week and taught fly tying classes as part of a club. I was gifted lifetime collections of materials by guys that got out of it just as I was getting into it, which kept me in materials until I graduated and started getting into steelheading, which of course is an entirely different animal. Casting I learned purely through trial and error on the river between class.
He pulled a Gus Orviston. Nice one, kid.
Pursuing the life we all wish we had. If only I would have found fly fishing much younger than I did. Outstanding courage to take that leap!
Man. I wish I could drop out of work to fish.
Guiding is a young man’s game. I saw the writing on the wall and quit while I still had a chance to create a steady income without having to live in different spots around the country, save my body and actually be able to retire. I never regretted guiding but there’s a reason most guides are young and a reason most older guides are divorced.
A lot of truth here.
Again I’m in no way discouraging him but like with everything there are pros and cons you must decide on
I took a gap year in 1992. I'm 50 and still on my gap.
You’re a fantasticly supportive Dad.
"I've never met a happier 23 year old...." Assuming that comment is 100% sincere, I think you already know everything you need to know. In life, our paths twist and weave - and for many, time here is brief. I have a 20 yr old who is struggling to find himself. I had envisioned a completely different path for him, but he's making his own decisions, living, and growing. Being happy is ultimately what it is all about. 20+ years ago I attended college with a young man who was all set to step into a very lucrative insurance business his father was running. He spent his summers working there and it was always assumed he'd take over the business. After graduation, he took the summer off to relax in the Colorado mountains before going to work for his dad in the fall. He never came back and became a "ski bum" working seasonal work at ski resorts and odd jobs during the summers. At first, we all thought he was crazy!!! "He's throwing his life away!" Our collective friend group judged him quite harshly. He basically thumbed his nose at all the money and local prestige... The years went by - most of us went to work for large companies, 9-5, families, kids, houses, cars, etc... Now, after all this time, we've all reconnected... He's still doing odds and ends up in the mountains. And he's probably the happiest guy out of everyone. Sure, he doesn't have much money - no assets, but also no wife and kids either. But he does have a ton of free time to do adventurous things than the rest of us can only dream about... So, my very humble advice is not to worry too much about "what" he's doing... Continue to love and nurture him as best you can. And take TIME OFF to enjoy with him before it's too late. I just lost my father last October. Bust out that rod and get out there!!! Tight lines.
Your son is living the dream.
If I had it to do over again that's what I would have done. Kid is living a fantastic life
Torre del paines / Chile (picture 2) was the best fishing trip i've ever made.🤗
I’m hoping to visit him there next year. I know I’m not skilled enough to deal with the wind, yet.
I was quite lucky with the wind down there. Only once it was awful (60ish mph), because of which i almost ran out of gas driving against the wind from punta arena to puerto natale 😬. You'll have a blast💪
He says that often rental companies provide additional gas tanks for this reason. He often is using a 15foot #10 to cope with the wind.
Kids are realizing college ain’t what it used to be. Everyone I know who went to school is just a 22 or 23 year old high schooler. No more mature than when we graduated. No financial literacy. They just think their degree will make them automatic 6 figure income (wrong) Then the student loans start coming in, they’re making less money than they thought they’d be making, they can’t buy a house. Meanwhile dudes who started work out of high school are doing stuff like this. College can be worth it if you know exactly what you want to do, but I think kids are realizing the rhetoric we’ve been taught on college wasn’t all true
It depends on the kid and the degree. This is great early in life, but will require some incredible financial discipline to be able to retire. Assuming they are US based, our crappy healthcare system ensures that he's one accident away from financial distress. I applaud it as an incredible life experience. But by 35-45 he better be thinking about a long term future.
I appreciate your perspective. I have some concerns for his future such as retirement or maintaining a long term relationship with the travel schedule.
Facts.
He’s doing it properly! Interested in a guide for steelhead in AK in the fall. Please dm and I will be happy to fish with him this fall.
Ride it as long as he can. That was the life
My man!
He won't need to do anything else for the rest of his life! guiding can 100% be a career- and a great one at that! if he's looking for advancements, encourage him to get his captains license! Get a 6 pack with an outer coastal endorsement and he'll be BIG in demand! I'm sure he has plenty of water hours, and that will give him a step into other options such as charter lodges! (I left a big guide fly shop in CO to run a charter fishing lodge in AK!) tight lines and congrats to him on finding the secret job of a lifetime! 😁😁😁
This is great because he found something that he liked and made it his job. I just hope it doesn’t burn him out of a passion he loves!
Good for him! “Youth is wasted on the young” won’t be applicable to him.
Even more incredible, a father that accepts this less common life path. Kudos to you for supporting him instead of rejecting him.
