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There are similarities between being an actual guide and just taking someone fishing, but the big difference is that when it's informal, no money changes hands. Most guided trips work out because guides have inherently generous natures (except those who have done it for too long and are nearing burn-out). Although most clients understand that fishing is unpredictable, the only thing the guide really controls is what's for lunch. Still, the blunt fact that one person is paying and the other is being paid can take on a peculiar and not altogether pleasant life of its own. In the best circumstances, it's all but unnoticeable, but at other times it becomes the central characteristic of the relationship and most of us, given the choice, would rather be a helpful friend than an employee. Read more – offline – from the current issue; subscribe to FRR.