dcabarle
Administrator
Just wondering, is there a major issue on the Delaware river with unlicensed guides running guide trips? In NJ, all you need to be a guide is say these magic words, "I think I want to be a guide. I am now a guide".
In, NY, this guiding thing must be much larger than I'd thought. They actually have 2 wardens at the take-out, each carrying roughly 36 rounds of gunfire. They must have a very demaning job. I wonder how often they have to use their weapons while checking for licenses. 36 rounds? All I could think of is, "For what? In case the bears get outta hand".
Anyhow, I pulled off the river the other night and these two goons approach me and ask to see my life-jacket and fishing license. No problem. Then my buddies who pulled into the takeout area the same time as me were asked a whole bunch of lame ass questions, "Have you ever been to his house", "Does he have a dog", "What's his mom's name", Does he wear tity whities, How large is his penis, "what town does he live in", etc.... I can understand if there is a major issue with people guiding illegally but these guys were over the top with their interrogations. One of these squirrel chasers took my one friend aside to play 20 questions with him while the other squirrel chaser questioned my other friend right in front of me. Not thinking, I went to answer one of the questions (he didn't address my friend and we were both within 8 feet of each other with this goon standing in the center of us. This asshole turns to me and says, "Nobody is talking to you, keep out of this, it's none of your business, this is a matter between your friend and I." Wow! I didn't think there was a matter, my two friends weren't doing anything wrong. This guy asked questions like, "Why do you drive 3 hrs to fish up here, it's a bit out of your way, isn't it?" I mean the most lame ass questions that were really none of his f'ng business to begin with. Then slips in, "You know, I can tow and impound your car and boat". WTF.
If there are a few guides out there trying to beat the system, I can certainly understand but these goons have to understand that people just meet people over the internet or through fly shops and not everyone is trying to beat the system. These two goons were extremely unprofessional.
Just to give you an example how you might be considered an illegal guide... You have a drift boat, you meet someone over the internet or in a fly fishing store before your float, and offer to float down the river with them. You don't know if they own a dog, you don't know where they live, You don't really know much about them at all. So now you're floating down the river with your new friend and here comes Jim Bob the park ranger who just had a busy day pulling weeds but needs one more hot item before going home to his gay porn collection so he pulls you over and asks if your buddy has a dog, what's his wifes name (Yes, he asked if both my friends were married), and you cannot answer these simple question, you just might be spending the night in jail and paying for towing to the nearest impound yard to get your car and boat back.
You would think that if you're not doing anything wrong that you have nothing to worry about... Well, YOU DO. If you go fishing on a boat with two of your friends but don't know them as well as the Rangers think you should know them, you just me be subject to a bullshit interrogation directed by some asshole rangers who have absolutely NOTHING better to do with their time.
The one guy who checked my fishing license asked to see my drivers license too. He held them up to his spot light and inspected them for 2 full minutes. What the fuck was this nerd looking for?
We were all treated like terrorists by these scumbags.
Anyhow, aside the wind, the fishing was great!
In the photograph: Actual picture of the back of Ranger #1 taken on a previous date and Ranger Smith (Yogi Bear)
In, NY, this guiding thing must be much larger than I'd thought. They actually have 2 wardens at the take-out, each carrying roughly 36 rounds of gunfire. They must have a very demaning job. I wonder how often they have to use their weapons while checking for licenses. 36 rounds? All I could think of is, "For what? In case the bears get outta hand".
Anyhow, I pulled off the river the other night and these two goons approach me and ask to see my life-jacket and fishing license. No problem. Then my buddies who pulled into the takeout area the same time as me were asked a whole bunch of lame ass questions, "Have you ever been to his house", "Does he have a dog", "What's his mom's name", Does he wear tity whities, How large is his penis, "what town does he live in", etc.... I can understand if there is a major issue with people guiding illegally but these guys were over the top with their interrogations. One of these squirrel chasers took my one friend aside to play 20 questions with him while the other squirrel chaser questioned my other friend right in front of me. Not thinking, I went to answer one of the questions (he didn't address my friend and we were both within 8 feet of each other with this goon standing in the center of us. This asshole turns to me and says, "Nobody is talking to you, keep out of this, it's none of your business, this is a matter between your friend and I." Wow! I didn't think there was a matter, my two friends weren't doing anything wrong. This guy asked questions like, "Why do you drive 3 hrs to fish up here, it's a bit out of your way, isn't it?" I mean the most lame ass questions that were really none of his f'ng business to begin with. Then slips in, "You know, I can tow and impound your car and boat". WTF.
If there are a few guides out there trying to beat the system, I can certainly understand but these goons have to understand that people just meet people over the internet or through fly shops and not everyone is trying to beat the system. These two goons were extremely unprofessional.
Just to give you an example how you might be considered an illegal guide... You have a drift boat, you meet someone over the internet or in a fly fishing store before your float, and offer to float down the river with them. You don't know if they own a dog, you don't know where they live, You don't really know much about them at all. So now you're floating down the river with your new friend and here comes Jim Bob the park ranger who just had a busy day pulling weeds but needs one more hot item before going home to his gay porn collection so he pulls you over and asks if your buddy has a dog, what's his wifes name (Yes, he asked if both my friends were married), and you cannot answer these simple question, you just might be spending the night in jail and paying for towing to the nearest impound yard to get your car and boat back.
You would think that if you're not doing anything wrong that you have nothing to worry about... Well, YOU DO. If you go fishing on a boat with two of your friends but don't know them as well as the Rangers think you should know them, you just me be subject to a bullshit interrogation directed by some asshole rangers who have absolutely NOTHING better to do with their time.
The one guy who checked my fishing license asked to see my drivers license too. He held them up to his spot light and inspected them for 2 full minutes. What the fuck was this nerd looking for?
We were all treated like terrorists by these scumbags.
Anyhow, aside the wind, the fishing was great!
In the photograph: Actual picture of the back of Ranger #1 taken on a previous date and Ranger Smith (Yogi Bear)
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Many faces still to meet for me. He probably should have removed the sign from his drift boat saying "You pay for gas to get us there, I'll row". I suppose, to some, that constitutes guiding.
