New law increases requirements for fishing guides

[Don Wittenberger]

A law passed by this year's legislature, which takes effect July 24, will require larger decals on fishing guides' boats to make them easier to identify, and fishing guides also will need to have business licenses, current first aid and CPR certifications, and at least $300,000 of commercial liability insurance.

http://methowvalleynews.com/2015/06/26/ ... gislation/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[muskyhunter]

Yeah the state raised that last year..costs an arm and a leg to guide now.Fee went up for the freshwater guide license $150 more..already have insurance. Plus the other stuff costs too. Then throw in a good website..really screws the little guy trying to run a small business. But you get $15 an hour to flip a burger. Thanks to the government stepping in..whew whoo!

Probably post this in the other fishing forum too ya know?

[4n6fisher]

That sounds like stuff guides should have had all along. The $300,000 in liability is not really that much I would think $1,000,000 in liability would be a minimum. I have that for my business and it is just me and my wife, most of my clients require that I have $1Mil in insurance as well even though they will only occasionally stop by and drop off a sample.
Guiding on a river there are a lot of injury risk and good insurance is necessary so you do not loose your whole business to a ridiculous lawsuit, there are too many sue happy people out there and lawyers. Fish hook to someone's eye and the $300,000 in insurance would be far from enough to cover that claim.

The liability is the cheap insurance ($1500/yr.) it is the E and O that is a killer at $6500 per year. So I pay $8k/year just in case...

[muskyhunter]

Hey Fisher,
You're clients require you to have $1 mil in liability insurance..? I get the risk on the river and such. I have even hired guides back home and thats never a question that i have ever asked myself. Like i said i have insurance. I would think though that if the person fishing hooks himself or herself it would be on them. If i hit a tree or something then on me. Just interesting though to me how much money the state tries to snatch away from the guides by increases fees for all the guides.

[hewesbob]

Its been eight years since I sold my fishing resort in Eastern Washington and I had to carry a one million dollar policy back then and after dealing with the public for several years at the resort I was glad I had that much coverage. I had people talk about suing if they were bit by a snake or fell off the dock in the water and were injured, one guy even wanted me to put life jackets on his kids in case they fell out of his boat I would be responsible. I would never deal with the public with out the maximum insurance that I could buy.

[Steelheadin360]

Well we already have stickers on the side of our boats, and the insurance and business licence have been a requirement for years now. Also being CPR and First aid certed. You also need a OUPV from the Coast Guard to guide on federal water so I am curious what is actually changing.

[4n6fisher]

You're clients require you to have $1 mil in liability insurance..?.

Yes that is pretty standard just to cover people being idiots and tripping over themselves and suing you if you have any business where people can walk in. A number of my clients will actually want to see proof as well.

Don't think that just because someone hooks themselves (or another angler) they will not try and sue you. There are too many personal injury lawyers and even if you have nothing to do with it you still have to defend yourself.

Guides should just be glad they have relatively low overhead compared with any other small business that has to rent, pay utilities, etc. And don't talk to me about how much they spend on boats, reels, poles, that is pocket change compared to the cost of my spectrometers and electron microscope.
Like Steelheading360 stated most is already required, or any good professional guide would have all of that covered anyway.
It is not cheap or easy to have a small business, but it is the satisfaction of working for yourself that balances it all out. After all guides get to fish for a living, if was cheap and easy you wouldn't make any money either.