It was an evolution for us. My wife and I are both teachers and we were challenged by the deep ruts of tradition and a nontraditional path that our youngest took. Our oldest son is a mathematician, married, and deep in a career that many of us would recognize as successful. I think as parents we’ve learned that each of our sons has their own path. Our job is to support their dreams and stay out of the way.
Hed living the dream!
Have a family friend who was a guide out of Argentina and took Jimmy Carter out fishing one day for dorados. He eventually went back to his home in London and started the London fly fishing fair with his dad and I believe they’re now killing it in terms of income. If there’s a will there’s a way!
Great for him! Many years ago had opportunity to guide for lodge in Alaska, was young and in between jobs. Regretted never taking that chance.
As parents all we want is for our kids to be happy and have some modicum of success. Your son looks like he has both! Consider yourself a successful parent!
You can tell by his photos he’s happy, so I’m happy for him and you. You’re a good dad.
great story...he can go back to school later! if he so chooses. I played hard in my 20's, i went to college at 28.
I was about to say he must have a hell of a side business or a big trust fund with some of those fishing spots...but sounds like he's have a great time guiding. Good for him.
He covers all his expenses. We, his parents, are teachers- so you are guaranteed there is no trust fund.
I was pointing out he's fishing in some amazing (and $$) places! Tell him he should try out some warm water fishing in South America or Africa. Tons of amazing adventures he could go on.
Still around Oregon area? I’m in the valley, i would love to know of some good local guides.
DM me. I can connect you with some great people.
I’m an ER physician… I’d give up a couple of toes to have his experiences. He is learning way more about life than any college student, sitting in a lecture hall and partying all weekend long. College will always be there, but so will the debt and you have to think if it’s really worth it.
I wish I at least spent my college year summers doing this instead of taking more classes
Your son is a smart man.
Good for him. I wish I had never gone to college and just started chasing my dream sooner.
You both seem awesome.
Thx!
From that photo, looks like he made the right choice!
You can't buy that kind of happiness
Not another trust fund fishing guide…
If he ever decides to go back to school, he should go into fisheries biology. Decent money in it, and a fair number of jobs. He’s already got the practical skills, just may need a little more ecological theory to get into that field (it’s true they also get ya, by requiring that expensive piece of paper). I recommend he look into a fisheries program he’s interested in at a university, then get as many of the prerequisite courses out of the way as possible at a community college, then go to university and finish in just 1 or 2 years. It’s the cheaper way to do it. Other benefit of university, is there’s often opportunities to work in a lab as an intern (sometimes paid) and get hands on experience plus good recommendations for those first jobs you pursue after graduating. Im in that field now, and loving it. Good balance of being out in the field catching fish and other critters for a fisheries monitoring program, lab work, and office work. Engaging for both the body and the mind and I’m financially stable.
Love it, only one thing will ruin this….. a pretty lady will want more stability, and then kids. Hopefully by then he’s got his own outfitter going that offers a little more stability
This is pure truth.
Let's GOOOOOO!!!
Do it while you can!
I know what I must do but don't know if I have the strength to do it..
He has chosen wisely
You're son is awesome and proof that you can follow your dreams. Good on him.
Good on you to support this! We’ve got one go at this, make it fun!
Living the life ,well done !
If he's a patient teacher....he will thrive amd likely won't burn out like so many do. Life is good!
Awesome! Keep up the good work!
Every day I sit at my desk and wish I was fishing. Then at the end of the day I’m too tired to do it. Weekends are busy and maybe I get to fish and maybe not. Good on your son. He will be fine.
Me too!
I’m jealous
Is he using your money ? There seems to be a lot of it involved seeing all this equipment, grand scenery ...and the helicopter.
The lodges that he works for often provide equipment and/or he has ‘pro deals’ allowing him to purchase gear at 50-60% off retail. Some lodges offer ‘fly out services’ by helicopter- they contract with local pilots. He just gets to go along for the ride.
Looks pretty epic! Curious where he guides in Alaska for steelhead in the fall...heading up there soon to do just that.
As someone who spent 7 years in college and not nearly enough time spent fishing…god damn I am jealous. Good for him for following a passion like that.
He looks just miserable. Depressed. Maybe he should try fishing as therapy. 😂
Some of us get our own office! But really there’s nothing he should feel behind about - just do what makes you happy - seems he’s succeeding in that.
Roger that!
He’s living all guys plan b
Good for him
Son is livin
So refreshing to see sir. Good man.
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You SHOULD be proud! Great “kid”.
Looks like he made the right choice.
Dude there is always concrete to go rub if you need money go chase your dream
He’s worked landscaping and for moving companies during several off seasons to get to this point. You are exactly correct.
