Bill Kiene on Andy Guibord

[JohnS]

I have often seen posts in which Bill highly praises Captain Andy Guibord for his knowledge of the area's rivers. I spent several hours fishing with Andy yesterday. We went hunting stripers.....me for only the second time. So I can attest to Bill's judgement being good or way off..... he is spot on.

First Andy worked on some of the skills I would need to be successful like strip set (which I could never do) and different retrieval methods. Then he put me to work.

I think 15 stripers would be considered successful for a newbie like me. # 13 was a brute who didn't want to play with me. He hunkered down...... he did some very vigorous head shakes........he made two or three runs. After all that, Andy guided me into landing the 24" 6-8 lb (his estimate) striper.

Thank you Andy for teaching me those new skills. I enjoyed myself and had a really great day fishing with you!

[Tony Buzolich]

John,

You got a taste of one of the best fighting fish there is in our local rivers. And , you can't find a better guide than Andy for the American.
Any idea what the temp was for the water? All the news people are talking about being really cold but it seems the stripers are there anyway.
Tony

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Thanks JohnS.



Every time I was lucky to go out with Andy he always gave me some tips to improve my game.


Andy has mentored lots of people to help them have good skills for better fly fishing results.


Andy is modest, but over the past 30 years on the lower American river, he is one of the top fly fishers.


He started out wading for Half-pounder Steelhead and Shad but soon got an 8 foot pram to cover more water.

Andy started catching Stripers from his pram and I told him back then, "I need pictures to promote this fishing."

Soon I had a wonderful photo of him, his pram and a large Striper.

Andy pioneered floating the American river in a boat and fly fishing for Stripers many years ago.


Next level was buying a nice 14' aluminum John boat from a customer with a new Johnson 4 stroke tiller prop outboard.

Soon he added long oars to it and was able to take someone with him. This was a game-changer.


Eventually, he got a 16' aluminum Jon boat with a tiller jet outboard and long drift boat oars.

Andy has been able to float the entire American river fly fishing for Stripers.


Andy has been able to have a network of American river Striper fly fishers over the years.

He can float the river and point out every spot where someone caught a 30-40 pound Striper on a fly.



Around 10 years ago? Andy, Chuck Campana and Joe Shirshac waded below the River Bend Bridge and caught lots of King salmon.



Andy has fished and guided the American for Stripers, Half-pounders and winter run Steelhead.


Now he is a very good two-handed / Spey fly fisher for Stripers, Half-pounders and winter run Steelhead.


The only person I know who fished the American river as much as Andy was old Joe Shirshac.

Andy and Joe fished the river a lot together in Andy's boat for Stripers.






**Seems like the Stripers over 20 pounds are now few and far between.

[Andy Guibord]

Thanks,John, for the kind words. It was a most enjoyable day on the Feather with you. It’s so much fun feeling those stripes bend that rod and you handled every one of them perfectly. Thanks for fishing with me.

[Andy Guibord]

Hi Tony. The temperature was around 60 degrees. Thanks Tony.

[Andy Guibord]

Thanks for the glowing review, Bill. I’ve been blessed with many wonderful memories of fishing with friends on the American. I miss fishing with you and dearly miss the company of Chuck and especially Joe Shirshac. He was my mentor. I have been blessed.