Hello Pablo, could you first introduce yourself to Fishing.news readers?
Pablo Chaves -Hello, it's a pleasure for me to introduce myself. My name is Pablo Chaves, I'm a Spanish colombo, and I started fishing thanks to a neighbor and his father when I was 10 or 11.
Professionally, I started as a fishing guide in November 2010, for the Spanish fishing center Pesca Extremadura. In 2017 in winter, while the fishing center was closed, I started organizing guided trips in Colombia through my agency ADS Fishing Concept. In 2020 and 2021, I worked during the peacock bass season as a manager in a lodge in Colombia. Since 2020, I've been a Pro-Guide with Ultimate Fishing, and thanks to them, I'm a Pro-Staff with DUO International too.
I live in Colombia and during the dry season, which runs from December to the end of March, I look after my customers. I have plans to guide elsewhere in South America. For next year, an arapaima tour in Bolivia is available.
Why did you become a fishing guide?
Pablo Chaves -It was pure chance. I'm Spanish by birth, and in Spain there's no such thing as a fishing guide. In fact, before I became a guide, I didn't even know it was a profession! Of course, to do this job, you have to be passionate about fishing and enjoy contact with people.
I was unemployed and not far from starting to study, when suddenly I got a call with a job offer. It didn't take me long to say yes. Even though I didn't have much family support at the time, probably due to the fact that nobody in my family fishes, and they didn't know it could be a job.
What kind of guidance products do you offer?
Pablo Chaves -Through ADS Fishing Concept, I offer stays that are virtually all-inclusive from the moment the customer arrives in Bogotá. This way, customers don't have to worry about a thing. These are 6- or 13-day fishing trips. In the long stay, I offer two rivers or two completely different fishing trips on the same river.
Once on site, I take care of the fishermen, if they need anything in the kitchen or accommodation... And, of course, I accompany the clients to the boat every day to take photos and videos and guide them. These are stays where the customer targets peacock bass. Of course, there are other predators like payara, surubim (a species of catfish), sardinata and piranha, among others. I welcome lure and fly fishermen of all levels.
What does being a fishing guide mean to you?
Pablo Chaves -The basic idea is to get people to catch fish, regardless of their fishing ability. Guiding doesn't start at the boat, it starts at the first contact when you explain to customers the equipment they need for a successful trip. After that, on the boat, you have to do everything possible to achieve success.
Personally, I'm never closed to listening to customers, and sometimes in hard times, thanks to them and their advice, or a lure or technique I didn't necessarily believe in, we make fish. You always have to question yourself and keep learning. Guiding normally goes further than fishing itself, and in my case, I'm highlighting Colombia as a country, particularly in terms of the environment.
For me, it's a passion without which I wouldn't be the same person. I always take advantage of the fishermen who are with me, and I keep in touch with many of them. There's always a lot to learn from them about fishing and life. I'm lucky enough to work in breathtaking settings, so I make the most of these moments. Thanks to this job, I've seen anacondas, Orinoco black caimans, capybaras, wonderful butterflies and incredible tall trees.
Do you fish or not when you're guiding?
Pablo Chaves -The idea is not to strike a rod, but if the day is tough, I fish to try and find a lure or a technique that works. Once found, I stop and if the customer doesn't have the lure, I lend him mine. In hard times, I can fish to motivate people. I can also do a few strokes of the rod if I'm on the boat with friends or colleagues from Ultimate Fishing.
Even if we arrive at a spot where I know there are some nice fish, or at any moment the nice subjects will be active, I bend my rod. I also have old customers, like 75-year-old Pierre who'll be back next year, and sometimes with these loyal customers, I fish because they ask me to, and once the fish are hooked, I hand them the rod.
What really pleases me in this job is to see a customer catch a beautiful fish and take a photo of himself with it, proof that we've succeeded. I say "we" because, at the end of the day, it's a team effort. If I catch a nice fish, which happens to me, well that bothers me more than anything else, because for me it's one less trophy for the customer.
What do you do when you're not guiding?
Pablo Chaves -Many of my customers are repeat anglers, but my goal is to always find new customers, and that's what I'm dedicated to. I'm always on the lookout for anglers who want to experience a fishing adventure in the middle of the jungle. I'm also in charge of social networks and I've been trying to find new allies for new destinations in South America.
Of course, I also test and fish for myself, whatever the species. For me, it's important to spend time in the water, I love it!
I also devote time to my family. When I leave to guide, I spend many weeks in a row, sometimes two months, without seeing the family. And there's no Internet, or you have to travel a long way to get it, cell phones don't work and you have to call through a satellite phone.
What advice would you give to people wishing to embark on this adventure?
Pablo Chaves -It's a job with a lot of positive things, like working in a field that's your hobby. Often, you're the boss, at least on the boat, and there's no better office than being on the water.
There are negative things too, you mustn't think you're going to spend all day fishing. This job requires a lot of hard work, and you have to be able to stand up to the heat, the cold and the rain. Sometimes it's hard to balance family and work.
You have to put everything on a scale and see which way it tips and try to make the right decision. My final advice is, don't let anyone take your dream away from you, even if the balance is negative, but you're sure of yourself, go for it.
What is your dream as a fisherman?
Pablo Chaves -I've always been a fan of black-bass fishing, but since discovering other species, there are no limits for me. I dream of having in my hands roosterfish, golden masheer, snakehead, golden dorado, napoleon...