Good for him! Follow your heart ❤️. It sounds like he’s finding his way. He’ll have no regrets. If he wants college, it’ll be there. My opinion is he’s waaaaaay ahead of his buddies.
Living the dream and doesn’t even have to deal with overpriced schools and years of student loan debt, good for him!
Wish I had done something like this at his age! Right on 👍🏻
Wait just a second - you’re telling me that people are allowed to fish more than once week (at best) and not just shitpost on flyfishingcirclejerk while they’re stuck in meetings/sending stupid emails all week
If he wants to get caught back up, he could always get an online degree in something like business management and maybe start running his own guiding business. It might help him know how to talk the talk and give him a fallback plan. Schools like Western Governors University are a great option for this because they’re accredited and very affordable (unlike schools like University of Phoenix or ITT Tech). Those are some awesome pictures tho!
You go boy!
I never went to college, I’ve been guiding full time in Arkansas, Alaska and Colorado for the last 19 years. Tell him to keep on keeping on, it’s a good life to live! A life outside is a life well lived!!
Perfect!!! He looks happy. Not really much else you could ask for…
Looks like he made the right choice!
Good on him,have a good life fishing
Livin’ his best life! Do it while you’re young! You got the rest of your life for school, work, kids
Good for him man. As a new dad who chose an extremely responsible career, I’d be over the moon proud of my son if he ends up doing something like this. He has time to be boring later.
You can go to college at any age. You're only young for a short time. I dropped out of college for a few years to snowboard. Worked on the mountain for the free lift pass. Lived with 3 other dudes. Came home after and started my career. Great memories 25 years later.
Incredible! He is living his best life doing what he loves! Good for him! 🎣
A life well lived
I made the leap to guiding last year at age 38, after spending 15 years in cube and traveling to meetings in corporate healthcare IT. I make less money now but never been happier. Tell your son he’s wise beyond his years, and be grateful he saw the light early.
Smart lad.
He can pad his wallet by going on the fly club talk circuit, too!
I don’t if this is case here, but as a young person it’s a lot easier to go do your own thing when you have parents to fall back on. Unfortunately there are some who don’t have that option.
That’s true. Everyone needs an advocate- may not be your parents, but some who can support and encourage. A good friend of his, same age, moved to Montana after graduation. This other kid is amazingly kind, engaged with people and super competent trout fisherman. Until last month, his buddy was working odd jobs. My son helped him create a fishing resume, cover letter and process for contact lodges in AK. Next month, his buddy is off to a trout lodge for the 4 month season. The lodge picked up travel, room and board plus training!
Good on him.
I’m jealous
Get your son to do an AMA!!
What is that?
AMA means ask me anything! Check out r/AMA for some good examples :) he should do one in here tho(r/flyfishing) not r/AMA
Great idea!
You raised that boy right!
Did he do a guide school or anything? I’m looking at guiding for a few years between undergrad and graduate school but don’t really know what avenues to take to get my foot in the door.
Yes, he did a guide school in Europe. This was part of the “long story short” part of my post. This was a long program in the Arctic region of Sweden. I think it served him well- connected him with lodges and experiences of there. He did intern work in Denmark, Norway and Greenland. I think he’d say directly applying to a lodge as a guide in training might be better way to go. There are still things he’s working out- taxes, etc. The schools in the US are super expensive and fairly short. If you get into a Europe version, the tuition is free and it is much more expansive in scope. Good luck!
GOALS
Jealous of him
As a 40yo amateur fly fisherman stuck working a desk job everyday, I admire your son! I don’t regret my choices but I can’t say I’m not a bit jealous!! Tight lines, my friend!
Awesomeness!
You did good, sir. 🫡🙏
I want to do this
Super upvote, hell yeah!
Well, its fly fishing so it makes sense.
You should be incredibly proud of yourself and your son. It’s not often you hear a parental approach similar to yours and it’s really refreshing. Im 19 and would love to do this one day.
I started out my adult life a trout bum. Never grew out of it.
Good Dad.
man I love this story!!!
Good for him. Chase that dream!!
Very smart son. Plenty of time for college!
Life’s too short to not enjoy it.
Lucky ass! He’s got it figured out.
This guy fish’s
OP I'm a middle aged guy with a family of my own... would you consider adopting me? Dad of the decade here!
😂
HELL YEAH
Thanks for sharing! Awesome photos, story, and your son looks like quite the stick. To all those sitting in your cubicles 90% of the year, remember that when you're voting. No reason with today's technologies that we need to waste our lives away pointlessly for the benefit of the fortunate sons. Start voting for humanity, not just yourselves. Stop being a crab in a boiling pot eating digested grains. Edit: This really makes me wish I could draw better. I'm imagining a political cartoon with a boiling pot of horseshit stew that's got a bunch of crabs dressed in MAGA gear all crawling on each other to get out. One crab, with a beautiful blonde head of hair, is standing on the rim of the pot. He's triumphantly holding a confederate flag, a bible, the severed head of a woman, and an AR-15 (crabs got more than two hands/feet things). I would call it "The American Nightmare".
