Fellow E-10ers:
Well you know E-10 is getting close when I am now down to just seven days left here in the Bay Area, and that's what today is for me...the One Week Countdown!
On my (short) list of items to chat about today is (a) water flows, (b) cash needs during E-10 and (c) guide tipping.
Regarding water flowage, as our Double Up Outfitter John "The Great But Propaneless" Gould mentioned yesterday in his note to each of us, even though the (non)runoff is a bit strange/non-existent this year, by the powers vested in me by absolutely no one, I can officially pronounce that "we are going to be just fine water-wise for E-10"!! This is no small announcement as, each year, the foibles of Mother Nature reshuffle the deck of fishing cards that we will be dealt and, even with precipitation levels in the 60% of normal category, the unusually cool May weather has blessed us with an abundance of residual water that will flow right through our last E-10 fishing day, the Fourth of July. Bueno, bueno, bueno (and phew, as a warm May would have bred a much different announcement!)!!
As to the other more mundane matters of cash and guide tipping, with the exception of purchasing your fishing license (approx. $40) upon your arrival [which can be done by credit card at the Merc, btw], the only cash outlay that you will have during E-10 are you daily guide tips, recommended @ $50/day/person. Your guides are, literally, going to be your best friend(s) during your stay with us and treating them with personal and financial respect are two of the keynotes that (a) bring our guides to us year after year and (b) make the Extravaganza the truly special Western Montana fishing event that it is.
"Fun in Fishing" is our motto and properly rewarding our guides that make it all possible is one of our endearing trademarks to and for them. I know the economics of guiding and, sufficient to say, guiding is a true labor of love, not a get-rich-quick (or ever) endeavor. That said, your guide will provide you a shore lunch each day and, more often than not, the tip that you bless him with one day will be the cash he uses to procure your lunch for the next.
Thus, best and strongly recommended practice is to tip your guides daily so that (a) they have disposable cash to do their lunch shopping for your next day and (b) being used to this E policy, they are not left wondering at the end of a tipless day if they somehow didn't measure up your standards...each day on the river is a 14 hour day for your guide, and thanking them daily is a great way to pave the way for an even better next one!!
So put a "trio of Grants" ($50.00 bills) on your packing list and that will avoid the otherwise time consuming mad dash to the frustratingly few ATMs that bless the wonderful oasis of Missoula, Montana!
Best to all in anxious anticipation of it all,
Rock Creek Ron
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