Becoming an Angling Guide in BC

Clint GoyetteUncategorized8 Comments

To become a Licenced Angling Guide in BC you must:
1. Write and Pass an exam to prove your knowledge of the regulations in the region(s) you plan to guide
2. Write an Angling Guide Operating Plan (AGOP) 3. Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada (landed immigrant) and is 19 years of age or older (or has attached an exemption under Section 100 of the Wildlife Act). The applicant further certifies that he or she holds and will maintain a minimum of $500,000 public liability insurance applicable to his or her angling guide business and effective for the period during which s/he operates.

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/pasb/applications.html

Finish All of the above and you have earned your LICENCED ANGLING GUIDE status from the BC Government

This allows you to: Guide on the rivers/lakes you have listed in your AGOP, and hire Assistant Guides*

Assistant Guides often refer to themselves as Guides in BC. They are “Assistant Guides” and are hired by Licenced Angling Guides by simply dubbing them an Assistant Guide and paying a fee. They need absolutely no training whatsoever nor do they write a test for knowledge of regulations.

In addition, Effective April 2007, Transport Canada requires that to run a commercial vessel, in this case, a Jet Sled or Jet Boat, or any motorized vessel on fresh or salt water you will require a C-Licence for your vessel.

To pilot the vessel you will require additional Training including:

1. MED-A3 – Marine Emergency Duties
2. SVOP – Small Vessel Operator Proficiency Licence by April 2007.

Read More Here http://www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/TP/Tp14070/menu.htm

Neither Provincial nor the Federal Government requires that your guide:

A) Hold a valid First Aid Certificate of any sort – not even a basic first aid course
B) Hold a valid Swiftwater Rescue Certificate
C) Hold a valid CPR certificate
D) Hold a Class 4 Driver’s licence (Commercial drivers such as taxi drivers and limo drivers require this – how does a guide transporting fishermen differ?)
E) Have any whitewater / swiftwater training to run the vessel in class III and Class IV rapids

Training is entirely up to you as an individual guide. A great outline for this is available here:

http://www.emerit.ca/eng/page.aspx?_id=freshwater_angling_guide.htm

8 Comments on “Becoming an Angling Guide in BC”

  1. Good Blog lots of the info im looking for ,Im writing the exam this week,looking for guiding oppertunites around BC,any suggestions for potential employers ,Paul Golden BC

  2. Good Blog lots of helpful info and links,im writing the angling guides exam this week.Looking for guiding work for the upcoming season.Any suggestions?thanxs
    Paul Smith
    Golden BC

  3. Hey Clint great bit of information here. I’ve been fishing from a very early age and I’m pusuing a career as a professional fishing guide, this information has pionted me in the correct direction and wish you the best.

    Tight Lines, James H. McGillivary

  4. Do keep in mind that if your guide has either SVOP or MED A3 certification a current OFA Level 1 (minimum) must be held in order to have the SVOP or MED A3 be valid.

    OFA courses are different than basic FA – hence the "Occupational" designation – CPR is covered.

  5. Anyone can become a fishing professional when they put the time and effort into this as a profession and not as a hobby, the professionals learn all they can, test all the equipment they can and they also have sponsors.This is a great lens will credit this and save.

  6. Don’t forget …. there is a lot of competition out there and one may find themselves being .. er… ” challenged” by fellow guides.

    I think a course in professional fishing ethics would be a good addition to the requirements.

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