The purpose of this column is to highlight some of the guides we have here in the Pacific Northwest for our readers to aid in the selection of a guide who fits your needs. We are hoping that this helps to outline some of the things that make guides successful, fun to fish with and for other guides, tips on how to become a better guide, both on the water and as a business owner.
Ben feels blessed to get to do what he does every day, and he tries not to forget what a fantastic area we live in and how spectacular our fish are. Young Hudson with a bright Chinook.
In June of 2022 I had the chance to spend some time with Ben Rosenbach on my home river in NW Washington. Luckily conditions were great the day that I fished with Ben, and we got a couple of late spring/early summer Chinook. June 2022 brought more rain and snowmelt than I have ever seen, and we averaged 10,000 CFS all month where we normally sit around 6000. I felt blessed that conditions improved like they did for a great day on the river with Ben.
Ben called me the night prior to fishing to find out if I minded that his client for the day wanted to film some promo videos. I had no issue and looked forward to it. We had a camera on us for most of the morning and had a drone flying overhead. Fishing two boats side by side while filming can be challenging, but we still got two fish early, including a first cast fish. With the water temperature hovering in the low 40’s, the fish were not very aggressive making fishing tough. Luckily for us, Ben is known for his egg cures and had a myriad of flavors to choose from, so it was just a matter of time before we found a biter.
My fishing partners for the day were Dan Keller and his 13-year-old son Hudson as well a friend of theirs, Luke. It was so much fun to fish with these guys, especially young Hudson who was an avid fisherman. Hudson was gung-ho to start the day but faded and took a nice nap on the bow of the boat. It amazes me how kids can curl up just about anywhere and sleep. Later, we were able to entice Hudson with a fresh burger provided by another guide, Cary Hoffman. With a full belly, Hudson was ready to fish again.
Ben grew up in Arlington Washington and other than a short stint living in New Mexico and a few fishing seasons working in Alaska, he has never left the area, residing now in Monroe. Ben is not a full-time fishing guide but still spends close to 200 days per year on the water with clients. He focuses most of his time north of Seattle on some of our scenic rivers, but also spends time each year fishing Buoy 10 as well as steelhead on the Cowlitz. When Ben is finished fishing for the day and on days when he does not fish, he runs a metal fabrication business with the same namesake as his guide business, Mixed Metal Outdoors. Ben can fabricate just about anything from filet tables to custom transoms and swim platforms. Ben has built two custom boats so far and exhibits tremendous talent in the quality of his work.
Ben is a huge advocate for our rights and privileges to hunt and fish. Ben with and ocean bright coho.
Ben grew up with his mother and step-father and his biological father bounced in and out of his life. Fortunately, his father introduced Ben to fishing and hunting. As far back as Ben can remember, hunting and fishing have been his obsession. Ben has pictures that his mother took of him fishing in the ditches near their home when he was a young child. He was optimistic, but nobody had the heart to tell him that there were no fish in drainage ditches.
In his early twenties, Ben realized that he could make a living as a fishing guide. He started out with a drift boat and has progressed to where he is today. Over the past few years, Ben has really committed to the guide portion of his business, and it is going well, with a growing client base. There are many reasons for his success that I will highlight shortly, but Ben has many clients who fish with him over and over again.
Ben loves every part of the industry, including boats, tackle, bait, and accessories. By combining his love of the outdoors with his passion to weld and build functional products, he can work within the industry full-time and loves what he does every day. Ben does not want to be “that guy who gets out of bed in the morning and hates daily life.” Not everyone is successful, but Ben has done a great job of making a living doing what he loves. His love for fishing and for meeting people, really shows. He is passionate, friendly, and fun to be around. Ben has a calming effect on his clients and makes the time with him fun. After all, a memorable day, regardless of whether we catch fish is what we are all signing up for.
Buzz Ramsey Series 360 Trolling Rod Signature Series
Ben is a huge advocate for our rights and privileges to hunt and fish. He strives to protect and preserve the opportunities that we have now so that our children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy them as well. This is commendable and is a common goal that many of us share. Ben told me that for him, “it’s a very special feeling to be a part of a kids first steelhead or salmon. I know I remember mine and believe as anglers and outdoorsman we need to keep growing and challenging ourselves. It’s easy to grab a couple fellow anglers and go out and put fish in the boat, but to take someone that has never held a rod, teach them to cast, and then tie them into a steelhead, it is a next level challenge with each individual angler. To me, its more rewarding than anything else I have accomplished as an angler.”
Much like me, Ben has a special love for steelhead and yes, it’s a special kind of insanity for sure. We get up at zero dark thirty in the dead of winter, drive for hours, and stand in the cold and rain for hours on end in hopes that there is a fish that will grab our presentation. What is it about steelhead? I think that we do it because it is not easy; it is extreme and challenging. Also, you can argue any way that you would like, but I don’t think that there is a better fish to fight than a steelhead, at least not in cold water. Ben appreciates their unpredictability and sheer will to survive which makes them one of the toughest pursuits that there is. Steelhead don’t travel or school up in large numbers, we find them in unpredictable holdings, and they can be very stubborn in their willingness to bite. This makes every encounter more special.
