Owner/operator of Eastern Sierra Guide Service
Years Guiding: 29
CA Guide License #2002
Pat Jaeger is one of the preeminent guides in the Eastern Sierra. Guiding since 1995 in California, Oregon, and Nevada, Pat has fished waters from the Rogue River in southern Oregon to the ’trout triangle’ in northern California, to Crowley Lake and Bridgeport Reservoir in the Mammoth area. He now specializes in the rivers and streams of the Eastern Sierra.
Pat prides himself on guiding differently than any other guide. He’s developed his own techniques – things you can’t learn on YouTube – and shows his clients that there’s more than one way to skin the cat. His overall goal is to make fly fishing easy.
CAFF: How and why did you decide to become a guide?
PJ: Why? Earning a living in a resort town was difficult but doable for the ambitious. I worked for Mammoth Mountain ski area as a ski repairman (for 20-plus years) and did construction work and various other jobs in the summers. Organically, I felt the need to settle in and find a career in the mountains with three primary goals: to live in a place we love, to put food on the table, and to go to work HAPPY.
As for how, somehow, the stars lined up, and I was invited to do my internship at the Clearwater House on Hat Creek. I was able to shadow some of the best guides in the country, fishing the spring creeks, freestones, and tailwaters of Northern California. Later, I was invited to work for a local fly shop in Mammoth Lakes, CA, and while working under the wings of the guides from Eastside Guide Service, I became a guide and partner/owner of the “Trout Fly” fly shop. I couldn’t have done any of it without really good people surrounding me…It was a dream come true.
CAFF: How do you balance guiding with family/personal life?
PJ: Frankly, it’s a feast-or-famine lifestyle where it is essential that both husband and wife be committed to the way of life. I was very lucky as a year-round guide to have water within striking distance from home allowing me to come home every night. And when I did out-of-town or out-ofstate guiding, my family came with me. Without continuity between partners, the odds are bleak.
CAFF: Are there specific conservation concerns in your area that you wish to draw attention to?
PJ: Yes. Conservation is the prevention of the wasteful use of a resource. I believe that the posting of fishing spots and f ish holding on social media shows no respect for our resources. It comes down to advertising and bragging as if it were a hamburger or a cup of coffee.
CAFF: What changes, for better or worse, have you noticed since you started guiding?
PJ: The amount of fishing pressure and the speed of letting “the cat out of the bag” (social media). I believe that Jesus doesn’t count lying about fishing as a lie—for he was a fisherman, too.
CAFF: What is your most memorable catch and why?
PJ: I would say that it was my days of trying to unlock the mysteries of steelhead on the rivers of Southern Oregon. They were fish that simply brought me tears of bliss and God was my only witness…and that’s ok.
CAFF: Describe your ideal client.
PJ: The one who appreciates the area, the fish, and a day off. What is your favorite trick or tip you like to teach people? Before I guide a group, I ask them, “What are your visions and goals for the day?” Then, I do my utmost to find a scenario that matches their realistic dreams, and I give them a menu of fishing spots I would recommend.
CAFF: What’s the #1 thing you wish every client knew or would do?
PJ: Simply, to live in the moment.
CAFF: One piece of gear/equipment you can’t live without?
PJ: Forceps
CAFF: Favorite gear under $100?
PJ: Riverstick wading staff
Julia! Great interview. Thank you!