.png?width=300&height=100&name=Copy%20of%20Rise%20Beyond%20Logo%2012.31.24%20(300%20x%20100%20px).png "Rise Beyond Fly Fishing Co. logo featuring a cowboy riding a large trout, holding a fishing rod in one hand and a camera in the other, with stylized text in a rugged, outdoor-themed font")
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Let’s get this out of the way: hiring a Colorado fly fishing guide isn’t cheap.
But it’s not supposed to be.
It’s not a theme park ticket. It’s not a charter boat handing you a bait stick and doing the work for you. It’s a local, one who’s earned their time on this water, lending you their eyes, their knots, and their mental map of a river they know better than some folks know their own neighborhoods.
This isn’t a sales pitch. It’s just what you’re actually buying.
Listen to the Podcast
You’re Buying Time, Theirs, and Yours
Every trip starts long before the first cast. They’re up in the dark, coffee in hand, checking gauges and wind speeds. They’re loading gear, calling shuttle drivers, tying backups, and remembering your kid’s shoe size from the booking form.
They’re burning a day off to make sure you don’t have to.
And on the back end? They’re cleaning mud-crusted boots and line-burned fingers long after you’re two beers deep back at the lodge.
You’re Paying for the Right to Be There
Photo Credit: @RigsFlyShop - Book Chris from Rigs Here
Permits, insurance, outfitter registration, land-use fees. Colorado makes it hard (and expensive) to guide legally, and that’s a good thing.
Because you want someone legit. Someone who can take you onto public water without risking a fine, or onto private land because they’ve earned the landowner’s trust.
And those relationships, that access? You’re not just paying for the water. You’re paying for the guide’s place on it.
You’re Renting a Fly Shop on Their Back
Good guides don’t just show up with a rod and a sandwich.
They bring:
- Rods matched to the water, not the shelf
- Waders that fit and don’t leak (usually)
- Fly boxes tied with the last two weeks in mind, not last year’s YouTube video
- Net, tools, line, floatant, backup sunglasses, snacks, and probably duct tape
You don’t have to bring anything but a license and a good attitude. They’ll handle the rest.
Photo Credit: @CWSFF- Book Chris from Rigs Here
You’re Paying for Judgment, Not Just Instruction
Anyone can teach you to mend.
What you’re really buying is the moment they say, “We’re gonna move upstream. Trust me.” And they’re right. Because they’ve watched that seam through wind, runoff, heatwaves, and guides who swore it was dead water.
It’s the quiet confidence to call an audible. The local instinct. The part that can’t be Googled.
What’s Included, and What Isn’t
Usually Included:
- Rods, reels, flies, terminal tackle
- Waders, boots (if needed)
- Shuttle (on floats)
- Drinks, snacks, maybe lunch
Not Included:
- Your Colorado fishing license (buy one online before the trip)
- A tip, 15–20% is standard if the guide shows up and puts in the work
- Private water access fees (if applicable, ask ahead)
Some shops throw in everything. Others nickel-and-dime. Ask what’s covered.
Photo Credit: @RigsFlyShop - Book Trey from Rigs Here
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So Is It Worth It?
Only you know what your time’s worth. But most anglers we know would rather spend one dialed-in day with a solid guide than three drifting solo through the wrong water at the wrong time.
The fish matter. But the experience matters more. And the right guide makes sure you actually get both.
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