Recently I have been doing some "conventional" bass fishing with my husband and sons. Since my husband is a fishing guide you would think that he could teach me all I needed to know, but I found out with fly casting and fly tying that your mate is not always the best source of assistance. A stranger has no expectations and a lot more patience. Perhaps this is why we book many husband and wife teams on our boat. The husbands are happy to have Dan instruct their mates, and they catch fish like crazy. We often hear "if my wife could ever hook up with a big one, I know she would go with me more often." A guide can help to make this happen. I know I listen and pay more attention to someone who is a paid professional.

I decided to call upon the only woman fishing guide on Clear Lake for some instruction. Sandy Hagar has been a tournament professional and a guide for years. We met her at the Catfish Tournament this year and exchanged cards. I have been intrigued by guiding and women guides in particular since marrying my husband. Wives of guides sometimes become guides themselves, and I have entertained that thought fleetingly. Great guides are born with special instincts that take years to fine tune. Anyone can take you for a boat ride, but it takes someone special to consistently put you on fish amid changing conditions.

I called Sandy and explained I not only wanted to learn about bass, but had an interest in her career as well. She said she had never had a problem talking and fishing at the same time, so we set out on a Tuesday afternoon. It was a shame we couldn't have taken advantage of the morning bite, but scheduling didn't permit this, so we decided to make the best of the time we had. Water temperature was about 78 degrees with a breeze. Clearlake is a relatively shallow lake, and when the wind comes up it turns plain nasty. Three foot white caps can make your return trip a rough one, so we kept this in mind and didn't wander too far off. Sandy chose her 19' Nitro boat in part because of its more comfortable ride in rough water.

Sandy usually works out of a beautiful facility called The Edgewater Resort. They have a 230 foot pier to fish from, or you can launch and dock your boat. They specialize in RV Clubs and Groups, but also have cabins and campsites. The Edgewater is owned and operated by Lora Tell and Sandra West. The more I become involved in sport fishing, the more I see that women are actively involved in all aspects of the industry. Sometimes acceptance of women in unusual careers is more difficult to come by, but Lora and Sandra were happy to give Sandy a base of operations and to recommend her to their guests. Both Sandra and Lora owned businesses in San Francisco, but longed to change their life styles. They were in the market for a marina on the Sacramento Delta when they came across an ad for this property on Clearlake. They came up for a look and things clicked. It needed a pool and lot of TLC, but through creative financing they have transformed it into a premier site employing a staff of 20.

Finding the fish was our primary objective, and they were not in the most likely spots. I let Sandy do the casting while I asked the questions, I figured when she found 'em I'd grab a rod. What a plan. I learned that like myself, Sandy began fishing at an early age. Her dad took her hunting, but he wasn't interested in fishing much, so an elderly neighbor would take her along with him. He left her a little Thompson wooden boat with a 5 HP Johnson when she was about 10. Her dad would drive her and the boat to a nearby lake and then come back and pick her up. No doubt about it, she had the fever. All the years she taught P.E. in Junior High, fishing was her passion. Texas provided the final inspiration. Sandy tells me that there are more women fishing tournaments and guiding there than anywhere. In 1982 she began guiding Lake Fork. She joined the Bassin Gal's tour and made Rookie of the Year in 1993, her first year in the pros. Sandy has fished with Jimmy Houston's wife and daughter and in many tournaments with men partners as well. She has been guiding Clearlake for about a year, but has lived on the lake for much longer.

About this time in our day, we pulled up on a classic bass spot; rocks, plenty of vegetation, and shadows, and there they were. We spotted about a half dozen bass all over three pounds, just cruising the area. We changed from a caterpillar grub to worms, and Bingo!. I boated three fish, between 1 1/2 pounds and 2 1/2 pounds and suddenly we were out of time. Just when the bite turned on we both had to get back. Shoot!

We took off through the whitecaps, flying through the air a few times, and lovin' it. It was a great day on the lake with great company. I am always amazed at how tenacious we can be when we have a dream. I salute Sandy, Sandra, and Lora for making theirs a reality and enjoying it every day.

Columnist Joan Carter co-owns, with her husband, Dan Carter's Guide Service.