what are your thoughts on a client cancelling a guided trip due to weather?

[wittich]

When I first started taking guided flyfishing trips, the guides were pretty good about postponing trips due to bad weather. If a cold front pushes in and you have a big temperature drop and the wind is blowing 30 MPH, you are not going to find any fish on the flats. I have always allowed the guides to make the call as I have reserved the day, but lately it seems that guides no longer cancel trips due to weather. I got burned in the keys and paid 900 dollars to drive 1/2 mile from a marina and anchor up in a channel and not see anything all day long. When I returned to our hotel a group of 6 anglers approached me and asked if I went out in this weather? Then they told me that all 3 guides had cancelled their trips that day.

Is it ok for a client to cancel and forfeit the deposit?
Is this considered a bad client that would not never receive another trip again?
Alternatively is ok for guides to refuse to cancel trips regardless of how bad the weather becomes, because they have bills to pay?

[motoyak]

Totally at the discretion of the guide to cancel and refund or reschedule IMO. Stuff happens, not just the weather. Im sure your guide had provisions about such and what the remedy would be (cancellations, no shows, accidents, etc)
Did he give you the option of calling it off?

[Speck Tackler]

I appreciate it when the guide asks me what I would
like to do.

If I do decide to cancel that trip is almost a guarantee that I will be using that guide again for another one.

[wittich]

Totally at the discretion of the guide to cancel and refund or reschedule IMO. Stuff happens, not just the weather. Im sure your guide had provisions about such and what the remedy would be (cancellations, no shows, accidents, etc)
Did he give you the option of calling it off?

The remedy used to postponing the trip until better conditions. Now it seems more likely that small concessions are made, such as let's wait at the marina for a few hours and hope the lightning passes, or let's fish the docks in the marina because it is only protected water for miles around.
It is not the same trip. I think there is too much competition among guides now, they have to go regardless of the conditions.

To answer your question: there was no option discussed about calling it off. We moved the trip to the following day, but cold fronts don't last a day. I remember hearing the guide complain about a 10 degree temp drop making fishing difficult.

[DUKFVR]

Sad part nowadays is a lot of guides hunting and fishing are shysters. Trying to make a buck on the publics resource. Lots of good ones still ,but lots more bad ones.

[SWFinatic]

I’m not a guide but from what I’ve heard from them it’s hard to reschedule a trip if they are booked for months in advance. Also some just don’t like giving money back. Some guides will contact the customer a week or so out and make sure they’re still going to make it. Typically that is when any changes will be made. In the end the guide should do what’s best for the customer if they truly care about their business in my opinion.