Axel Gonzalez is going to be an outstanding guide. My buddy Hilian was mentoring Axel during our trip to Belize. Axel has all the tools to be a great guide. The most important skills are "people skills." Dealing with all sorts of fly fishers is a tough job. From newbies to seasoned pros, you have to be able to read your guests and give them the best day possible on the water!
Having Axel on the boat each day was great. To watch both guides work together was quite impressive. Having excellent communication skills is also so important. Clear concise instructions, not over reacting, showing guests what to do and having a pleasing manner in the boat are so important.
Axel can see fish and his quiet manner lowers the stress when the big moment comes. Hilian is a seasoned pro. He knows how important it is to give his guests the best day possible on the water. He is passing on his personal experiences to Axel on the water.
Training other guides is important for so many reason. Axel is not Hilian's rival once he gets his own boat on the flats. He will be another passionate guide. Most guides in the San Pedro area know each other. Most respect giving their fellow guides space (not all do). My buddy Hilian has always done this even if other guides do not! Respect is important out on the water!
I have been a guide for many years. It does not take long for either Karen or I to see if a guide has the people skills and the technical skills to be good at what they do. Axel has all of these qualities. I hope the next time we get to Belize next year, he will be part of the guiding team taking our gang out on the water!
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