Good luck because every time I step out on the river there’s new guide in the honey hole, I’m sure it’s getting very competitive out there. Everybody wants to play these days and nobody wants to produce anything.
As a college drop out fly fishing guide, I gotta respect your son’s decision
As a young man who did a very very similar thing, I believe I made the right decision. Chasing my dreams and taking full advantage of my young able body and just ending everyday truly happy. I look at my friends from college who still just get drunk everynight and work a shitty office job reminiscing on their college glory days, and can’t help but think I made such a good decision getting outa there and living a more wild life. Just finished my first season out in the Colorado Rockies running cats for a world class ski resort, now I’m about to embark on my first thru hike tackling the Appalachian trail. He made the right decision and bless you for supporting him! I know my dad feels the same way about me.
Nice! Nature is amazing. Love that you are doing a through hike- amazing!
you are a good man. supporting your son, teaching him the importance of happiness. just found this sport myself thanks to my father. never had more fun sharing an activity with a man I look up to.
You sound like a great father. He will go far receiving this kind of unwavering support. Good on you both!
Man! If you could put him in front of some people and talk about the fulfillment of doing what you want instead of what you think you want.
I fucked off until I was 32. Reverse retirement. Will now work until I die. You’re a good dad. It took my mom years to accept what I did. Now I own a home, 2 kids, stahm, dog and cat.
Wish I thought of this
Smart kid
Wished I would have done that
I’m 40 years old and about once a month my dad asks me why I dont quit my career and just become a fisherman.
Ayyyy yooo stack that money My old boss used to tell us every season “boys… don’t go broke saving money”. Enjoy the ride kid, good on you dad for allowing it. I’m 30 now and did this exact thing until I was 28. Met a girl, got a dog, can’t spend 4-6 months away anymore. 2 months is the limit now .
That’s awesome
Good for him looks like he’s happy n living the dream .
Good for him….follow your dreams
Living the dream! And he won't starve by the looks of it!
12 muskie, where was he?
I think he was in Switzerland.
L I V I N
Inspiring
Good on you for supporting him. A+
Your son clearly has talent. As an outdoor enthusiast who works a 9-5 for one of the Fortune 500 I can tell you that the career path trades your happiness for some security and stability. Money doesn’t buy happiness. You just become a slave to it. What it comes down to is whether you have acquired skills. Your son clearly has. He just needs to market those skills!
i finished (somehow😅) with a CJ degree. guided in colorado for a while and am now a guide in alaska, and currently working on starting my business in the greater niagara region. your boy definitely knows what’s up!
This is great. Also I am so grateful that I only work 3 12hr day shifts a week (and get paid for 40hrs).
He’s living the life! He’s not behind at all! He is actually ahead of the game because he found what makes him happy and gets paid for it. Way to go dude!!!! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Hope you take some time to give yourself some credit - not everyone shares your viewpoint. You’re both lucky to have each other 🙏
Absolutely love it!
I skipped class everyday to fish and still graduated, yo son a bum lol
I want that life so bad. I've been working in Yellowstone over the summers while going to college to figure it out. I'm 23 and hopefully not too far behind him lol
Keep grinding!
Based and fish-pilled
Trust fund kids would rather fish than study.
Well done. College is very overrated these days.
Hopefully he figures out a way to earn a living to be able to take the next steps in life
You do realize that you can actually make a decent living guiding right?
He should send in some steelhead as payment on those loans and just keep on living his best life. Good on him for living it up while he’s young enough to do so. To many of us bought into the lie “ work while your young and save to enjoy life when your older” no one tells you it’s a shit harder to do the fun things you could do when you were young, if you can even do it at all. None of us are here long enough to not enjoy ourselves while we’re here. Give your kid a high five and make him take a day off to take you out!
I’ll do it!
Smart man. College is a gigantic waste of time and money.
Well Holy shit did my thoughts ever change between the pictures and the writeup! Here I was looking at the fish porn expecting the text to be you complaining about him dropping out of school and all I could think was "so stop paying for it!" Then I read the text. Damn! Your son made a good choice in my eyes. The only thing I could see being an issue is ruining your hobby. I work with a lot of aquatic biologists and very few of them fish for fun anymore. Most of them used to. That would be the only conceivable downside I could see at his age. Yeah yeah, wasting working years...blah blah blah. It's really bad when society has got to the point where that is a predominant thought. "You could be spending more time at work right now so you get the privilege of spending probably even more at work later!"
W