Bob
Sauer-Jones, better known as "Jonesy" to his
clients and friends, is owner of Outback Outfitters Guiding Service
located
in Cochecton, New York. With his all-season, six-year old guiding
service,
Bob offers a variety of services for the avid fisherman and sportsman
alike.
Even at the
tender age of
five, Bob often stole away from his family farm to fish the streams and
brooks that feed the Willowemoc and Beaverkill Rivers. With his
homemade
fishing pole, Bob remembers many adventures hoping to catch the native
brookies that lived in those streams. He also remembers once being
startled
by a huge blacksnake, twice his size, as it slithered into the stream
in
front of him right before he reached his favorite fishing hole. Then,
he
recalls the neighborhood ladies who nabbed his brother and him, as they
walked home from fishing carrying a string of trout. All the brothers'
excuses did not excuse them from attending church that day as the fish
waited for them in the vestibule until the service was over.
As a
teenager, Bob hunted
the Catskill Mountains, favoring the various mountains of the Turnwood
area. He loved walking for hours in the mountains, enjoying the
outdoors.
Eventually, he knew every nook and crevice, as well as the habits and
patterns
of the animals, in the mountain ranges and could easily navigate across
acres of land without getting lost. As he developed his craft, Bob
learned
how to reload his own ammunition and became experienced in how to
reload
his own ammunition and became experienced in bow, rifle and muzzle
loading
hunting.
As an adult,
Bob could not
resist the lure of fly-fishing, living only a few miles from Trout
Town,USA
(Roscoe, New York). Thus, he taught himself to fly-fish and became
competent
in tying his own flies. Bob went back to his childhood streams and
fished
alongside the many famous people who were fly-fishing Junction Pool and
other well-known areas of the Beaverkill.
It was not
until Bob was
in his forties that he decided to turn his knowledge of the outdoors
into
a business, desiring to share what he knew and loved about nature with
others. In 1995, he received his New York State Guide License and began
to build his business, Outback Outfitters Guiding Service. Now, five
years
later, Bob confidently gives his clients a unique and enjoyable
experience
in the outdoors.
During the
spring season,
an Outback Outfitters adventure begins with the early trout season on
the
Delaware River. Operating a sixteen-foot Clackacraft River Boat, Bob
hits
the east and west branches of the Delaware River while the main branch
of the river is still rushing with spring run off. As soon as the water
becomes navigable and the spring fly hatches are abundant, he takes his
clients to the main stem of the Delaware River where many good-sized
native
brookies, rainbows, and brown trout are located. Bob's clients have
great
fun hooking into wild native trout and fighting to land them.
The Delaware
River is rated
as a Blue Ribbon River for a wild fishery, meaning that the fishing is
some of the best in the country. When fishing the Delaware River,
clients
often remark about how similar the experience is to fishing a river out
West! The river also offers the chance to see a multitude of wild life.
While quietly drifting down the river, one can often see whitetail
deer,
duck, geese and bald eagles. Occasionally, a lucky client will see a
bear
or coyote crossing the river during a float trip.
All this
excitement is not
lost on the spin fisherman who also has alot of fun hooking into what
the
Delaware River has to offer. Throughout the fishing season, bass,
walleye,
and shad are sought after as Bob's clients enjoy a lazy summer drift
down
the river.
A day on the
river is enjoyable
even if you are not a "dyed in the wool" spin or fly fisherman. Many of
Bob's clients stay at a Bed & Breakfast. After breakfast at the
B&B,
Bob picks up his clients and heads for the river with his drift boat.
When
his clients are settled in to the comfortable seats of the Clackacraft,
off they go. He knows the river well and shows his clients the best
trout
waters. Even when the river is low, Bob has been know to tow the boat
into
areas that he knows are "hot", hoping his clients can snag that big
one.
As the day warms and the fishing slows down, Bob sets up a lunch for
his
clients to enjoy. Some clients relax and snooze, others discuss flies
and
casting and techniques with Bob, but most are up and fishing soon after
lunch, hoping for that next hit. After a long day of fishing, the
clients
return to the B&B where they can clean up and make dinner plans.
When the air
begins to cool
in late August, Bob shifts his attention towards the Adirondacks. Not
long
after starting his guiding business, Bob realized that he wanted to
make
a more remote, big country, big game hunting experience available to
his
clients. Having hunted the Adirondacks in the 1980's, Bob knew what a
challenge
the Adirondacks could offer. Bob began to put together camps fashioned
after the great western hunts that could give his clients a comfortable
but immediate outdoors experience. To help his clients be more
successful,
Bob spends time scouting for and locating signs of big game himself and
passes this information to his clients when they arrive. What he loves
best about scouting the 108,503 acres of the wilderness area of which
his
clients have use, is the challenge of not knowing what is around the
next
grove of trees and seeing what else there is to explore.
As a full
service guide,
Bob sets up wall tents cabins for his client's comfort, complete with
bunks
beds, a full kitchen, wood stoves and a shower. Clients come back after
a  long
day of hunting to home cooked meals provided by the camp cook. The camp
borders a lake, across which the clients can buzz in a wide v-hull
motorized
boat on their way to the base of the best hunting areas. By the time
his
clients arrive for early bear season, Bob has spent hours searching for
signs of game and knows how the game is moving. This pre-scouting work
has helped Bob secure a 90% re-booking rate due to the total experience
of a warm comfortable camp, good hunting and fishing, and a guide who
knows
the land.
In running
Outback Outfitters,
Bob has met people from all over the world and all walks of life. In
sharing
time together, Bob gets to hear wonderful stories about his clients'
lives
and experiences as well as share his own tales about his adventures and
expertise for their leisure and enjoyment. One of Bob's clients so
enjoyed
his fishing trip he came back and wrote an article promoting Outback
Outfitters
and the Delaware River. That article titled "Montana on the Delaware"
appeared
in the October 2000 issue of Gentlemen's Quarterly (GQ). The writer
compared
his experience of catching a large rainbow trout on the Delaware with
his
experience of fishing in Montana.
Five years
ago, when a family
friend first suggested the idea of Bob starting a guiding business, Bob
thought it was a great idea but knew that it would take alot of hard
work.
With the help of his family, his wife Donna, and their two sons, Jacob
and Lucas, Bob put together a written business plan, which outlined his
goal, vision and marketability of his project. He then got financial
for
his business plan and secured start-up funds to begin life as an
Outfitter
and Guide. It was thanks to his family's continual support that he got
through that tough first year. They would not allow him to give up when
business lagged and money was tight. Now, five years later, Outback
Outfitters
is thriving.
There are no
regrets from
Bob Sauer-Jones about the long hours and hard work it takes to run a
successful
guiding business. If the truth were known, Bob seldom gets to fish or
hunt
himself anymore because he is too busy sharing what he loves with
others.
According to him, the pleasure he gets from seeing his clients be
successful
is enough. By
setting
goals, accomplishing them one by one and working very hard, Bob created
his vision of a very successful outfitting business. In looking towards
the future, Bob's vision includes offering remote fly-ins in the
Adirondacks,
varmint hunting in the Catskills and Adirondacks and snowshoe rabbit
hunting.
For Bob and Outback Outfitters, the sky is the limit. And, as long as
he
has his wonderful family waiting for him after a long day on the river
or a month away, the limit is worth going for. |
