Tipping your guide

[Packrat]

The $1000/week x 52 weeks formula just doesn't work. I'd like to hear of a guide that actually fishes all year long. Sure it can be done but not very likely. So in reality that $52,000 annually is probably a smaller number. Guides are not in it to make a lot of money I'll guarantee you that.

Do guides fish for the enjoyment of it? You bet they do, I've seen Frank out on the water plenty of times having a good time

Rich Garbarino

[john]

Tipping for me has always been a highly personal issue. I want to walk away from the dock comfortable/confident, whether I'm back the next day with the same guide, or, I'm flying out and may never see the guide again. I want to feel that I was fair, slightly generous, but w/o going overboard. But fair,generous are at my definition.
I do have a question though. Do you take into account the local economy when tipping? This is primarily directed at international trips. For instance, in Belize the average income is somewhere between $2500 and $4000(US) depending on what chart you look at. Guides at Pescador, on AC, are making/can make $50K(US). Their expenses compared to the US, are in some cases(fuel/oil) much higher. Other expenses, it's less than here. Does/should it matter?