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Why no "Ghillie Service" for course fishing?

Carl Massey

Carl Massey

New Member
Good Evening,
Having moved down south now near to Southampton then I'm looking to fish the local rivers like the Itchen and Hampshire Avon. With time limited I want to make the most of trips so I'm wondering why in the course fishing world there is no real ghillie service. I'm thinking of why we don't have the experienced to help the newcomer on a new location to advise on where is good (and perhaps more importantly where to avoid) in a professional capacity.
Just a thought but was wondering what people felt on the subject.
Regards,
Carl.
 
As close to it as I'm aware of are anglers offering a guiding service (mostly barbel types) or one on one tuition (well known matchmen, mostly on commie stillwaters). I can't say that I'm keen on the idea of either myself.

Very occasionally, I'll take people (that ask nicely) out on my local rivers to show them how I fish for grayling, or the basics of how to Wallis cast. I'm not sure that I'd want to do it on a professional basis. I enjoy doing whatever I want, when I want to, far too much. I suspect that fishing may end up being a chore if it was a job. I also have many doubts about how you much you could realistically charge for it to be worthwhile.

Ultimately, coarse anglers generally aren't quite as well heeled as those that might regularly employ the services of a ghillie on a salmon/sea trout/trout river.
 
Give Davis Tackle a ring in Christchurch

01202 485169​

Chris Holley used to do guiding sessions on the Hampshire Avon/Stour and is contactable through them. If he is no longer doing it I'm sure they will be able to put you onto someone.
 
I regularly pay serious money for guides when fishing abroad. It is a real shortcut to actually catching something. Just for reference a good guide in the Florida Keys is now 850 dollars a day (2 anglers) and expects a 150 dollar tip…..and they are booked up a year in advance.

As has been pointed out most U.K. coarse anglers are cheapskates and think that a fishery charging 20 quid a day is a ‘rip off’. I run a fishery and have thought of offering ‘guided’ days as most of my visitors are incompetent. But the majority would baulk at me charging them a sensible cost for a day/hour etc.
 
With the association of class structure in angling you get your answer I would say. Coarse fishing roots are not the same as Game fishing where guides and ghilles are more common. That’s pretty much all there is to it. It’s a cultural perhaps historical thing.
 
Many thanks for the updates here and the contact at Christchurch. Please note I'm certainly not of the well heeled game fishing fraternity, but someone of very modest backgrounds wondering if such a thing exists in our course fishing world. I've spent many hours in the past doing the leg work on other waters to find out the best places, and worst, so it was a thought in my head I just just needed to voice.
Being in my mid fifties now and with one eye on future days with more time free for the river bank I was just looking for a leg up now in the Hampshire area on the rivers mentioned.
Cheers and tight lines.
 
Coarse fishing guides exist , quick Google will find you a guide . Look in Barbel Directory on BFW there is a guide[Shaun Nurse] advertising his services on several rivers
 
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Never really understood the need for a guide, the sheer unknown and adventure in fishing new rivers is for me the buzz is sorting it out, to have a guide alongside is not for me.

Carl I used to live in Southampton, and there is so much to go for, the Avon ,Test, Itchen, Stour and much more. Throw in the sea fishing, well you are one lucky chap.

Unfortunately I never fished it enough back then, job, and family were all consuming, but If I ever went back I would head straight for the Itchen at Eastleigh, Fair Oak to be exact where I had In Laws, and free fishing too, winter is best for Grayling Chub, or if you are flush the Royalty Christchurch, and if you are flusher more so , the Punt hire in XChurch Pool.

If you really need a guide I will do it for nowt.:cool:
 
I'll offer guidance, FOC... on the various spellings of 'coarse' fishing. And whereas an actual fishing guide may take you on a certain course for your coarse fishing, a corse* fishing guide would be no use to anyone (except as a possible source of maggots). 😁

* Defn. corpse or dead body.
.
 
Always intrigued as to the differing descriptions of the service offered. 'Ghillie' or 'guide'. Personally, not for me, unless you're fishing somewhere abroad and need the use of a boat and tackle. On the waters in this country, if it's personal instruction on a particular technique, fair enough. However, it seems to me, that it's used all to often to circumvent one of the reasons of going in the first place. To hone your water craft and discover your own spots on your own merit.
 
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