Ben loves every part of the industry, including boats, tackle, bait, and accessories. By combining his love of the outdoors with his passion to weld and build functional products, he can work within the industry full-time and loves what he does every day. Hudson with a wild Chinook.
Half the time, just tolerating the elements and weather is an accomplishment all its own. Heck, success some days is just surviving the elements and enjoying a hot cup of coffee on the ride home. When you do have one of those special days when everything seems to line up and you have a 10 to 12 fish day, it just seems to mean more. This is one of the reasons that the Steelhead is just a special fish to Ben, as with so many of us. Despite his love for steelhead, Ben also loves both Chinook and coho fishing in the river. Ben likes throwing spinners and jigs for coho and in his opinion, pound for pound they are the toughest fish in the water, not to mention plentiful and great eating.
Ben is a bit old school, a self-proclaimed side drifter. Per Ben, “you just can’t beat a good egg bite while side drifting with a light 9’6”, 6-10lb spinning rod. It’s a special kind of tickle, I guess. I also love a good plug takedown out of the drift boat. Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.” Yeah, we can all relate. The day that we fished, we side drifted and back dragged eggs all day long. That is the ticket for Chinook in the river that we were fishing.
Now I consider myself a morning person as I get up around 5:00 a.m. every morning and start work around 6:00. Most fishing guides start their days much earlier and Ben is no exception. The day that we fished, he was up at 2:30 and at the boat ramp at 4:00 to get things ready for us. This is his daily routine and is one of the reasons that he stands out from the pack. Ben is known to fish long, hard days. He is a bit stubborn and says that he is going to stick to what he knows until he is proven otherwise. He is very confident in his practiced and proven methods, yet if the fish, or conditions, or even other anglers show him that he needs to adapt, he is wise enough to be open-minded. A common thread with great guides is that they never want to stop learning and Ben is no exception. Ben feels that the best part of this is that you never really get it all figured out. This is what keeps us coming back for more, and oftentimes losing sleep.
I found Ben to be intense, but he also loves to laugh and have fun. To him, the whole purpose of spending a day on the water is to enjoy it and to make it enjoyable for the folks in his boat. He sees so many people get caught up in the catching part of fishing and he wants people to love the art of fishing as much as they do when they are catching fish. Regardless of the conditions or the number of bites, it is important to take it all in and enjoy yourself. Besides having a fun day, Ben always intends to do everything he can to put his clients on fish.
Ben feels that his outlook and approach to guiding in general are something that differentiate him or make him stand out. It’s not just a job to Ben, but a passion and maybe even an obsession. He loves teaching others and is very willing to share his secrets to success. He will share the tackle that he uses, his trolling speed, leader length, a specific technique, reading water, and the little things that can make a big difference. There are very few things that Ben will keep from his clients. Keeping secrets has never helped Ben in any way and sharing them has not ever hurt his success rate. One caveat to this is that I was not able to pry his egg cure recipes from him. I will keep trying.
Ben feels blessed to get to do what he does every day, and he tries not to forget what a fantastic area we live in and how spectacular our fish are. He is also very committed to supporting local companies and providers. Ben works almost exclusively with Prolite Rod Technology and has swapped most of his rods out with theirs. He is a big supporter of BnR Tackle. Ben feels that BnR makes the best soft bead on the market, and he likes the fact that Brandon and Ryan Wedam are self-made guys. Additionally, Ben supports Johns Sporting Goods in Everett, a third-generation tackle shop. Per Ben, “keeping it local means that we support those who support our fisheries and help to give us continued opportunities”. We will not realize how important they are until they are gone.
We have a Facebook group on my local river and a young guy recently posted asking for advice. He has a 16’ boat and wanted some pointers as he has mostly bank fished in the past. Most of the respondents posted snide remarks so I messaged him to PM me. I offered him the opportunity to jump in with me, but he had already booked with Ben for the day. I told him to tell Ben what his goal was and to watch Ben like a hawk to learn everything that he can. Ben will share all that he knows and will make sure to send this fellow in the right direction. That my friends is integrity and Ben is full of it.
As we part, I encourage you to contact Ben and meet up. While spending the day that we did on the water, Ben got a call from fellow guide Cary Hoffman asking if we wanted to come down to join them for lunch. Cary had the gang from Prolite Rods with him and was cooking burgers on a sand bar. We spent about 45 minutes with the group, and it was obvious that Ben is well respected and liked within the guide circle. This to me defines who he is and is a reason that you should get out with him.
Ben focuses most of his time north of Seattle on some of our scenic rivers, but also spends time each year fishing Buoy 10 as well as steelhead on the Cowlitz. Ben’s Alumaweld jet boat.
To book a day on the water with Ben, you can call him at (425) 327-1245, visit his website at mixedmetalsoutdoors.com or connect with him on Facebook at Mixed Metals Outdoors.
To nominate your favorite guide or to request an interview, you can reach me at bknight@iss-safe.com.
MORE GREAT ARTICLES FROM STS:
BEYOND THE TWITCH - LUCAS HOLMGREN
THE SUMMER STEELHEAD OF FALL - SCOTT HAUGEN