Switzer Land

SFF catches salty Long Island guide Amanda Switzer on the fly.

By Terry Gibson
Fast Casts
The SFF Platform
Saltwater Fly Fishing Magazine
June/July, 2004

SFF: Are you the only full-time female fly-fishing guide in the Northeast?
No, but I was the first—at least on Long Island.

SFF: Are you mentoring any younger women in the sport?
No, but I've got a bunch of 16-year-old boys begging to wash the boat. (Laughs.) Seriously, I developed a fly-fishing program through Tony Duke's Boys and Girls Harbor, which brings inner-city kids to the Hamptons.

SFF: So what is Amanda Switzer's specialty?
Sight fishing for northeastern stripers

SFF: And where else have you fished?
I've spent a lot of time in the Keys tarpon fishing, and I went to the Bocas del Torro on the northeastern coast of Panama. I've also fished in the Bahamas a lot, and I've guided in the Seychelles, in the Aldabra group. I went there with Urban Angler, with a bunch of very serious fly fishermen, and we left the mother ship at dawn, pounded the water all day every day, and returned at dusk.

SFF: You spent weeks on end guiding groups of men out of a mother ship. Did that ever get awkward?
Yes. One time the issue of having me on board really divided the group. Half of them didn't think I had the experience and didn't want me there, and one guy got really, well, forward. I had to juggle the whole dynamic so it didn't get out of hand. But we caught a lot of fish, and I learned how to handle myself. Some men never want to hire a female guide, and that's fine with me—I don't want to know them. I've also learned to make it clear to potential clients not to charter me because they think I'm a novelty. I work very hard to put people on fish and help them become better fly fishers.

SFF: How do you think women anglers should be presented in fishing magazines?
Most hardcore anglers fantasize about a partner who shares the same passion. If you have an attractive person—male or female—looking natural and holding a fish properly, with wilderness in the background, then you're looking at art. Sensuality is natural, and fishing magazines should have beautiful, sensual images in them. But I sell my charter based on my ability to help people catch more fish; I don't use my sexuality to sell them.

SFF: As a captain, how do you deal with division of the sexes on your boat?
The division of the sexes factors into everything except catching a fish—if the angler's mind is on what it should be.
With a new client, I ask them right away where they've fished, if they want casting lessons, and so on. The toughest thing for me is trying to give directions and professional advice to a new client without sounding like a cold bitch. I'm a warm person, I laugh about all the things guys laugh about, and I'm all about the fun. But until I have a relationship with my angler, I have to be careful about being too stern or too warm toward that person.

SFF: Do you get a lot of record-seeking clients?
No, and honestly, I'm against the world-record thing. I'm an advocate for throwing the big breeders back, quickly. Plus, saltwater fishing has gotten so competitive… Say I catch a 45-inch fish, and I think to myself, "This is my biggest fish yet—then fishing becomes all about me, my accomplishments, my ego, and not about the fun or the reverence for the fish. It'd be better for everyone if I bought a Porsche or got a boob job or a tattoo.

SFF: What do you do when a client won't listen?
One time this stockbroker hired me. He walked down the dock at a Wall Street pace, got in the boat and said, "I just wanna catch a f—ing fish on the flats." I said, "Okay, we'll catch a f—ing fish on the flats." So I put a Valium in a little milk carton…

SFF: Are you serious?
Of course not. I made him sit down, explained the game to him, and sure enough, he caught a 40-inch fish. He took digital pictures… and he was hugging me and jumping up and down, saying, "My wife is gonna freak when she sees this."
I was so happy for him. That's why I'm in this business.—Terry Gibson

Photo Caption: A keen eye and quick wit keep Switzer booked 150 days per year.
Photo: Avery Revere

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