The Coronavirus Sickens the 2020 Outfitting Industry: Guiding Through Uncertainty

2020 will be a tough year for guides and outfitters due to impacts from Coronavirus, what can you do to stay afloat?

It has been said, “you can’t swing a dead cat in a Missoula bar without hitting a fishing guide.” Well, right now you could, as the bars are closed and all the guides that I know are out fun fishing, the spring trips that they rely upon to jumpstart their bank accounts before the summer rush, canceled. No matter the business, uncertainty runs amok, but the hospitality industry, including guides/outfitters, is going to be especially hard hit in 2020 by the time the Coronavirus runs the global course. June-October is the peak of guide season here in the Rockies, still a few months away, but the majority of clientele come from hard hit urban areas in California, Washington state, the Upper Midwest, and the East Coast. While in the midst of a community lockdown, casting dry flies on the Blackfoot seems a little trivial. This situation is like nothing the guiding/outfitting industry has ever seen, a three-fold gut-punch. Guests have to consider their individual health, diminished disposable income, and travel restrictions, which may legally bind them to staying put.

I feel for the guides in destinations like Belize, Christmas Island and the Bahamas (the latter taking the brunt of a double-whammy, Hurricane Dorian, now Coronavirus). March/April is peak season for saltwater flats fishing and lodges throughout the atolls sit vacant. I’m sure many veteran guides around the world are going to throw in the towel after this, and pursue other means of providing for their families.

For Rocky Mountain guides/outfitters, there could be a silver lining in all of this. Once the microscopic, viral dust settles, this could translate to a late surge in domestic fishing vacations? Once the country receives a reasonable bill of health, a bout of cabin fever may entice the same anglers that had to bag their long anticipated permit trip to opt for something closer to home? Out West, this could be the year for foot traffic and last-minute bookings?

Devoting so much time to work when life reminds us of its fragility tends to tweak the mindset towards spending more time at leisure. We see a surge in activities like golf and fly fishing. Guides and outfitters can take advantage of these highly unusual circumstances through progressive thinking. Anglers flock to Western Montana for the embarrassment of riches in terms of float fishing for trout. These guide trips generally involve an hour round trip drive and a full day float in a raft or drift boat. Social distancing and ride sharing don’t jive, so, perhaps, offering wade trips where clients drive themselves to the river and provide their own lunch may be a necessary accommodation for this season? Guides who are proactive and willing to introduce their clients to, say, some of the incredible small stream wade fishing opportunities available here, are showcasing their own diversity and gaining client trust and loyalty. Take your guests to a slough and fish for pike, or introduce them to the joys of fly fishing for smallmouth bass?

One thing is certain; we will all remember where we were when the Coronavirus unleashed pandemic pandemonium. Years from now, you and your clients can reflect on the season you explored tributaries and backwaters on foot, while floating the mainstem.