Client Mike Allen attempts to fool a riser in a crystal-clear pool.

If I were to fall off this cliff while photographing Mike Allen casting over this clearwater pool, it could put a damper on the day. As an independent fly fishing guide, you don't have much for back-up, especially if you are in a foreign country. Fishing shops carrying esoteric fly gear simply do not exist. A broken rod or a screwed-up reel could mean a ruined outing for a guy that has been planning the trip for months. What a crapper for him.

So you create your own back-up plans and have double and triple of everything, some of it in your backpack, most of it back in the vehicle. A guide preparing for a trip is like the night before opening day of deer season. Checklists are gone through once, twice, and a third time about an hour down the road in the back of your head: Did I pack the sandwiches?